Tag: Entertainment-Variety

With “Dhurandhar” shattering records and 37 films crossing the INR1 billion ($10.7 million) box office threshold, India’s filmed entertainment segment posted its best-ever year in 2025, reaching INR205 billion ($2.18 billion) – part of a broader surge that lifted the country’s total media and entertainment sector 9% year-on-year to INR2.78 trillion ($29.63 billion), according to the FICCI-EY report “Stories, Scale and Impact: Unlocking India’s Media and Entertainment Economy,” released Tuesday in Mumbai at the FICCI Frames conference.

The sector’s growth outpaced India’s per-capita GDP expansion of 7.7%, with digital media, advertising and live experiences the primary engines, even as select segments faced regulatory and cost pressures.

Digital media emerged as the single largest segment of the industry, crossing $10.66 billion for the first time. India’s streaming market crossed $2.9 billion in 2025, with regional languages’ share of consumption rising from 27% in 2020 to 56% in 2025. Regional cinema now contributes over 65% of all films produced in the country. Total advertising revenues grew 13.5% to $15.98 billion, equivalent to 0.41% of India’s GDP. The sector is projected to reach $35.17 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual rate of over 7%, with new media expected to constitute 53% of total revenues by that point.

The M&E sector contributes around 0.8% of India’s GDP and provides direct employment to approximately 2.75 million people, with indirect employment extending to over 10 million. India produced almost 200,000 hours of content in 2025, a majority of it in regional languages other than Hindi, with 96% produced for television excluding news bulletins, 2% for films, 1% for streaming and 1% for short video and microdramas.

Digital advertising rose 26% to $10.09 billion, accounting for 63% of total advertising revenues as brands continued to shift spending toward performance-led, measurable and commerce-linked formats. E-commerce and point-of-sale advertising surged 50% to $2.34 billion, a figure equivalent to 85% of linear television advertising revenues. Digital advertising also encompasses $3.87 billion from more than one million small and medium enterprises and long-tail advertisers. Advertising on Connected TVs rose from $735.3 million in 2024 to $1.06 billion in 2025 as Connected TV subscriptions grew 35% and delivered affluent audiences to marketers.

Digital subscription revenues climbed 60% to $1.74 billion. Paid video subscriptions reached 216 million, spanning 143 million households, driven by premium sports and films placed behind paywalls. Paid music subscriptions grew 37% to 14.4 million. News subscriptions remain limited to 4 million, primarily owing to the abundance of free alternatives.

Kevin Vaz, chair of the FICCI Media and Entertainment Committee, said the digital milestone was “a highly encouraging signal, underscoring the sector’s strong growth momentum,” and described Connected TV as complementing linear television by enhancing large-screen experiences. He added that “measured regulatory forbearance, coupled with innovation, will be critical in sustaining long-term growth.”

The organized live events segment surged 44% to $1.55 billion, fuelled by ticketed concerts, personal functions such as weddings, government events and religious gatherings including the Maha Kumbh Mela.

The film segment reached a record $2.18 billion. More than 1,900 films were released in 2025, with theatrical revenues rising 14%, mainly from higher ticket prices. Thirty-seven films earned $10.7 million or more at the box office, with “Dhurandhar” cited in the report as a record-setter for the year. Digital and satellite rights values declined 8% and 10% respectively, as buyers rationalized slates and adjusted values based on theatrical performance.

Television continues to be the predominant medium in India, reaching approximately 745 million individuals weekly. Linear TV advertising revenue declined 10.3%, reflecting reduced advertising volumes as sectors shifted spend to digital and a 3% reduction in the number of advertisers using the platform. Subscription revenues decreased 8%, attributed to a loss of 11 million Pay TV households, though Free TV and Connected TV subscribers grew. Connected TV reach increased to approximately 40 million weekly active homes from 30 million in 2024. Combined linear and Connected TV advertising revenues were stable at $3.86 billion.

Out-of-home media grew 13%, with premium properties and locations leading the expansion. Digital OOH contributed 18% of total segment revenues, up from 7% in 2023. The music sector saw revenues increase 10%, with digital licensing expanding just 2% – attributed by the report to declining returns from YouTube – while revenues from other streaming platforms and social media channels demonstrated growth. Music labels’ other income rose 26%, supported by expansion into events, talent management and branded content.

