In crazy news, Nottingham institution The Television Workshop turned forty this year. A leading light in the screen industry, the award-winning drama group has produced everyone from The Last of Us’ Ellie Williams to Line of Duty’s Kate Fleming over the past four decades. But that’s just scratching the surface. So, to go very on-the-nose, we thought we’d create a handy little sheet of, you guessed it, forty big and small screen releases that have been improved by our very own Workshop talents. Track them down, tick them off, and enjoy them all…
A Discovery of Witches: Which witch watch is the best around? This fantasy-romance with Aisling Loftus, obviously.
Aftersun: A gorgeous, moving masterpiece, and one stacked with Workshoppers - including Ruby Thompson, who secures one of the sweetest moments of the whole thing with rising star Frankie Corio.
Billy the Kid: I know what you’re thinking - Nottingham’s Tom Blyth ain’t no kid! True, but he still portrays the famous outlaw incredibly well.
Blue Jean: A BAFTA nominee with a vital message - and one Lydia Page - at its heart.
Breaking Point: Breakdancing and Nottingham go hand-in-hand - as do 2023’s Breaking Point and the Workshop’s Karam Singh.
Bridgerton: Everyone’s favourite period drama features everyone’s favourite member of the Bridgerton family - Florence Hunt’s Hyacinth.
Catastrophe: Tell ya what isn't catastrophic - BAFTA winner Lauren Socha's hilarious turn in this raw, unflinching comedy from Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney.
Doctors: Ya mam’s favourite soap also featured one of our favourite stars, Rebecca Grant, for years.
Doctor Who: Doctor Who? We don’t know the answer to that one. But we do know the answer to ‘Which Clifton legend is mates with a Time Lord?’ It’s Karl Collins.
Fanny Lye Deliver'd: No, we definitely did not pick this historical thriller for its name. We picked it because of Notts heavyweight Perry Fitzpatrick. Duh.
Game of Thrones: Ever heard of it? Well, it’s always worth a rewatch (yes, despite that ending), especially to see Joe Dempsie in top form.
Grantchester: This crime drama is a British staple, and Lauren Carse became a Grantchester staple across several episodes.
Halo: Sure, his character name might sound like the noise a cat makes mid-furball (Reth, really?), but Johann Myers plays a role in one of the coolest franchises of all time. Who's laughing now?
Happy Valley: It’s pure happy viewing, trust us… Okay, it’s a pretty heavy - but quality - watch, with Oliver Huntingdon taking centre stage in series three.
Here We Go: No, it’s not a Fabrizio Romano biopic. It’s a chaotic comedy that boasts the Workshop’s Mica Ricketts.
His Dark Materials: Forget James McAvoy, our own Daniel Frogson is the real star of this fantasy series.
House of the Dragon: The Workshop's Westeros connection continues through rising talent Ewan Mitchell, who consistently steals scenes as the shifty Aemond Targaryen.
Humans: Us Humans might be the worst, but eerie dystopian sci-fi Humans - and its star Lucy Carless - definitely isn’t.
In America: This powerful drama bagged Samantha Morton just one of her two Oscar nominations. Pretty talented, that Samantha.
Last Train to Christmas: The festive season done Notts-style, thanks to the mind of director Julian Kemp.
Line of Duty: If you’ve had a TV licence at any point in the past decade, you’ll likely have watched this unpredictable crime thriller. But you know what? Watch it again - and soak up the stunning performance of our Vicky McClure.
Mood: Stylish and sleek BBC Three drama for the cooler among us, elevated by a charming Jorden Myrie performance. It’s no wonder he’s one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow.
Our Ladies: A touching comedy-drama boasting one of our ladies - Eve Austin.
Safe: A gripping, mysterious flick with Notts' Louis Greatorex at its centre.
SAS Rogue Heroes: Sure, this flashy exploration of the formation of the SAS is a bit dumb, but Jack O’Connell is a lot of fun.
Silverpoint: A family-friendly sci-fi whose unique premise gets a gold from us - as does its Katy Byrne, actually.
Solo: A Star Wars Story: It’s better than you remember. Yes, really. And Erin Kellyman is great in it.
Tell Me Everything: We don't have the word count to tell you everything about Tell Me Everything, but we will tell you Spike Fearn is in fine form in this coming-of-age drama.
The Gallows Pole: Workshop legend Michael Socha shows the true extent of his talent in Shane Meadows' boundary-breaking new show.
The Last Kingdom: Historical accuracy isn’t first on its list of priorities - but the show stars our Harry Gilby, so put watching it at the top of yours.
The Last of Us: This global sensation has launched Bella Ramsey - who had already made waves in Westeros and shone in short films like 3 Minutes of Silence - into the stratosphere (figuratively). Expect the talented Emmy nominee to go from strength-to-strength from here (and probably take home said Emmy next year, actually).
The Lazarus Project: A time-bending tale that sees Anjli Mohindra thrown into a universe that the actor describes as “James Bond meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”.
The Origin: This intense horror is, as the kids say (slash said like ten years ago), ‘spoopy’, and bagged Safia Oakley-Green the Breakthrough Performance prize at the 2022 British Independent Film Awards.
The School for Good and Evil: One Ali Khan shows what he can do in this fun Paul Feig Netflix flick - based on the novels of YA author Soman Chainani.
The Wheel of Time: A massive-budget adaptation of one of the most massive book series of all time. And Marcus Rutherford’s vulnerable yet spirited performance feels, well, massive.
The Witch: Ye olde horror from Robert Eggers features a young Harvey Scrimshaw scaring the shite out of pretty much everyone.
The Worst Witch: Bella Ramsey might be the big name in this sweet family series, but don’t forget about the fun influence of West End regular Shauna Shim.
This Is England ‘90: Friend of LeftLion and Kes himself Kieran Hardcastle makes a memorable return to the world of This Is England here.
Trollied: Long-running comedy that never lost its mojo - and starred BAFTA winner Chanel Cresswell throughout.
Without Sin: This series is stacked with Workshoppers, but without Frances Poletti - the writer behind it all - we'd still be without Without Sin.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
