God of gore: the effects legend behind Reservoir Dogs and The Walking Dead spills his secrets

The ear-slicing in Reservoir Dogs, the skull-crushing in Casino, the leg-hammering in Misery – all his work. Meet Greg Nicotero, The Walking Dead’s king of the zombies

French TV’s reputation spirals upward

The Returned, Spiral and the upcoming Marseille starring Gerard Depardieu are just the tip of France’s €67.5m TV export industry

David Harewood: depression almost made me quit acting to be a lorry driver

Homeland star speaks about rejecting script following death of school friend and highlights the lack of diversity in many TV shows

Crimson Peak; The Program; The Search; Bill; Hotel Transylvania 2; Lila & Eve – review

The blood flows in Crimson Peak and a Lance Armstrong biopic sticks in first gear

Viral video: Elton John, Beyoncé and Doctor Who

Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl, the return of Jason Bourne, House of Cards season 4 and Ewan McGregor’s tribute to David Bowie

This Is England box set review: a tumultuous trip from mod to rave

In his uncompromising TV trilogy, Shane Meadows captures a changing Britain through the pills, thrills, fights and failings of a bunch of ex-skinhead Midlanders

Readers suggest the 10 best journalists on screen

Last week we brought you our choice of the 10 best screen portrayals of journalist. Here you tell us who we have missed out

The New Yorker Presents and Aferim! – new to Amazon Prime in February

There’s plenty to whet the appetite this month, from a highbrow sketch show that sees Alan Cumming play God to a dark tale set in 19th-century Romania that’s full of brilliant gallows humour

Amazon fashion drama The Collection to star The Good Wife’s Mamie Gummer

Meryl Streep’s daughter will lead cast of show set in a Parisian fashion house in postwar Paris that will made by co-producer of the BBC’s War and Peace

The Guardian view on foreign language drama: a cultural revolution

Editorial: Intended or not, the power of exposure to different worlds to alter our internal landscape should be welcomed

On my radar: Julie Hesmondhalgh’s cultural highlights

The actor on Oldham Street, Manchester, the magic of Slow Club, a friend’s brilliant memoir, British feature film Radiator and Lemn Sissay’s poetry

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride cinema sales top £21m worldwide

BBC Christmas special soars to fifth place at US box office and tops cinema chart in China despite limited release

Deadwood: what to watch until the movie rides into town

HBO has confirmed that series creator David Milch will be making a new film of the wild west drama that was cancelled in 2006. Here are five shows to watch while you wait

Chelsea Does, Sherlock, Shadowhunters and The Good Wife – new to Netflix in January

Chelsea Handler’s documentary strand, a new TV version of The Mortal Instruments books, Sherlock’s third and The Good Wife’s sixth season are all streaming on Netflix in January, with films including Touch of Evil, Pi and Timbuktu

From Georgia O’Keeffe to War and Peace: unmissable arts events in 2016

Cultural highlights for the coming year include the first solo show by the ‘mother of American modernism’ and TV classics old and new