Animation and VFX grew only 2%, as international studios struggling with profitability focused on fewer films and series in the wake of the Hollywood writers’ strike’s impact on global supply chains, while domestic demand increased as more mid-budget films incorporated VFX. Print advertising revenues rose 2%, with subscription earnings dropping 1% due to reduced circulation among younger audiences. Radio segment revenues declined 7% to $245.1 million, primarily due to reduced ad rates, with the report noting that certain mobile devices and automobiles are no longer equipped with FM receivers. Non-advertising revenues now comprise 25% of segment revenues.

The online and video games segment saw a 17% decrease following the ban on money gaming that took effect at the end of August 2025, with money gaming revenues dropping 26% compared to 2024. In-app purchases in video games rose 15% as the industry pivoted to that format. Esports revenues declined 8%, largely as a result of global sponsorship challenges and the segment’s reliance on money gaming brands for sponsorships.

Deal activity in the sector remained robust, with 105 transactions recorded in 2025, an 8% increase in volume compared to 2024. Excluding the mega Jio-Star transaction, deal value reflected a 27% increase over the adjusted 2024 base. Some 73% of deals pertained to new media, with digital media and sports the most active segments.

Looking ahead, the report projects the sector will grow 2.8% in 2026 to reach $30.48 billion; excluding online gaming, growth is expected at 8% before accelerating to a CAGR of over 7% through 2028. The sector is expected to reach $31.97 billion by 2027, adding $5.5 billion in absolute terms between 2025 and 2028.

By segment, digital media is projected to be the fastest-growing, with a 14% CAGR to reach $17.48 billion by 2028. The report projects digital advertising to lead with $4.75 billion in incremental revenues, driven by SME advertising growing at 16% to reach $6 billion by 2028 and e-commerce and point-of-sale advertising growing at 22% to $4.31 billion. The share of programmatic advertising is expected to surpass 75% of all non-premium and impact inventory, representing $10.12 billion in digital ad spend managed through self-serve algorithms by 2028.

Digital subscription revenues are projected to grow by $905.8 million, with video streaming subscriptions expanding from 143 million to approximately 191 million households. Transactional video-on-demand revenues are expected to rise from $53.3 million to $78.9 million, while audio streaming subscriptions are set to double, reaching between 28 million and 30 million paid subscribers.

Live events are expected to expand beyond the current top eight metro cities to more than 20 cities with populations exceeding 2 million, with concert days hosting audiences of 10,000 or more projected to rise from 130 in 2025 to over 200 by 2028, driving the segment to $2.09 billion. Filmed entertainment is projected to grow to $2.7 billion on the back of increased screens, a greater number of high-concept films and a rebound in digital rights values. Animation and VFX is forecast to grow at a 10% CAGR to $1.47 billion, aided by stabilizing global content pipelines and increased offshoring by major studios to India.

Television is projected to continue losing audiences to Connected TV, with total Linear Pay TV subscriptions declining at a rate of 3.1% to 83 million by 2028. However, total linear and Connected TV advertising revenues are expected to grow to $4.02 billion by 2028 as ad-targeting capabilities improve and SMEs increase Connected TV investment. Video games are projected to grow at 13% to reach $980.4 million by 2028, though the report notes the segment may not be able to fully recover the $2.02 billion gap caused by the ban on money gaming.

Speaking at the report’s launch, Ashish Shelar, Minister of Information Technology and Cultural Affairs for the Government of Maharashtra, described the sector’s expansion as reflecting “not just scale, but the sector’s growing strategic importance to the nation’s economy.” He said Mumbai “continues to be the creative capital of India and the epicenter of our media and entertainment ecosystem,” adding that the government is “committed to building a future-ready ecosystem that seamlessly integrates creativity with cutting-edge technology, ensuring sustainable and globally competitive growth.”

Shelar further described the global opportunity as unprecedented, noting that “the world is increasingly recognising India not just as a large market, but as a creative powerhouse and a trusted partner in content creation.”

