Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Hobbit trilogy, Twelve Years a Slave, August: Osage County, The Fifth Estate; Hedda Gabler, After the Dance, Frankenstein; Hawking, To the Ends of the Earth, The Last Enemy, Parade's End, and, of course, Sherlock. For most actors, these stellar cinematic, theatrical, and television events would be the highlights of a lifetime's work. On Benedict Cumberbatch's résumé they are only a few of many entries. Especially since 201...

Benedict Cumberbatch’s career is built to last. From his early success as a working actor through his dynamic trajectory to international star, Cumberbatch continues to be one of the best thespians of his generation. Those who know Cumberbatch primarily because of his award-winning star turn as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC’s Sherlock know only a fraction of the actor’s noteworthy professional history, including such critically acclaimed roles as, on television, Hawking, Small Island, To the ...

Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Fifth Estate, 12 Years a Slave, August: Osage County, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug—these would be milestones in most actors’ entire career. For Benedict Cumberbatch, roles in these films are merely a year’s additions to his already-vast resume. 2013 proved to be the final step in Cumberbatch’s transition from respected working actor to bona fide worldwide celebrity and recipient of BAFTA Los Angeles’ Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year. Like ...

Today more than ever, series finales have become cultural touchstones that feed watercooler fodder and Twitter storms among a committed community of viewers. While the final episodes of The Fugitive and M*A*S*H continue to rank among the highest rated broadcasts, more recent shows draw legions of binge-watching fans. Given the importance of finales to viewers and critics alike, Howard and Bianculli along with the other contributors explore these endings and what they mean to the audience, ...

The 21st century is a good time to be Sherlock Holmes. He stars in the Guy Ritchie films, with Robert Downey, Jr.; an internationally popular BBC television series featuring Benedict Cumberbatch; a novel sanctioned by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate; and dozens of additional novels and short stories, including two by Neil Gaiman. Add to this the videogames, comic books, and fan-created works, plus a potent Internet and social media presence. Holmes' London has become a prime destination for ...

The Ultimate Unauthorized Resource to the Stories Behind LostLost is a complex and mysterious tale, one that draws on many sources for its themes and ideas—sources you must understand to become an advanced Lost expert. Lost*'s Buried Treasures* is the ultimate unauthorized guide to the ideas that have influenced the show and its writers—and is completely updated through Season Five.Explore:Bo...

The Ultimate Unauthorized Resource to the Stories Behind Lost - Updated Through Season 4!Lost is a complex and mysterious tale, one that draws on many sources for its themes and ideas - sources you must understand to become an advanced Lost expert. Lost's Buried Treasures is the ultimate unauthorized guide to the ideas that have influenced the show and its writers - and completely updated through season 4.Readers can use this comprehensive handbook to discover new connections and unearth t...

Travelers are buzzing about apitourism--or "bee tourism"--as an opportunity to get close to bees and learn about the ecology and industry they support. Apitours invite visitors to see what takes place inside a hive, taste fresh honey and observe its journey from comb to bottle. Apitourists explore "bee culture" through diverse activities--watching films, creating art, building "bee hotels," sampling mead, learning to plant pollinator gardens and documenting species in the wild. This guide ...

When the BBC's Sherlock debuted in summer 2010--and appeared in the U.S. on PBS a few months later--no one knew it would become an international phenomenon. The series has since gathered a diverse and enthusiastic fandom.Like their hero, Sherlock fans scrutinize clues about the show's deeper meaning, as well as happenings off screen. They postulate theories and readings of the characters and their relationships. They have tweeted with "The Powers That Be," mobiliz...

"Perhaps I should have realized that cancer runs in my family. After all, three grandparents and my father and brother perished from this disease. Yet, when I received my colorectal cancer diagnosis, I was surprised. I never expected to be primarily identified as a cancer patient. Following a typical combination of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and more chemo, I was presumably cancer-free when my post-treatment scans looked clean. Nonetheless, within a year I received a terminal di...

Remakes are pervasive in today’s popular culture, whether they take the form of reboots, “re-imaginings,” or overly familiar sequels. Television remakes have proven popular with producers and networks interested in building on the nostalgic capital of past successes (or giving a second chance to underused properties). Some TV remakes have been critical and commercial hits, and others haven’t made it past the pilot stage; all have provided valuable material ripe for academic analysis.

As Doctor Who nears its 50th anniversary, it is very much a part of British popular culture, and the Doctor has become a British icon. Nevertheless, thanks to BBC America and BBC Worldwide's marketing strategy, as well as the Doctor's and his companions' recent in-person visits to the U.S., the venerable series is becoming more susceptible to an "American influence," including the possibility of becoming "Americanized." Doctor Who and recent spinoffs Torchwood an...