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Live Reporting

Emma Saunders and Ian Youngs

All times stated are UK

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  1. That's a wrap

    On that bombshell, we'll conclude the Entertainment Live page for another day.

    If you want a recap, scroll down for a heated debate on whether Idris Elba would make a good James Bond, the first trailer for Eddie Redmayne's new (possibly) Oscar-worthy film and lots more.

    We'll reopen at 08:30 BST on Wednesday. See you then.

  2. Friends forever

    The director of 1990s US sitcom Friends says a fan's proposed alternative ending that went viral is "not funny". 

    In Gareth Stranks' dark ending, the show is revealed to be a "meth-addled fantasy of a homeless Phoebe", who imagines the five friends she watches through the windows of Central Perk are her own. 

    Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, Friends director Kevin Bright said the ending was not right for the comedy, but he was not "offended" by the fan's proposal. "You can't get annoyed because it really comes out of love… It's keeping the show alive, trying to take a bit of ownership in some odd way," he said. 

    Asked whether a reunion could ever be a possibility, he said: "Going backwards is probably not what the cast wants right now". 

    Shame!

    Check out Stranks' version below and let us know what you think.

    View more on twitter
  3. Comedians hit by closure

    BBC's Gangsta Granny

    One of London's main comedy venues has been forced to shut, according to the comedy website Chortle.

    Asbestos removal work at The Bloomsbury theatre has been brought forward unexpectedly, meaning shows featuring the likes of Robin Ince, Chris Ramsey, James Acaster and John Lloyd have been cancelled.

    The venue was also due to to stage gigs and the world premiere of a stage adaptation of David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny (which has also been made for TV, pictured).

    "Theatre staff are proactively working with performance organisers to find new venues and dates for the affected shows and we will contact all customers in due course with more information about change of venue and any refund process," the theatre said.

    The venue is expected to reopen next January. 

  4. Record-breaking Game of Thrones

    Maisie Williams

    The march of Game of Thrones continues as the popular series has now entered the Guinness Book of World Records.

    It has taken the record for largest TV drama simulcast after the second episode of season five of the fantasy epic was broadcast in 173 countries simultaneously earlier this year.

    That was two countries more than CSI, which took the record just five weeks earlier.

    Receiving an official certificate on behalf of the show was Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark. She said: "I'm so pleased for Game of Thrones to be a part of Guinness World Records. I'm going to tell my step brother as he gets the book every year for Christmas. I can't wait to see the look on his face."

  5. Van Gogh revamp

    The world-famous Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is celebrating the completion of its new entrance hall. Work began on the project in April 2014 and the museum will be officially opened on Friday, when it will be closed to the public ahead of the opening weekend on 5 and 6 September.

    And here's how it all came together.

    View more on youtube
  6. Libertines announce club tour

    The Libertines

    Following their headline slots at the Reading and Leeds festivals, The Libertines have announced they will play a series of intimate UK shows next week.

    Pete Doherty and Carl Barat's reformed group will play :

    • Sunday 6 September - Glasgow Academy
    • Monday 7 - Nottingham Rock City
    • Tuesday 8 - Bristol Academy
    • Thursday 10 - London Electric Ballroom
    • Friday 11 - Manchester Ritz

    The final date coincides with the release of Anthems For Doomed Youth, their first album since 2004.

    If you can't get enough of Pete, Carl and co, a Libertines-themed "art happening" titled Somewhere Over The Railings opened yesterday at the Dublin Castle in Camden, London. It includes a photo exhibition, a Libertines pub quiz, a documentary by Roger Sargent and album playbacks.

    And next door, the pop-up Bucket Shop - selling and displaying rare band memorabilia and art - is open until Friday.

  7. The Danish Girl trailer

    Eddie Redmayne is being tipped as an award contender again, a year after his Oscar-winning performance as Professor Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

    He is now starring in another biopic, The Danish Girl, playing transgender woman Lili Elbe, one of the first people to have gender affirmation surgery. The first trailer has just been released.