Anant Goenka, president of FICCI and vice chair of RPG Group, said the industry’s evolution is “increasingly defined by the interplay of stories, scale and impact,” and that “unlocking this potential will depend on how effectively the industry aligns storytelling, distribution and sustainable monetization across the ecosystem.”

Ashish Pherwani, partner and leader of EY India’s Media and Entertainment sector, described 2025 as a year in which the sector “crossed a critical inflection point,” and said the next phase of growth would “be defined by sustainable monetization models, disciplined investment and the ability of stakeholders to adapt to shifting consumer behavior and regulatory realities.”

“Project Hail Mary,” distributed by Sony, debuted at No. 1 at the U.K. and Ireland box office, earning £7.4 million ($9.9 million) in its opening weekend, according to Comscore.

Indian action title “Dhurandhar: The Revenge,” from Moviegoers Entertainment, opened in second place with $2.8 million, marking a strong start for the Ranveer Singh sequel.

Disney’s “Hoppers” shifted to third in its third weekend, adding $1.6 million for a cumulative $12.7 million. Universal’s “Reminders of Him” followed in fourth place with $900,000, lifting its total to $3.3 million.

Disney’s “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” debuted in fifth place with $820,000, while RFT Films Ltd’s Malayalam-language title “Aadu 3” opened sixth on $565,000.

Further down the chart, Studiocanal’s “How to Make a Killing” placed seventh in its second weekend with $340,000 for a $2 million total. Entertainment Film Distributors’ “Mother’s Pride” followed in eighth with $314,000, reaching $3.7 million.

Paramount’s “Scream 7” continued its run in ninth place, adding $265,000 for a cumulative $10.1 million. Rounding out the top 10, Signature Entertainment’s “The Good Boy” debuted with $255,000.

Looking ahead, the final week of March is led by a strong mix of family fare and studio titles, with Entertainment Film Distributors’ “The Magic Faraway Tree” as the key wide release. Directed by Ben Gregor and featuring a high-profile cast including Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy and Nicola Coughlan, the adaptation rolls out across more than 300 locations.

Warner Bros. counters with thriller “They Will Kill You,” also launching wide, while Universal adds comedy “Splitsville,” starring Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona. Trafalgar Releasing continues to lean into event cinema with “Bring Me the Horizon: L.I.V.E. in Sao Paulo,” while Dreamz Entertainment releases Indian title “Ustaad Bhagat Singh.”

The specialty market is led by Raoul Peck’s documentary “Orwell 2+2=5,” distributed by Altitude, alongside Curzon’s “Two Prosecutors” and Dogwoof’s “Underland.” Sovereign Film Distribution releases “Redoubt,” starring Denis Lavant, Magus Films “Empire of Lies,” Conic “DJ Ahmet,” and Day for Night “All and Nothing.”

Repertory and alternative content remain a steady component of the market. Park Circus marks the 30th anniversary of Baz Lurhmann’s “Romeo + Juliet,” while family audiences are also targeted with “Bluey at the Cinema: Playdates With Friends.” The week rounds out with Anime Ltd.’s “The Last Blossom,” Wildcard Distribution’s “No Ordinary Heist,” and the music documentary “McCartney: The Hunt for the Lost Bass.”

On this week’s episode of “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart poked fun at ABC pulling the latest season of “The Bachelorette” from its schedule amid the explosive fallout between would-be star Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen.

Stewart teed up the joke by outlining how “Trump’s America” has become a “dizzying, chaotic carnival ride.”

“It’s fucking madness out there,” Stewart said. “TSA lines longer than your trip, escalating threats in the Middle East, planes driving into trucks. The only thing giving me joy is looking forward to this season of ‘The Bachelorette.’ I mean, they got a strong, Mormon woman; she seems lovely. Hope that she finds — hold on, I am getting a call…..no!”

On March 19, a spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television announced that the season would be shelved in a statement that read, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”

The decision, which came days before the Season 22 premiere on March 22, followed the leak of a video showing Paul throwing stools at Mortensen while her child is close by in the room. A spokesperson for Paul issued this response to the video’s leak: “It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child. Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.”

