PAGE 0A
MONDAY NOVEMBER 26 2013
FAR HUMANITY DAILY KIDSWIFT
BBC's 'Atlantis' combines Greek myths and bromance
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHEPSTOW, Wales — The myths, magic and monsters of ancient Greek lore are coming to life in the BBC's new fantasy-adventure series "Atlantis" — from the unlikely setting of a former frozen food warehouse in Wales.
A vast space once stuffed with supermarket foodstuffs has been turned into a television studio, filled with sets recreating the fabled lost city, complete with temples and terracotta-roofed houses, ceremonial bull ring and regal palace.
"Atlantis," which starts on BBC America Saturday, is already a sizable hit in Britain, where it fills the family-viewing weekend slot previously occupied by sword-and-sorcery series "Merlin."
"Atlantis" was created by some of the same team as "Merlin," and like that show takes age-old stories and seasons them with humor, thrills and a central bromance.
Actor Mark Addy, who plays a less-than-heroic version of Hercules in "Atlantis," says the recipe involves "a lot of heart and a lot of humor and a huge amount of action and adventure."
"They wanted it to be epic in scale and in feeling, and that's what they've managed to do," he said during a break on a busy day's filming in August.
"We're doing stuff that you'd only ever see in movies, because it's difficult and it's expensive and it's time consuming and it's challenging." Addy said of the 13-part series, shot over nine months in Wales and Morocco.
"Atlantis" opens with a young man named Jason — played by the strapping, curly hairied Jack Donnelly — washing up in the city of Atlantis, disoriented but somehow instantly at home. The Oracle — there's always an oracle — hints at big secrets to be
revealed.
Jason soon meets brainy, kindly Pythagoras. "The triangle guy?" asks Jason, and indeed it is the ancient philosopher and math matrician, here a young man played by Robert Emms.
The third side of the central triangle is Hercules, in the — perhaps surprising — form of Addy, the burly actor who played a steelworker turned-stripper in "The Full Monty" and King Robert Baratheon in "Game of Thrones."
"They wanted it to be epic in scale and in feeling g, and that's what they've managed to do."
MAI RK ADDY
The casting is a sign of the show's flexible approach to the Greek myths. This Hercules has superhuman strength, but he's no bronzed muscleman.
"He wasn't strong because he went to the gym, he was strong because he was Zeus's son,". Addy explained, reasonably. "Although he was a demigod, I think he's inherited most of his mother's mortal traits. He drinks and gambs and he's a womanizer."
The cast includes Sarah Parish as scheming queen Pasiphae, A. Ilysia Hart as comely princess Aria dne, and Jemima Rooper as Medu sa
— here a young woman who has yet to become the snake-haired gorgon of legend.
But the show rests on the three main actors, referred to collectively by their fellow actors as "the boys."
For the 49-year-old Addy, being one of the boys has been fun -- even if hanging out with his 27-year-old co-stars makes him feel "very old."
He recalled nipping out for a cigarette during a meal with Emms and hearing a woman at the next table say "Your dad's being very polite." And Rob of course didn't disabuse her."
Such mix-ups probably ended as soon as the first episode of "Atlantis" was broadcast in September. The show is watched by seven million people a week in Britain, and a second season has already been announced. And Donnelly has become something of a heartthrob.
On set in August, Donnelly said the feeling that his life was about to change was "amazing and daunting."
"It's the best thing that's ever happened to me by a long, long way," said the cheerful actor, looking as bouncy indestructible as his character, who is required to battle bulls, baddies and Minotaurs on a weekly basis, clad in a fetching jerkin.
"The first few weeks I was terrified. I was just waiting to get fired.
... I mean, my last job before this was in (comedy show) 'Misfits' and I was wearing a white rabbit mask and I had no lines and no one saw my face.
"To go from that to this, I suddenly thought 'I'm not ready.' It has not slidible easier since then."
it not ready.' It has got slightly easier since then." Emms has a longer CV, including major film roles in "War Horse" and opposite Julia Roberts in "Mirror Mirror." But he said he was also nervous — although that was offset by his family's delight at his new role.
"I've played ... some not very nice people, some weirdos," he said. "And my mum's like, I'm so pleased you're playing a nice person who doesn't kill anyone." She always just wanted me to play a doctor."
be a part of
KANSAN MEDIA
THE UDK NEWS STAFF IS HIRING FOR SPRING 2014
Correspondent news, entertainment and sports writers
News reporters
AVAILABLE STAFF POSITIONS INCLUDE
- Opinion columnists or bloggers
- Photographers
- Designers
Digital Content producer
Applications due by TUESDAY, DEC. 3.
Check out KANSAN CDM/APPLY or e-mail
APPLIDATIONS@KANSAN CDM for more i-
mail ore info.
KELSEY BARRETT/KANSAN
A cinnamon apple swirl cake is easy to make and can be a nice alternative to the usual pumpkin fare.
