Maggie Smith and Celia Imrie’s “charming” drama with “terrific” cast is on TV tonight

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Tonight, December 28th, you can watch the comedy drama The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel on Channel 5 at 9:30pm. The movie, starring Maggie Smith and Celia Imrie, is a follow-up to the 2011 film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and features a fantastic cast.

Directed by John Madden, who also made films like Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2011), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel tells the story of a group of British retirees who decide to spend their retirement in a supposedly luxurious hotel in Jaipur, India.

Okay, so a lot of the original cast is back – Maggie Smith, Celia Imrie, Dev Patel, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Tina Desai, and Ronald Pickup, which is awesome! But we’ve also got some new faces joining the fun this time around, like Richard Gere, Tamsin Greig, and Shazad Latif. I’m excited to see what they bring to the game!

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I checked out The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel from 2015, and honestly, it’s a pretty good movie! Critics seem to agree – it’s got a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a solid score in my book.

Slant Magazine called the film “charming,” and highlighted its ability to portray a happy and fulfilling life even in old age – challenging the common idea of when life is considered worthwhile.

As a fan of the first movie, I was really happy to read what The Australian said! They basically confirmed that this new one delivers exactly what we loved before – more of that same feel-good energy, and a lot of it! They praised the director and the whole cast, and honestly, that’s really reassuring.

The Toronto Star enthusiastically praised the film, highlighting the wonderful performances of Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, and the rest of the talented older cast. They also noted the beautiful scenery, captured by cinematographer Ben Smithard, which might inspire viewers to start planning a trip.

We thought the sequel lived up to the original, praising its charming humor, optimistic tone, and somewhat rambling storyline.

I was chatting with Digital Spy, and it’s honestly a dream come true being back with the cast! Playing Sonny, the hotel manager, is so much fun – it’s a character I really connect with, and it’s awesome to be part of a movie people actually enjoyed. It feels great to know people have confidence in what we’re doing.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will air tonight at 9:30pm on Channel 5.

The latest issue of Living Legends is out now, and it’s dedicated to the incredible Dolly Parton! You can find ‘Dolly at 80’ at newsagents or online for only £8.99.

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2025-12-28 13:19