On March 16, Paul’s main reality show, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” paused filming due to a domestic violence investigation between Paul and Mortensen by the Draper City Police Department in Utah.

Watch the entire monologue below.

Jio Studios and B62 Studios’ “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” has delivered an unprecedented opening weekend, grossing INR761 crores ($82.4 million) worldwide and setting new benchmarks for Hindi-language cinema globally.

The Aditya Dhar-directed spy-action sequel, which opened March 19, recorded the highest opening weekend ever for a Hindi-language film worldwide, driven by extraordinary advance bookings and sold-out shows across circuits. While Allu Arjun’s Telugu-language film “Pushpa 2: The Rule” holds the overall Indian film opening weekend record at $92.5 million, including a Hindi dubbed version, “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” has set the benchmark for Hindi-language cinema and achieved an overseas opening weekend of $22.8 million.

The opening weekend gross breaks down to $59.5 million in India and $22.8 million overseas across the four-day extended opening that included Wednesday paid previews in North America.

The film set multiple all-time records in India including highest advance sales ever, highest paid previews ever, fastest film to INR300 crores ($31.9 million) locally, and most tickets sold on first Saturday. BookMyShow reported a record 109,170 tickets sold per hour, the platform’s highest-ever rate.

Internationally, the sequel achieved the highest opening day for an Indian film without Gulf territories, the highest single day ever for an Indian film on Saturday with $6.2 million, and ranked No. 2 on Comscore across major markets while topping secondary markets. The film mounted the widest overseas release for a Hindi film across approximately 2,200 cinemas and 3,000 screens without Gulf territories.

In the U.K., “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” debuted at No. 2 in the overall box office with an estimated $2.8 million (£2.2 million) opening weekend, emerging as one of the top-performing Indian titles in the market in recent years.

The sequel expanded into non-traditional territories for Bollywood including Uruguay, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Chile, Mexico and Cyprus.

In North America, the film played across 185 screens in its re-release of the first installment, with the sequel offering Wednesday premiere shows March 18 across the U.S. and Canada. The advance shows predominantly utilized Premium Large Format auditoriums equipped with oversized screens, Dolby Atmos audio, enhanced projection and premium seating. Mid-week premieres sold out at numerous locations.

The overseas weekend delivered $22.7 million across four days including U.S.-Canada Wednesday previews, with daily breakdowns of $5.5 million Thursday, $4.9 million Friday, $6.2 million Saturday and $6 million Sunday.

Ranveer Singh returns in dual avatars, with R. Madhavan as Ajay Sanyal, Arjun Rampal as ISI Major Iqbal, Sanjay Dutt as SP Chaudhary Aslam, and Sara Arjun.

Written, directed and produced by Aditya Dhar, with Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar also producing, the film released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, timed to Gudi Padwa and Ugadi celebrations ahead of Eid.

The performance follows the original “Dhurandhar,” which emerged as the biggest Hindi film globally. Jio Studios brought the first installment back to theaters March 12-13 across 500 screens worldwide in a rare international re-release ahead of the sequel’s bow.

The coast is craggy and rugged in “Bucks Harbor,” and so are many of the faces — lined and hard-lived and visibly storied, in a way that plainly speaks to the original photographer in director Pete Muller, here making a fluent and expansive transition to documentary filmmaking. His camera loves the weary, callused men of the small Maine fishing community that lends the film its title, though his heart evidently does too: As it takes in the rhythms and routines of lives buffeted by time, tide and weather, “Bucks Harbor” never treats its subjects as rural ethnographic case studies, but as full-bodied characters with complicated tales of their own to tell.

The film’s empathetic interest in individual, often eccentric human lives gives it a warmth that overrides the underlying melancholy of the material, making for a pleasingly unsentimental crowdpleaser. Following its world premiere in Berlin’s Panorama program last month, “Bucks Harbor” was a runner-up in the section’s audience awards. A North American premiere in the True/False fest followed, sure to kick off a lengthy run of docfest appointments. Nonfiction-oriented distributors should take interest in a film that could play engagingly on streaming platforms, though theatrical exhibition would best serve its textured, wind-whipped sense of place.

