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2 • December 17 - 23, 2017 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media M urderous plots abound in prime time, but not all of them are true. A new miniseries whisks viewers back in time to take a look at one of history's most famous assassination attempts. Kit Harington stars as his real- life ancestor Robert Catesby, a 17th-century Catholic who set out to kill the King of England by blowing up the House of Lords in 1605, in "Gunpowder," premiering Monday, Dec. 18, on HBO. The ca- ble giant offers viewers back-to- back airings as the three-part miniseries continues Tuesday, Dec. 19, and concludes Wednesday, Dec. 20. While the series originally aired on BBC One in the U.K. in October, HBO was quick to ink a deal to bring the show to North American audiences. It's no surprise that HBO snapped it up — Harington has proven himself as a bankable star, thanks to his role as Jon Snow in the cabler's critical and ratings hit "Game of Thrones." His per- sonal connection to the "Gunpow- der" story only increases his en- thusiasm for the project, which shines through in his performance. "Kit's passion for and belief in 'Gunpowder' are evident in every frame of the miniseries," HBO ex- ecutive Kary Antholis said. Harington is stretching his wings with "Gunpowder," which he developed alongside Daniel West ("South Riding," 2011) and Ronan Bennett ("Public Enemies," 2009). He also serves as a co-exec- utive producer with West, Ollie Madden ("MI-5," 2015) and Ste- phen Wright ("The Fall"). Pro- duced in association with Kudos and Thriker Films, the show began filming in February, but it had ac- tually been in the works for years. "Three years ago, Daniel West and I conceived and began developing 'Gunpowder' with Kudos and Ronan Bennett," Harington said. "We are now thrilled to share this unique sto- ry with the U.S. audience." The miniseries opens in 1603, as the persecution of Catholics grows in Protestant England and the coun- try wars with Spain. Catesby is a young Catholic nobleman who vows to defend his faith, even though his refusal to abandon his religion leads him to the edge of ruin. "Gunpow- der" explores what happens as he and his collaborators gather the re- sources necessary to carry out their violent plot so that a new Catholic monarch will take the throne. At the same time, the King's spymaster, Sir Robert Cecil (Mark Gatiss, "Game of Thrones"), leads the charge to hunt down, torture and kill priests. Meanwhile, other Catholics lose their property as their oppression continues. Despite Father Garnet's (Peter Mullan, "My Name Is Joe," 1998) efforts to engage in peaceful pro- tests, Catesby forges ahead with his plan. His behavior makes his cousin, Anne Vaux (Liv Tyler, "Arma- geddon," 1998), worry that his ac- tions may have dire consequences. Tom Cullen ("Knightfall") por- trays Guy Fawkes, who is more fa- mously associated with the so- called Gunpowder Plot than even Catesby, even though the latter is recognized by many as the ring- leader. In Britain, Guy Fawkes Day, or Guy Fawkes Night as it is some- times known, is commemorated on Nov. 5, because the real-life Fawkes was discovered guarding the explosives under the House of Lords on that day in 1605. The cast also includes Edward Holcroft ("Kingsmen: The Secret Service," 2014) as Thomas Win- tour, Shaun Dooley ("Broad- church") as Sir William Wade, Rob- ert Emms ("War Horse," 2011) as Father John Gerard, and Derek Riddell ("No Angels") as King James I. Sian Webber ("East- Enders") plays Lady Dorothy Dib- dale, David Bamber ("Rome") plays Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Nor- thumberland, and Kevin Eldon ("It's Kevin") portrays Sir John Hawksworth. "Gunpowder" may not have dragons like "Game of Thrones," but the miniseries has plenty to of- fer viewers with its big-screen quality cinematography and thrill- ing plot, as Catesby and his co- conspirators play a dangerous cat- and-mouse game with Cecil's spies. The program was a big hit in the U.K., drawing more than seven million viewers for its premiere and closing strong with more than 4.5 million. It's important to note that there was some criticism due to the level of nudity and violence, but, for the most part, the reviews across the pond were positive. Criticism aside, many people will likely tune in to watch Haring- ton, who won't be back in his Jon Snow cloak until "Game of Thrones" returns for season 8. Those in the know say that proba- bly won't be until at least 2018, and several industry pundits are predicting it will be 2019 until "Thrones" fans return to the Sev- en Kingdoms. While most TV viewers probably recognize Harington from his "GoT" role, his other credits in- clude the historical film "Pompeii" (2014), the computer-animated film "How to Train Your Dragon 2" (2014) and the British drama "Tes- tament of Youth" (2014). "Game of Thrones" was, believe it or not, his first significant television role, which he landed shortly after ap- pearing on stage in an award-win- ning National Theatre production of "War Horse." There are plenty of stuffy period dramas out there, but HBO's latest thrilling miniseries brings viewers the little-known story behind a shocking attempted assassination. Don't miss Harington as he tackles a once-in-a-lifetime role as his own ancestor Robert Catesby in "Gunpowder," premiering Mon- day, Dec. 18. Kit Harington sets out to slay a king in 'Gunpowder' Cover Story this week Liv Tyler as seen in "Gunpowder" The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon I saw that Pringles made a new Thanksgiving dinner pack that includes eight new chip flavors inspired by Thanksgiving dishes. Or as single guys will call that: Thanksgiving dinner. I read that a plane in India had to make an emergency landing after a passenger found out her husband was cheating on her mid-flight. The passengers were like, "Finally! Some good in-flight entertainment!" The Late Show With Stephen Colbert By now, you've probably heard of Alabama senatorial candidate and former judge Roy Moore. Last week, allegations surfaced that when Moore was an assistant district attorney in the 1970s, he had sexual contact with a 14-year-old. Which would be appropriate only if he were a 14-year-old assistant district attorney. Moore clarified, "I don't remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother." Wait a minute. How did you just make this creepier? Permission from her mother? She's a 14-year-old girl, not a field trip! The Late Show With James Corden Researchers say that they've figured out how to get around Apple's new face-scanning security feature. They did it by using a mask that mimics the user's face. The mask they used is made of plastic, silicone and makeup. Or, as they call that here in Los Angeles, a face. The FDA has approved the first pill with a digital sensor that signals doctors when patients have taken their medicine. When she heard about this digital pill, even Alexa was like, "Are you sure that's not invading your privacy?" Jimmy Kimmel Live The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing to discuss whether President Trump should continue to have the sole authority to launch a nuclear weapon. Or whether his iPad should have some parental controls put on it. Donald [Trump] Jr. tried to minimize his relationship with WikiLeaks on his Twitter account, but they did have a relationship. Although it is possible that he thought he was in a conversation with NeNe Leakes from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." Late Night With Seth Meyers It was announced today that a new television series based on "The Lord of the Rings" will be produced for Amazon Prime. Perfect for people who felt like the six three-and-a- half-hour movies didn't cover enough ground. 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