What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHATS UP! October 16 - 22, 2022 TV FEATURE BY SARAH PASSINGHAM TV Media T he grey skies of Glasgow's coastline cover an unusually high number of mur- ders at sea in "Annika," the brand-new, Scotland-set po- lice procedural starring "Last Tango in Halifax" actress Nic- ola Walker as Annika Strand- hed. "Annika" premieres on this side of the Atlantic on PBS Masterpiece this fall, begin- ning Sunday, Oct. 16. Check your local listings for your premiere date. A legend among her detec- tive peers, DI Strandhed lands in Glasgow with her teenage daughter, Morgan, portrayed by Silvie Furneaux ("Red Rose"), to head up their newly formed Marine Homicide Unit. Strandhed is quickly partnered with keen new cop DS Tyrone Clarke, played by "Blindspot" star Ukweli Roach, who joins her as she dives into solving murders committed at sea. Having also portrayed the expert detective in the BBC Radio 4 series "Annika Strand- ed" (this TV series is a contin- uation of the BBC radio origi- nal), Walker is an Annika pro — and passionately possessive of the character. "No one else is playing her," she told Drama Quarterly shortly after wrapping filming on the series. "I know it's an- other detective and I apolo- gize only for that. No one else was going to be Annika. I would have found that really difficult to let go." It is rare that a performer gets the chance to bring a character to life across differ- ent forms of media over nearly a decade — the radio show "Annika Stranded" aired from 2013 to 2020 — and Walker seemed to revel in the chance to carry on in the role. "You put it [Annika's story] on camera and suddenly it just completely opens out," she noted later on in the same in- terview. "It was a real chal- lenge; I enjoyed it." One thing that really sets "Annika" apart from other po- lice procedurals other than its uniquely specific subject of marine murder is the cheeky humor woven into the series. Annika herself is witty, crack- ing jokes to break the tension, but the levity doesn't just come from the dialogue, skill- fully written by series creator Nick Walker (who also penned "Annika Stranded"), "Holby City" writer Lucia Haynes and "Adam" (2021) writer Frances Poet. In a move that feels like it is referencing the direct-to-audi- ence voice of the radio show, DI Strandhed breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the camera while she's sorting things out, whether regarding the details of a murder case or those of her personal life. The move has been popularized in dramedies since it was impec- cably deployed by creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge ("Run") in BBC/Prime Video's "Fleabag," a series that was also developed from a more in- timate medium, Waller- Bridge's award-winning 2013 one-woman show of the same name. Bentonville Acupuncture 5 x 5 continued on page T10 Ukweli Roach and Nicola Walker in "Annika" Choppy waters www.nwaonline.com Did you know those images are available for purchase? IT'S EASY! Just go to nwaonline.com, click on "Photos" in the top menu bar and use the search to fi nd the photo you want. Then just click "Purchase" for sizing options. You can also have the image put on a coff ee mug, mouse pad, key tag, holiday ornament and more! Did you see a photo in our newspaper or on our website that you would love a copy of? Check it out!