“If Bangor, Maine is the asshole of the world, we’re 200 miles up it,” says stoic lobster trawler Mike of the remote waterfront he calls home, not far from the Canadian border. His tone isn’t bitter, and indeed, a mood of jaded contentment prevails in Bucks Harbor: It may be sleepy and dilapidated, but it has its own shabby comforts.

Fisherman and former drug addict Dave has lived his whole life there, equally stifled and saved by his surroundings. As a teen, he showed artistic talent that ultimately had nowhere to go: Today, he supplements his modest income with regular visits to a local food bank, and draws in his spare time to amuse himself. Mostly, he’s good-humored and glad to still be around, fixing what he can in his life with some support from his salty, independent-minded mother — delightfully good value whenever she’s on screen. Women need men “just for babies,” she insists; her son, equally happy to be alone, resists that purpose.

A drawlingly funny and generous storyteller, Dave is the most outwardly charismatic of the film’s four principal subjects, though the others flesh out a more surprising overview of local working-class masculinity than what initially meets the eye. Married, middle-aged Mark works in a tackle shop, and seems a taciturn, hard-shelled type, though he has, over time, found an unexpected outlet for his more expressive impulses.

The aforementioned Mike is a more typically rugged family man, raising two preternaturally toughened young sons who already ply the family trade — there’s something rather poignant about the stern-faced proficiency they show on their father’s boat. Finally, profusely bearded clamdigger Wayne reflects on his various failed marriages and brutal childhood abuse at the hands of his father with a shrugging lack of self-pity, though there’s silent sorrow in his tired, scarred demeanor.

Muller and editor Noel Paul don’t impose a narrative arc on these fragmented lives, instead casually drifting between them at a pace that suggests the loping rhythm of their days. (The film’s strictly observational approach extends to a complete absence of onscreen names or contextualizing title cards: We get to know these men in their own good time.) Occasionally the focus drops to the fishermen’s crustacean quarry in the deep, also guarded and unhurried but intensely vulnerable; the man-lobster parallel isn’t stretched to the point of contrivance, but the film takes a thoughtfully holistic view of all the region’s living inhabitants.

Likewise, “Bucks Harbor” captures the spread of male archetypes in this small community — some more patriarchally conservative, some more queerly progressive, all a little wounded — in sufficiently perceptive detail that any more direct social commentary is unnecessary. All these men are products of their raw, challenging environment, albeit no two in quite the same way. And as shot by Muller and his fellow DPs Nathan Golon and Mark Unger in seasonally shifting shades of storm and stone, the water a defining presence in proceedings whether churning, frozen or serene, Bucks Harbor comes across as a forceful, compellingly changeable place, the kind that makes its humble residents do its bidding.

Plimsoll Productions, part of ITV Studios, has hired executive producer Paul Wright, who will develop live programming across all genres, including adventure, factual entertainment, and natural history.

Wright most recently worked on “Skyscraper Live with Alex Honnold,” Plimsoll’s live Netflix event in which free solo climber Alex Honnold scaled one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers in Taipei, Taiwan before a global audience.

A Royal Television Society and Rose d’Or-winner, Wright has over 25 years of experience as an executive producer and showrunner. Some of his credits include “Bigheads,” “The Million Pound Cube,” “Sounds Like Friday Night,” “Pride of Britain,” “Comic Relief’s Big Chat with Graham Norton,” “US Sing On! with Titus Burgess,” “US Lingo with RuPaul” and the “Laureus World Sport Awards.” He also produced “Comedy Map of Britain” and multiple FIFA World Cups, the Athens Olympics and “Match of the Day” for BBC.

“Live television is where I live and breathe, and ‘Skyscraper Live’ showed me that Plimsoll is the perfect home for that ambition,” Wright said in a statement. “The talent here is extraordinary, and the canvas is as wide as it gets.”

“’Skyscraper Live’ was the most demanding live production we’ve ever made, and Paul rose to every challenge it presented,” said James Smith, head of adventure and live at Plimsoll. “As we continue to invest creatively across our live slate, Paul’s range across genres, editorial judgment, and ability to perform under real-time pressure make him exactly the right person for this moment.”