    View more on youtube

    Meanwhile, director Tom Hooper has told Screen Daily he cast Redmayne because he sensed a "certain gender fluidity" in the actor.

    Quote Message: Eddie was really the person I wanted to make the film with, and I was very passionate about that. I was a great believer in him as an actor. I think also there’s a certain gender fluidity that I sensed in him, that I found intriguing and it led me to think he might be a really interesting person to cast in this role. from Tom Hooper Director
    Tom HooperDirector
  8. Glasgow School of Art boost

    GSA director Professor Tom Inns (left) with Professor George Cairns

    The project to restore Glasgow School of Art's (GSA) fire-damaged Mackintosh building has been boosted by a donation of detailed architectural drawings.

    The scale drawings of the Mackintosh were made by Queensland University of Technology professor George Cairns in the 1990s as part of a Phd at GSA.

    He has now donated them to the art school in the hope they can aid efforts to restore the iconic building, where fire broke out in May last year.

    GSA is still engaged in a bid to raise £20m to restore the Mackintosh. The building was badly damaged, but most of its structure and contents were saved. Read more.

  9. What One Direction fans really want

    One Direction clearly have loftier ambitions than breaking mere chart records. The band have released a video featuring some of their fans telling world leaders how they want the world to change, which is all part of an initiative called Action2015.

    Find out what (mainly) girls from Malaysia to the US, and pretty much everywhere in between, want from those in power.

    View more on youtube
  10. Bedtime story

    Justin's House

    The BBC's CBeebies Storytime app, which launched a new library feature in June, has seen over four million stories downloaded over the summer holidays. Top stories include The Clangers Space Triangle, read by Michael Palin, and Little Red Riding Hood, voiced by Maxine Peake.

    The top 5 are:

    1. Justin's House - The Flying Duster

    2. Ruff Ruff Tweet and Dave - A Fairytale Adventure

    3. Something Special - Mr. Tumble At The Park

    4. The Clangers Space Triangle

    5. Little Red Riding Hood.

    Sleep tight!

  11. Broadbent to play Scrooge

    Jim Broadbent

    Jim Broadbent is to star in a new West End production of A Christmas Carol. The Moulin Rouge actor will play Scrooge in a new version of the Charles Dickens favourite.

    The production has been adapted by The 39 Steps writer Patrick Barlow, who performed with Broadbent for several years as part of comedy troupe The National Theatre of Brent.

    A Christmas Carol will run at the Noel Coward Theatre from 30 November to 30 January.

    The Paddington and Harry Potter star can next be seen on film in Nicholas Hytner's The Lady in the Van, based on Alan Bennett's play of the same name.

  12. Harper Lee manuscript

    Wall Street Journal

    Harper Lee

    Sorry to disappoint you literary lovers out there but it seems that some pages of text discovered in a safe deposit box in Alabama, which Harper Lee's lawyer suggested could be a further novel by the author, are actually just early drafts of her two published works.

    Rare books expert James S. Jaffe told the Wall Street Journal that the script that had caused the most speculation turned out to be 145 typed pages representing an early version of part one of To Kill A Mockingbird. Those pages are clearly compiled from several different early drafts, he added.

    The box also contained a later copy-edited typescript of Mockingbird and an original copy of Go Set A Watchman, which was published earlier this year.

    The book was set 20 years after Mockingbird and controversially turned much-loved character Atticus Finch into a racist "bigot".

    Read more.

  13. Back to school

    Exciting times as the new term at Hogwarts opens - JK Rowling has tweeted good luck to Harry Potter's son James, who apparently starts at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry today.

    Let's hope he manages the leap on to platform 9 and three quarters without too much trouble.

    View more on twitter
  14. Cattrall takes over Woman's Hour

    Kim Cattrall and Michelle Mone

    Woman's Hour Takeover week returns on BBC Radio 4 from Monday 14 to Friday 18 September.

    The week involves five different well-known women who take over the programme for a day each across the week.

