From (semi) festive TV to our best of '21 lists and chatting with Paul Bettany

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( December 24, 2021 [The Independent]( Written by Annabel Nugent The IndyArts Newsletter Hello and welcome to a (semi) festive instalment of the IndyArts newsletter! This is Annabel Nugent – I’ll be taking over the reins from Alex for this week. First off, Merry Christmas Eve! I hope your holiday plans haven’t been spoiled by the dreaded O-word. If you missed Isobel Lewis’s [interview with Ab Fab star Jane Horrocks]( (who incidentally is “bored to death” of talking about Ab Fab), I implore you to give it a read. Elsewhere, I had the chance to [interview my favourite comedian Meg Stalter](, who became a mainstay of quarantine culture last year when her hilarious impressions went – and continue to go – viral. Her HBO series Hacks, which also stars the formidable Jean Smart, isn’t yet available to watch in the UK but I urge you to keep an eye out for it. If you can believe it, we are fast approaching new years. There have been few good things to come out of the dumpster fire that has been 2021, but phenomenal music, TV and films have provided some relief. You can check out our [10 best TV shows]( (my personal favourite has got to be The Mare of Easttown), and our [10 best albums]( (it’s a three-way tie between Billie Eilish, Dave and Olivia Rodrigo for me). Clockwise from top left: Self Esteem, Billie Eilish, Little Simz, Lil Nas X, Japanese Breakfast, Sam Fender and Dave (Getty/iStock) Of course, we’ve also got the [10 best films of 2021]( courtesy of The Independent’s chief film critic Clarisse Loughrey – although I’d like to add this year’s Palme d’Or winner [Titane](. While this body-horror/drama is almost certainly not a Christmas movie, it's one I’d encourage you to watch this Christmas. [The Saturday Interview – Paul Bettany]( [Oscars image]( Bettany made his debut as a ruthless, suited and booted criminal in 2000’s ‘Gangster No 1’ (Getty/Acura) For the Saturday Interview this week, I spoke with Paul Bettany who opened up about the painful technique he uses to summon sadness on set, having his texts with Johnny Depp made public during the actor’s libel lawsuit against The Sun, and his role opposite Claire Foy in the BBC’s three-part series A Very British Scandal. [Oscars image]( Bettany was nominated for an Emmy for his lead role opposite Elizabeth Olsen in the critically acclaimed 'WandaVision' (Disney / Marvel) Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… Unlike Day-Lewis, he wouldn’t call himself a Method actor. But the actor admits to one method that sounds more torturous than any radical body transformation. When Bettany was 16, living with his family in Hertfordshire on the campus of an all-girl boarding school where his father taught drama, his eight-year-old brother Matthew died. It was a tragic accident. “It exploded our family,” he says, turning expectedly grave. “I had a real psychological break there.” Now, when he needs to summon sadness he’ll think of Matthew. He’ll bring “a piece of memorabilia” to set, like his sibling’s old sweater, and bundle it up somewhere near the camera, so that it’s in his eyeline but out of the shot. It’ll make him sob. Bettany knows it isn’t healthy. “It’s madness,” he concedes. “I’m 50 years old now and still keeping these wounds fresh.” He’s adamant that it’s not part of some lofty, suffer-for-the-art premise. “I do it – and I really do mean this – because I’m just not good enough to do it imaginatively in the moment”. [Read the full interview here]( What to binge this week [Oscars image]( Henry Cavill’s professional Witcher, Geralt, is, once again, the stony heart of the show (Netflix) [The Witcher season two]( Henry Cavill is back as the yellow-eyed monster slayer. The second season of Netflix’s hit action series The Witcher picks up where the first left off. In a [three-star review](, Nick Hilton commends the new season as a “beautiful, imperfect fantasy epic”. He adds, “In a world where high fantasy needs to take itself seriously in order to be taken seriously, The Witcher just about manages to be something quite rare: fun.” Staying in [A Very British Scandal]( High expectations typically result in a let-down but this three-part series is a worthy follow-up to Hugh Grant’s Emmy-winning A Very English Scandal in 2018. Claire Foy and Paul Bettany star as the Duke and Duchess of Argyll whose notorious divorce trial made headlines in the Sixties. A Very British Scandal airs on 26 December at 9.00pm on BBC One [Emily in Paris S2]( You may be watching Emily in Paris out of spite but the numbers don’t lie – the romantic-comedy by Sex and the City’s Darren Starr is a hit. The show made headlines last year for being simultaneously terrible and addictive – now it’s back for round two and chances are you’ll be tuning in. It can be our little secret. Emily in Paris is on Netflix [Ghosts, Christmas Special]( There is some genuinely good TV in the festive line-up this year and the Ghosts Christmas special is a particular highlight. Fresh Meat star Charlotte Ritchie plays Alison, a woman who has come to terms with the fact that she lives with a bunch of eccentric ghosts. This time she’s joined by Lolly Adefope, Jim Howick and Mathew Baynton. Stath Lets Flats's Kiell Smith-Bynoe also stars. Ghosts is available to watch on BBC iPlayer Essential reading [‘Festival of shame’: Why China has cracked down on Christmas]( [‘Festival of shame’: Why China has cracked down on Christmas]( [From Home Alone to While You Were Sleeping: Why Chicago is a Christmas film dream]( [From Home Alone to While You Were Sleeping: Why Chicago is a Christmas film dream]( [Every Netflix Christmas romcom ranked from least to most ridiculous]( [Every Netflix Christmas romcom ranked from least to most ridiculous]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's entertainment newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's entertainment newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Culture_Newsletter_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.