Plimsoll recently earned six Emmy Awards for “A Real Bug’s Life” (available on Disney+/National Geographic) and is currently in production on “Surviving Pompeii with Tom Hiddleston” (also for Disney+/National Geographic), in addition to several unannounced live projects in development and production.  

“American Idol” is expanding Season 24 with a new companion podcast.

“‘American Idol’ Official Podcast” will be hosted by Danielle Fishel and will “dive deeper into America’s most iconic music competition series, exploring the performances everyone’s talking about, and offering exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, and expert analysis of the judges’ critiques.”

The podcast will premiere on Wednesday, April 1, on Disney+, Hulu, and other podcast platforms, following the live shows, which kick off Monday, March 30.

Fishel, best known for her iconic role as Topanga on ABC’s “Boy Meets World” and later, Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World,” has been part of the Disney family for decades. Since 2017, she’s been woking behind the camera, directing more than 50 episodes of multi-camera shows, including “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” “Raven’s Home,” “Shifting Gears” and “Lopez vs Lopez.”

She is the co-host of the “Teen Beat” podcast and “Pod Meets World.” In 2025, she signed a new overall deal with iHeartMedia. She and her husband, Jensen Karp, are also producers on “Teen Beat, “How Rude, Tanneritos!,” Magical Rewind” and “Pod Meets World.”

“American Idol” returned for Season 24 (its ninth on ABC) in January with its most-watched premiere in four years with an average of 8.27 million viewers in live+3 and multiplatform viewing.

“American Idol” airs live Mondays on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu. Beginning March 30, they will also stream live on Disney+. “Idol” is produced by Fremantle and 19 Entertainment, a part of Sony Pictures Television. Executive producers are showrunner Megan Wolflick, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman.

Ronnie Bowman, a preeminent bluegrass singer who was also renowned for co-writing songs recorded by top country stars like Chris Stapleton, Kenny Chesney and George Strait, died Sunday at age 64.

Bowman was involved in a motorcycle accident in Ashland, Tenn. on Saturday and died from his injuries the following afternoon at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.

“His was the voice that defined ’90s bluegrass,” wrote the website Bluegrass Today in reporting his passing.

“Ronnie Bowman was an amazing singer and songwriter,” wrote Billy Strings, in one of many posts that his fellow performers put up on social media. “One of the best entertainers in bluegrass and country music. He lit up any room he was in. I’m terribly sad to hear that he has passed on after a tragic motorcycle accident. May our dear friend rest in peace.” Strings had had Bowman join him on stage at the Ryman last year.

As a celebrated tunesmith, Bowman won the ACM Award for song of the year for co-writing Chris Stapleton’s “Nobody to Blame,” one of three contributions he made to that country superstar’s breakout album in 2015. (Stapleton and Bowman are pictured above at the 2016 ACMs.) He also shared songwriting credit for two No. 1 country hits, Kenny Chesney’s “Never Wanted Nothing More” (also a co-write with Stapleton) and Brooks & Dunn’s chart-topping “It’s Getting Better All the Time.”

Other artists who cut Bowman’s songs included Jessie Buckley (for the film “WIld Rose”), Nick Cave, Cody Johnson, Lee Ann Womack, Ralph Stanley, Bill Gaither, Del McCoury and Marcus King. And as a singer or player, he appeared on recordings by Loretta Lynn, Sierra Hull, Alan Jackson, John Fogerty, Jake Owen, Yola, Randy Newman and many others.

But he was best known to bluegrass fans as a singer-songwriter in his own right, first as lead singer and bass player for 11 years with the Lonesome River Band, where he began a partnership with Dan Tyminski in 1990, and by the mid-’90s as a solo artist. He was the recipient of numerous awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, starting with an album of the year win for “Cold Virginia Night” in 1995, and the IBMA named him male vocalist of the year three times.

Dierks Bentley, the country star who is known for his bluegrass bona fides, paid tribute to Bowman in an emotional Instagram post.