    This year's hosts are Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall, FGM campaigner Nimco Ali, Bishop of Gloucester Rachel Trewee, entrepreneur Michelle Mone and author Dame Jacqueline Wilson.

    Actress Cattrall's edition of the programme on Monday will focus on choosing a life without children, as well as explore the themes of ageing, being single later in life and loss.

  15. Your views: Idris Elba for 007?

    There's been a lot of reaction to James Bond author Anthony Horowitz's comments about Idris Elba being "too street" to play 007.

    The quote came from a Mail on Sunday interview (Horowitz also said it's "not a colour issue" and suggested Adrian Lester instead).

    Some of you aren't convinced by that defence, while others agree.

  16. Corrie live

    The Coronation Street live episode to celebrate 60 years of ITV is fast approaching - it will air later this month. And here's a sneak peak of the trailer. Hold on to your hats!

    View more on youtube
  17. Vangelis and GZA team up

    In the latest unlikely but potentially brilliant music collaboration, Wu-Tang Clan rapper GZA is working with Chariots of Fire composer Vangelis.

    GZA posted a photo of the pair on Facebook along with a statement explaining that he was cancelling European gigs in order to finish his album Dark Matter with "a very rare collaborator".

    GZA and Vangelis

    GZA's Dark Matter has been described as a sci-fi concept album inspired by the universe.

    Vangelis fan site Elsewhere has a statement about the collaboration from the Oscar-winning composer, who also did the Blade Runner soundtrack.

    Quote Message: There are not any paths and corners hidden in music. Although you may think that I am entering into another field, music is one, with endless fields full of different mathematical equations, therefore sounds and expressions...
  18. Hoult to play JD Salinger

    Nicholas Hoult

    X Men star Nicholas Hoult has landed the lead role in JD Salinger biopic Rebel in the Rye.

    The actor, who will also star in the upcoming Kill Your Friends, will explore the Catcher in the Rye author's rebellious youth and life on the front line during World War Two, as well as his love life and writing career.

    Danny Strong is directing the film from his own screenplay, which has been adapted from Kenneth Slawenski biography's JD Salinger: A Life.

    The Catcher In The Rye, first published in 1951, is a tale of teenage angst and has become one of the most influential American novels of the modern era.

    But Salinger shunned the fame it brought and became a recluse. He died in 2010.

  19. Zac Efron film bombs

    Zac Efron

    Oh dear. It's been a rocky road since the halcyon days of High School Musical.

    Zac Efron's dance movie We Are Your Friends has bombed at the US and Canada box office, with one of the worst opening weekends on record.

    The Warner Bros film, which was shown in 2,333 cinemas, had box office takings of $1.8 million (£1.1 million) - or just $758 (£493) per screen.

    It is the third worst opening of all time for a new film opening in 2,000 or more theatres, said Box Office Mojo. Ouch.

    (The biggest flop on that list, by the way, was The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure. Me neither.)

  20. BreakingBeverley Sisters singer dies

    The Beverley Sisters

    Joy Beverley (centre), one third of the vocal harmony group the Beverley Sisters, has died at the age of 91.

    The singer, from Bethnal Green in London, was the eldest sister in the trio, who were known for songs including Little Drummer Boy and the Irving Berlin standard Sisters.

    They had their own BBC TV show in the 1950s and were made MBEs in 2006.

    Read the full story.

  21. Bowie does SpongeBob

    David Bowie and SpongeBob SquarePants

    David Bowie and SpongeBob SquarePants - together at last.

    The rock legend is to write a song for a new Broadway musical about the Nickelodeon TV character, it has been announced.

    Producers have also recruited John Legend, Cyndi Lauper, Dirty Projectors, The Flaming Lips, TI, Plain White Ts, They Might Be Giants, Lady Antebellum, Panic! At the Disco and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.

    "We're taking our leads from the TV show but this is an original story, with an original design approach, and original songs written just for the occasion by an amazing array of songwriters," director Tina Landau said.