Desserts to spice up Thanksgiving break
KELSEY BARRETT
kbarrett@kansan.com
Pumpkin pie is a popular dessert served with Thanksgiving dinner, but pumpkin treats can wear out before then. Instead of the usual pie, try one of these fall-inspired desserts with 10 ingredients or less.
CINNAMON APPLE SWIRL CAKE:
This cinnamon apple swirl cake only uses five ingredients, which don't require intense preparation. The cake provides a rich treat that is low-fat but still satisfies a sweet tooth. (Recipe courtesy of a family recipe.)
Ingredients:
-3 eggs
- 3 eggs
- 17 ounces applesauce
- 1 box of yellow cake mix
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt pan with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Start by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle two tablespoons of the mixture into the greased bundt pan. Next, combine the eggs, applesauce and cake mix with a whisk in a medium-size bowl. Scoop half the batter into the bundt pan and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on top. Pour the remaining batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes before flipping the pan to remove the cake.
APPLE CIDER CARAMEL COOKIES:
Cookies are a dessert that is easy to serve and can be snacked on throughout the day. This recipe uses flavors of caramel and cider to bring the essence of fall to the dessert table. (Recipe courtesy of Six Sisters' Stuff blog.)
Ingredients:
-1 cup unsalted butter, nearly melted
-1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
-1 box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant
Original Drink Mix
-2 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-$\frac{1}{2}$ teaspoon baking powder
-3 cups all-purpose flour
-(14 ounce) bag Kraft Caramels
Directions:
begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Make sure to line the baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent a sticky mess. Combine butter, sugar, salt and cider packets in a bowl and cream with a mixer until batter is fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, followed by the baking soda and baking powder. Lastly, mix in the flour until combined. Form the dough into balls and place two inches apart on the baking sheet. Make an indent in the center of the cookie to place an unwrapped caramel and form the dough around it. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.
If the pumpkin still needs to be in the Thanksgiving meal somewhere, try these simple pumpkin pie bars. It resembles pumpkin pie with a homemade crust and filling, but offers something with a little more spice. (Recipe courtesy of Some the Wiser blog.)
Crust Ingredients
SIMPLE PUMPKIN PIE BARS:
- 1 $ \frac{1}{3} $ cup unbleached white flour
- $ \frac{1}{2} $ cup brown sugar
- 1 stick of butter (softened)
**Filling Ingredients:**
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- $ \frac{3}{4} $ cup sugar
- $ \frac{1}{2} $ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
- 1 $ \frac{1}{2} $ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
TH
CH
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Start the crust by combining all crust ingredients into a food processor and pulsing several times until crumble. Measure out $ \frac{1}{2} $ cup of crust and set aside. Press the remaining crust mixture into an 8x11 pan and bake for 15 minutes. Combine filling ingredients into a medium size bowl and mix together with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour the batter onto the cooled crust and sprinkle the remaining crust on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm.
Directions:
海天大酒店
EN
—Edited by Paige Lytle
The news organizations' letter to White House press secretary Jay Carney detailed a number of recent examples in which photographers weren't allowed to cover presidential events that were deemed "private" by administration officials — even though the White House indicated its newsworthiness by releasing its own photos of the same events.
WASHINGTON — Dozens of leading news organizations protested to the White House on Thursday against restrictions that sometimes keep journalists from taking pictures and video of President Barack Obama performing official duties. At the same time, two press groups urged their members to stop using official photos and video handed out by the White House, dismissing them as little more than "government propaganda."
"As surely as if they were placing a hand over a journalist's camera lens, officials in this administration are blocking the public
Journalists protest restrictions on photographing the president
ASSOCIATED PRESS
from having an independent view of important functions of the executive branch of government," the letter states, adding that the restrictions imposed by the Obama White House represent a major break from the practices of past administrations.
The news organizations said the White House limits on access raise constitutional concerns about infringement on First Amendment press freedoms and have "a direct and adverse impact on the public's ability to independently monitor and see what its government is doing."
The press coalition, which included The Associated Press, major broadcast and cable networks, wire services, online services and newspapers, said the access limits also undercut Obama's pledge to create a more transparent government, and impose "an arbitrary restraint and unwarranted interference on legitimate newsgathering activities."
The groups requested an immediate meeting with Carney on how
to restore full press access.
to restore full press access. Simultaneously, the presidents of the American Society of News Editors and the Associated Press Media Editors sent a letter to their members urging them to stop using handout photos and video from the White House.
"We must accept that we, the press, have been enablers," the ASNE-APME letter states. "We urge those of you in news organizations to immediately refrain from publishing any of the photographs or videos released by the White House, just as you would refuse to run verbatim a press release from them."
The AP has a policy against using handout photos from the White House unless they are of significant news value and shot in areas that the press doesn't expect to have access to, such as the Situation Room.
Obama spokesman Josh Earnest cast the news organizations' protests as part of the natural tension that exists between journalists and those they cover.