Arise, Sir Gary Oldman! The Oscar-winning Darkest Hour and Slow Horses actor has been knighted by King Charles III in the monarch’s birthday honors.

Oldman has been knighted for his services to drama — the first time he has received a royal accolade for his body of distinguished work. He joins contemporaries including Sir Kenneth Branagh and Sir Daniel Day-Lewis in receiving recognition from Buckingham Palace.

Oldman was last year asked about why he had not been previously honored, telling BBC News that he had not turned down an accolade. “You should ask them. No nod from the royals, but there we are,” he said. “Maybe it’s in my future.”

Oldman was one of 1,215 people to receive recognition from King Charles, with many names from the world of film, TV, and theater making the list. Also knighted was Rufus Norris, the outgoing director of the National Theatre, for his services to stage. David Beckham’s knighthood was also confirmed.

Samantha Morton, star of Minority Report and The Walking Dead, was awarded a CBE, while Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh secured an MBE.

Elaine Paige, the musical theatre star known for her work in Evita and Cats, was made a Dame, while other screen stars honored included The Crown’s Jane Lapotaire (CBE) and Friday Night Dinner actress Tracy-Ann Oberman, who was handed an MBE for services to combating antisemitism.

Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman both waltzed away from the birthday honors with MBEs, while former BBC presenter Martha Kearney got a CBE.

Behind the scenes, some big-hitting producers were recognized for their work in the television industry. Stephen Lambert, the lauded British producer behind Undercover Boss and The Traitors, received an OBE. Doctor Who and Industry producer Jane Tranter was awarded a CBE.

“For this honour to arrive in Bad Wolf’s tenth anniversary year means a great deal to me. Running Bad Wolf has been the beating heart of my career — I have loved every job I have ever had, but nothing compares to this one,” Tranter said.

Lambert added: “It’s a privilege to work in television, telling stories that entertain, engage, and, I hope, bring people together. This recognition is a testament to the extraordinary teams I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years — brilliant colleagues, collaborators, and creatives who make it all possible.”

Others recognized included BAFTA-winning producer and writer Jeff Pope, known for work including Philomena, who got an MBE. An OBE went to John Whiston, ITV’s soon-to-retire boss of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Dana Strong, CEO of Comcast-owned Sky, got a CBE for services to business and media, while Jackie Faulkner, director of operations at Sky News, was honored with an MBE. Tricia Tuttle, director of the Berlin International Film Festival, has been awarded an MBE. There was also an OBE for Allison Dowzell, the managing director of Screen Alliance Wales.

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Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down cable networks HBO Family, ThrillerMax, MovieMax and OuterMax.

The move, reported earlier this week by Cord Cutters News, was confirmed to Deadline by a person familiar with the decision.

Charter Spectrum systems informed their customers of the impending change. “At Spectrum, we are committed to providing you with exceptional service and want to alert you of changes before they happen,” the distributor told subscribers. “Effective on or after August 15, 2025, HBO Family, ThrillerMax, MovieMax, & OuterMax will cease programming and will no longer be available.”

The move is the latest concession to the shrinkage of the traditional pay-TV bundle. HBO Family, for example, once had a clear reason for being during the linear era. In an on-demand, streaming world, though, its lineup of long-tail movies like Dolphin Tale, Spy Kids or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice have diminishing value for distributors. Non-ad-supported linear networks are also endangered species lately, with even a larger player, Starz, having just 30% of its total subscriptions in linear.

Aside from WBD, major cable network parents including NBCUniversal and Disney have also unplugged cable networks. The business is also being separated out from the rest of media portfolios given the ongoing decline in subscribers and revenue. Despite the secular downturn, the networks remain lucrative assets, throwing off considerable cash flow and profit.

Longtime industry analyst Craig Moffett, in a report earlier this week, took note of a potential leveling off in pay-TV subscriber levels. Although total pay-TV penetration has fallen to 1987 levels, he believes first-quarter data from distributors shows the industry may be “finding the long-imagined bottom.”

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