    A stroke of genius? We'll find out when The SpongeBob Musical opens next June, before moving to Broadway later next year.

  22. London Film Festival line-up

    Johnny Depp

    We already knew Suffragette (starring Meryl Streep), Carol (Cate Blanchett) and Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) would lead the field at next month's London Film Festival. Now, the full programme has announced some other gems.

    They include Trumbo, starring Bryan Cranston as Dalton Trumbo, the Hollywood screenwriter who was blacklisted after refusing to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1947. The film also stars Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Elle Fanning, Louis CK and John Goodman.

    Scott Cooper will be bringing his chilling crime drama Black Mass to the festival, starring Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch and Joel Edgerton.

    And Nicholas Hytner's The Lady in the Van, adapted from writer Alan Bennett's play, will also feature, starring Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Jim Broadbent, Frances De La Tour and Roger Allam.

    A David Bowie documentary will also premiere - Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under explores for the first time the story behind Let's Dance, and how the birth of MTV, and an unlikely journey deep into the Australian outback, led to its success.

    You can find the full festival programme here.

  23. Ellie's tough crowd

    Ellie Goulding was forced to call for calm at a concert in Glasgow on Sunday after scuffles broke out in the crowd.

    Footage posted online appeared to show women brawling during her performance at the Summer Sessions event in Bellahouston Park. Goulding told fans: 

    Quote Message: It doesn't matter if it's your friends or not. You look out for each other. If anyone falls down, you pick them up, you help, if it's your friend or not. And no fighting. Come on. Peace. There's no need for it. There's no need. And look out for each other, OK?
  24. Idris 'too street' for Bond?

    Idris Elba in Luther

    Author Anthony Horowitz is facing a bit of a backlash after saying Luther star Idris Elba is "too street" to be the next James Bond.

    Elba has long been touted as a possible successor to Daniel Craig. But Horowitz, who has just written a "new" Bond novel titled Trigger Mortis, says he's not right for the part.

    He told the Mail on Sunday's Event magazine: "Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other black actors who would do it better." He suggests Hustle's Adrian Lester.

    "For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. It’s not a colour issue. I think he is probably a bit too 'street' for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah."

  25. Community service for Django actress

    Daniele Watts and Brian Lucas

    Django Unchained actress Daniele Watts has been ordered to perform community service after pleading no contest to disturbing the peace.

    Last September, police questioned Watts and her boyfriend Brian Lucas while investigating reports of people having sex in a car.

    Watts, who's black, and Lucas, who's white, claimed they were targeted due to race.

    The couple apologised to the police, but the judge said the apologies were insincere and the pair were sentenced to 15 hours of community service.

  26. 'Toxic' VMAs criticised

    Miley Cyrus

    It's hardly news really, given that they attack the awards pretty much every year - but once again, the Parents Television Council has taken the MTV Music Video Awards (VMAs) to task.

    "MTV rated the content of the programme as appropriate for a child as young as 14, though most parents of teens that age would find such a content rating preposterous," said PTC President Tim Winter.

    "In the end, the network succeeded in what it wanted to do - stir up controversy without regard to its impact on an entertainment environment that is increasingly toxic for children."

    The council took particular issue with host Miley Cyrus, who briefly exposed one of her breasts from behind a curtain towards the end of the show.

    "Are we surprised that Miley Cyrus exposed herself to millions of viewers, and to more people who will inevitably see the news in the mainstream media? About as surprised as we'll be if the sun rises in the east tomorrow morning."

    We can't argue with them on that one.

  27. Derbyshire back on screen

    Victoria Derbyshire

    It's good to see BBC Two and BBC News Channel presenter Victoria Derbyshire back on screen this morning, two weeks after she revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

    She told viewers: "I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who sent very kind and sensible and inspiring messages after the diagnosis for breast cancer, which I received a couple of weeks ago. Thank you very much."

  28. Murray caves in

    Bill Murray

    It caused much excitement when it was announced that Bill Murray would have a cameo in the upcoming Ghostbusters re-boot last month, having said for years that he would not be interested in getting involved.