“Going to take awhile for it to sink in that Ronnie Bowman is gone,” wrote Bentley. “He was the favorite bluegrass and country singer of everyone I know. And he was everyone’s favorite hang.”

Bentley noted that he had many memories of hanging with Bowman at the Station Inn in Nashville, but said his favorite was of a favor he called in at the inaugural DelFest (named after bluegrass legend Del McCoury).

“My wife loved Ronnie’s song ‘It’s Getting Better All the Time’ (which Brooks and Dunn cut). Obsessed really. And while she was sleeping in a bunk on the bus, I went and found Ronnie and asked him if he would come serenade her! He came up on the bus with his guitar, snuck back into the middle bunk section which is very dark, hit the first chord and ‘I don’t stop breathing every time the phone rings…’ Imagine sleeping and all of a sudden you hear someone whose voice you love, but hadn’t met, singing your current all-time fave song, six inches away from your head on the other side of a bus bunk curtain, in the pitch dark. Shock and confusion followed by tears and laughs. It was the sweetest thing to do, and that’s just how he was.

“Listening to that song takes on a whole new meaning now,” Bentley concluded. “Can’t imagine what Garnet, his family and all his close friends are feeling right now. Thoughts and prayers for them, and for all the RoBo fans out there, as he’s affectionally referred to in my band. We all loved him.”

A statement posted by Garnet Bowman, Ronnie’s wife, read: “We are in complete shock and utterly devastated to confirm that our beloved Ronnie passed away yesterday…  Ronnie was beloved by so many in our music community, whom he loved so dearly… and we are beyond grateful for all of the love & outpouring toward us already.  Right now, as we process, we just covet your prayers. We have no words at this time, but thank you and graciously request that you honor our privacy while we try to put our heads around this and grieve.  What we know and hold onto, is that he is with his Savior Jesus in Heaven, although already terribly missed here on Earth. Any further details or plans will be made public when there is any information to share about honoring the legacy of our beloved Ronnie.”

“Love that man,” posted country singer-songwriter Ernest in response.

His onetime bandmate Tyminski wrote that Bowman was “so much more than an old friend and band mate. We formed a bond years ago that we carried with us through life knowing that we had something special together. For a long time no one thought of my name without his being attached. We were a pair. I am not the man I am today without him in my life. The whole world will feel this devastating loss and he will forever be my brother.”

One of Bowman’s last posts on social media was to repost an excerpt that George Strait’s account had put up of the song “The Journey of Your Life,” with the caption, “Thanks for recording this one George!” It’s a composition that is likely to come up as Bowman is remembered, with lyrics inspired by a grandfather figure that include the lines, “Ride the wind ’til we meet again / On the other side of life… / I’ll be the angel flyin’ by your side / On the journey of your life.”

‘Sherlock‘ producer Sue Vertue and co-creator Steven Moffat talked at Series Mania about their new political show “Number 10,” written by Moffat for Channel 4/ITVS. 

“[It’s about] British government, we don’t know which party is in power. You have no idea. But, as I discovered in my research, it really makes no difference,” says Moffat.

“It’s not a satire. Whatever the disastrous outcome, for most part, these people are trying to get a good outcome. It’s funny and quite serious at times. I did an awful lot of research, which was usual for me, and got so many great stories about what goes on in this house. Yeah, I know they are politicians, but every proper sensible country governs from might buildings and castles. We got a wee street!”

“If you want to look at British self-image and what we are like a nation, you want to see it incarnated? Go to Downing Street. This little street. That’s us. That’s how we are. Inside, the toilets don’t often work, the lift breaks down, and in the room where they held the most important meetings, there is a sword – if everyone moves it, they’ve broken a terrible law. You will find out why if you watch the show.” 

The politics has very little to do with the show, though. Even though it was filmed on the actual Downing Street. 

“As one character says, quoting a real-life Prime Minister: ‘Most of this job is trying to choose between two unacceptable outcomes.’ That’s pure drama. That’s glorious. ‘Which one of these should I chose?’ ‘It’s up to you, Prime Minister.’ ‘But they are both terrible? ‘Yes, Prime Minister.’ ‘I will be blamed for it, won’t I?’ ‘You will, Prime Minister.’ ‘Is more data coming in? Can we wait for it?’ ‘Yes, Prime Minister. No, Prime Minister.’”  