    He's now revealed that it was the new all-female Ghostbusters crew, played by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, that changed his mind.

    "You know, they were incredibly nice to ask me, and I really enjoyed being there," Murray said in an interview with Vulture. "They have such a jolly group, and they are going to have great success with this project. I didn't want to overshadow [them] or anything, and I feel really good about it.

    "I thought about it for a very long time. Like, many, many months. No, that's not right. I was seriously thinking about this for years, really…

    "It kept eating at me, and I really respect those girls. And then I started to feel like if I didn't do this movie, maybe somebody would write a bad review or something, thinking there was some sort of disapproval [on my part]."

    Proton packs at the ready!

  29. Daniel Craig on James Bond

    Daniel Craig in Spectre

    Daniel Craig's views on his James Bond character have been reported in several British papers this morning.

    The Times uses the headline "Bond is a Sexist Loser, says Craig". It goes on to say the actor claims he's the best 007 yet, but thinks the character is an "unlikeable dinosaur".

    The Telegraph reports that the actor will portray the spy as "less sexist and misogynistic" in the new instalment called Spectre.

    The Daily Mirror's angle is that Daniel Craig doesn't want to be a womaniser like Bond because the character is "very lonely" and it's "not a good look".

    On closer reading, it becomes clear all the reports are based on the same interview he did for Esquire magazine.

  30. Lemmy gets too high

    Lemmy

    Shane MacGowan isn't the only musician struggling with ill health.

    Motorhead had to cut short a concert in Salt Lake City on Thursday after just four songs when singer/bassist Lemmy Kilmister succumbed to altitude sickness.

    This led to the band also cancelling a gig in Denver on Friday.

    Motorhead issued a statement on Facebook: "Lemmy is really sorry and wants to thank the fans for their support and trust. He looks forward to the next-up Texas shows… at low elevations."

  31. Sick Shane

    Poor old Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan - the singer is recovering in hospital after fracturing his pelvis last week.

    His partner, Victoria May Clarke, reassured fans on Twitter.

    He was apparently doing a "complicated dance move".

    View more on twitter
  32. Grylls takes Obama into the wild

    Bear Grylls and Barack Obama

    President Obama is to be given "a crash course in survival techniques" by Bear Grylls on the adventurer's TV programme, US network NBC has announced.

    The US president will film a special episode of Grylls' TV show Running Wild in Alaska.

    NBC said the pair would "observe the effects of climate change on the area".

    But White House press secretary Josh Earnest admitted the Secret Service had blocked some ideas from Grylls and his producers to ensure the president comes through the experience unscathed.

    He said: "I will not deny your suspicion that there may have been some suggestions put forward by the Bear Grylls team that were not approved by the Secret Service."

    However he added that they "have been able to work with the Secret Service to find a couple of interesting things" for the president to do.

    Read more on this story.

  33. RIP Wes Craven

    Wes Craven

    Here are the main headlines you may have missed over the long weekend - sadly, the news broke that US horror filmmaker Wes Craven had passed away. He was the creator of the Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream franchises. Read the full story here.

    In other news, it wasn't a great opening for X Factor, which returned on Saturday - the number of viewers fell by well over one million compared with last year.

    And Kanye West stole the show at the MTV Video Music Awards by declaring that he will run for US president in 2020.

    He was given the lifetime achievement award. During his speech, he said he'd "decided in 2020 to run for president". Is he joking? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

  34. Get in touch

    Ian Youngs

    Entertainment reporter

    Let us know what you think of today's news. Or if there's a story that's big news in your world but which we haven't covered yet - drop us a line at entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk or @BBCNewsEnts.

  35. Good morning

    Emma Saunders

    Entertainment and arts reporter

    Morning all, I hope you're not too weary following the bank holiday weekend. We'll be here to perk you up by bringing you all the latest from the world of arts and entertainment, plus anything you might have missed while you've been away. So stay tuned.