“Think of it as a workplace comedy drama – in the most ridiculous workplace. The one where if you have an accidental hookup at a Christmas party, it’s going on the front page. If you have a serious hangover, you can start a war. It’s a place of high drama, sometimes high principle, but staffed by just people,” he notes. 

“A lot of the stories are true. I’ve disguised the names to protect the guilty, but tons of it actually happens. It’s not about politics, because I’ve learnt, while making this show, that any notion of having a political orientation went out of the window. I learnt too much. You are in a state of continuous crisis. What a perfect place to put a bunch of interesting characters for a comedy drama.”

Vertue added: “We are so proud of this show. We finished filming on Friday. It’s beautiful.”

A longtime couple in work and in life also talked about their partnership that spawned “Dracula” or “Sherlock” during a masterclass at Series Mania.

They spotted Cumberbatch in “Atonement,” where “he played a really creepy character. But he looked and sounded the part,” says Moffat.  

“He had his demeanor. The BBC said: ‘He’s brilliant, just one thing: You did promise us a sexy Sherlock Holmes and he’s not, is he?’

Before Martin Freeman was cast, Matt Smith was one of the first people to audition for the role.

“Martin was a bit grumpy and we didn’t think he wanted the part. Then his agent called me: ‘No, he did, but he just had his wallet stolen’,” recalled Vertue, with Moffat adding: “They are both brilliant but I don’t know if they are ever more brilliant than when they are together.”  

When they first met, Vertue was a “bigger name,” says Moffat. 

“I don’t know, I guess making things like ‘Mr. Bean’ makes you famous. When we met, she was way out of my league. I met the worst sitcom ever made. People ask: ‘Is it a problem, working with your wife?’ Well, raising children together is hard too. If working together is ‘hard,’ what the hell are you doing getting married?!”

He adds: “Also, we are saving production money – we only need one hotel room.”

How did they fall in love?

“In a bar,” deadpans Vertue.

Or, rather, at the Edinburg TV festival. 

“You know when you know immediately when it’s right? We did. I promised another producer not to work with him for a year, kept my promise and then I nabbed him,” she says.  

They also worked together on “Coupling,” which was close to their own story, they admitted. 

“Whatever you write, even nonsense like ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Sherlock,’ you write what’s in front of you. I went from being a single man to being a married man. I lived in a different place; I was ‘a couple’. The rules had to be rewritten: ‘Stop flirting with women’ – that was one,” says Moffat.

“How autobiographical [was it]? Not very. Every journalist would ask: ‘Are any characters based on you and Sue?’ ‘Yes, those with our names. You are never gonna crack Watergate, are you?’ But yes, there’s some truth in it.”

“We said: ‘Shall we be exclusive?’ I said: ‘I just have to go and dump someone.’ Sue was dumping people for about a month, and it was so easy for her! Once someone called, she picked up and said: ‘Oh hi! Sorry, I met someone. Bye’.”

According to Moffat, “if it’s boring, stick some jokes in it.” 

“Real life is funny – drama is a lie. If you are saying goodbye to a love of your life, you can’t wait for her to leave because you have to pee. These Sherlock stories? If you read the original, it’s funny. Holmes is a funny guy, making impossible deductions and Watson still managing to be astonished by it. It’s glorious stuff. ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’ is one of my favorite things and it’s non-stop gags. You can’t be too funny, too sexy or too pretty. Always go for funny.” 

He adds: “Humor is truth on speed, that’s what it is. It’s insight with velocity. We had a tradition: When Sue reads a script, I move very far in case I want to ask: ‘Why haven’t you laughed yet?’ People must laugh when they read the script. You must laugh before you write a line. I used to say about comedy writing: Stare at the window until you make yourself laugh, and when you do, write it down.”   

Virtue says: “He does all the voices and all the parts, and he’s laughing while walking down the street. Our son would say to his friends when they were coming over: ‘Don’t worry about my dad. He’s not mad, he’s just writing’.”