British Telly
- BBC Open All Hours sitcom corner shop set to be auctioned offwww.bbc.com BBC Open All Hours sitcom corner shop set to be auctioned off
The building, made famous by the BBC sitcom Open All Hours, is set to go under the hammer in October.
cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18052026
> > A South Yorkshire hairdressers better known as a corner shop in a hit BBC sitcom is set to go under the hammer. > > > >The property, in Lister Avenue, Balby, Doncaster, was used for external shots of Arkwright’s in Open All Hours, starring Ronnie Barker and Sir David Jason. > > > >In 2008, the building, which campaigners had previously saved from demolition, went up for auction but failed to meet its reserve price. > > > >It is now listed for bidding once again from 15 October, with a guide price of £150,000.
- TV tonight: Sophie Turner shines as a diamond thief in a juicy new dramawww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Sophie Turner shines as a diamond thief in a juicy new drama
Joan is a six-parter that tells the story of a real-life jewel thief. Plus: a knotty, tragic documentary about children in the West Bank. Here’s what to watch this evening
Joan is a six-parter that tells the story of a real-life jewel thief. Plus: a knotty, tragic documentary about children in the West Bank. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, ITV1
- TV tonight: finally, things get serious on the Strictly dancefloorwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: finally, things get serious on the Strictly dancefloor
The competition’s first elimination weekend is here. Plus: a night of irresistible soul music with Jools Holland. Here’s what to watch this evening
The competition’s first elimination weekend is here. Plus: a night of irresistible soul music with Jools Holland. Here’s what to watch this evening
BBC One, 6.15pm
- TV tonight: David Mitchell solves a murder in new comedy Ludwigwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: David Mitchell solves a murder in new comedy Ludwig
A puzzle-setter turns detective when his twin brother goes missing. Plus: how does the Parole Board makes decisions? Here’s what to watch this evening
A puzzle-setter turns detective when his twin brother goes missing. Plus: how does the Parole Board makes decisions? Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, BBC One
An amusing comedy drama from Mark Brotherhood (Mount Pleasant, Benidorm) about a reclusive and socially inept puzzle-setter, John “Ludwig” Taylor (David Mitchell, doing his familiar young fogey thing). John is called on to impersonate his identical twin brother, a detective named James, after he goes missing. When James’s wife, Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), asks John to pick up some documents from James’s station, the inevitable happens: John finds himself investigating a murder. Phil Harrison
- TV tonight: Bake Off is back but is it on borrowed time?www.theguardian.com TV tonight: Bake Off is back but is it on borrowed time?
Paul Hollywood and pals return for the show’s 15th series. Plus: an Aussie interior designer tries to transform an apothecary on the Outer Hebrides. Here’s what to watch this evening
Paul Hollywood and pals return for the show’s 15th series. Plus: an Aussie interior designer tries to transform an apothecary on the Outer Hebrides. Here’s what to watch this evening
8pm, Channel 4In recent years, Bake Off has started to feel like a show on borrowed time. But here we are again with a new batch of keen and charming bakers attempting to impress the increasingly demanding judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, with Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding returning as jocular, empathetic ringmasters. We begin, sensibly, with cakes – specifically, the loaf cake.Phil Harrison
- TV tonight: the horrifying events of Hamas’s attack at Israel’s Nova festivalwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: the horrifying events of Hamas’s attack at Israel’s Nova festival
The plight of revellers hit by the 7 October terror attack is highlighted in this moving documentary. Plus: 12 new queens in RuPaul’s werk room. Here’s what to watch this evening
The plight of revellers hit by the 7 October terror attack is highlighted in this moving documentary. Plus: 12 new queens in RuPaul’s werk room. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, BBC Two
- TV tonight: Kim Kardashian’s powerful ode to Elizabeth Taylorwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Kim Kardashian’s powerful ode to Elizabeth Taylor
This three-part documentary paints a powerful portrait of the Hollywood trailblazer. Plus: Demi Moore on Graham Norton. Here’s what to watch this evening
This three-part documentary paints a powerful portrait of the Hollywood trailblazer. Plus: Demi Moore on Graham Norton. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, BBC TwoWhen Elizabeth Taylor was 12, she put herself on a protein-rich diet in an attempt to gain enough inches to be cast in National Velvet. This story speaks of a single-mindedness that is evident throughout this three-part series, executive produced by Kim Kardashian. From taking on the sleazy Louis B Mayer to bridling at being screen-kissed by adult men at 16, this is a portrait of a woman who always fought her corner and knew her own value. Phil Harrison
- Inside CNN's New Comedy Quiz Show. Yes, You Read That Rightwww.rollingstone.com Inside CNN's New Comedy Quiz Show. Yes, You Read That Right
Host Roy Wood Jr., panelists Michael Ian Black and Amber Ruffin, and the series' U.K. creator on bringing a late-night talk show to the news network.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/20603742
> U.S. version of the venerable British news/comedy show, #HIGNFY.
- TV tonight: a brave documentary about the 2023 Kirkby riotswww.theguardian.com TV tonight: a brave documentary about the 2023 Kirkby riots
Journalist Mobeen Azhar’s gripping but bleak investigation. Plus: Mozart sticks two fingers up to the establishment. Here’s what to watch this evening
Journalist Mobeen Azhar’s gripping but bleak investigation. Plus: Mozart sticks two fingers up to the establishment. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, BBC Three
- TV tonight: the explosive train thriller Nightsleeper gets even wilderwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: the explosive train thriller Nightsleeper gets even wilder
Who is the traitor onboard the hijacked train? Plus, a new series of Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s lovely fishing show. Here’s what to watch this evening
Who is the traitor onboard the hijacked train? Plus, a new series of Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s lovely fishing show. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, BBC One
- TV tonight: an enraging look at iconic Black musicians being ripped offwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: an enraging look at iconic Black musicians being ripped off
Niles Rodgers and Chaka Khan speak frankly about money and music. Plus, Sam Neill and Annette Bening star in a glossy mystery drama. Here’s what to watch this evening
Nile Rodgers and Chaka Khan speak frankly about money and music. Plus, Sam Neill and Annette Bening star in a glossy mystery drama. Here’s what to watch this evening
9.25pm, BBC Two
- TV tonight: Colin Farrell is the Penguin in a sinister Batman spin-offwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Colin Farrell is the Penguin in a sinister Batman spin-off
A heavily disguised Colin Farrell stars as the Penguin in an eight-part Batman spinoff. Plus Monty Don on essential autumn garden jobs. Here’s what to watch this evening
The ruthless villain takes no prisoners in this gripping eight-part drama. Plus, Monty Don on essential autumn garden jobs. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, Sky AtlanticAnother journey to Gotham, this time in the company of the Penguin – one of the Batman universe’s most compelling villains and played here by a prosthetics-laden Colin Farrell. It’s a moody and sinister affair – after the death of a mob boss, the Penguin attempts to infiltrate his family. Farrell’s Penguin is ruthless but with a certain submerged warmth, too, as evidenced by his decision to take stammering street hood Victor (the excellent Rhenzy Feliz) under his wing. Phil Harrison
- TV tonight: the return of a very lovely vet dramawww.theguardian.com TV tonight: the return of a very lovely vet drama
All Creatures Great and Small is a warm antidote to the autumn chill. Plus: Olly Murs explores his family origins. Here’s what to watch this evening
All Creatures Great and Small is a warm antidote to the autumn chill. Plus: Olly Murs explores his family origins. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, Channel 5Back to the lovely fictional Yorkshire village of Darrowby as the bucolic veterinary drama returns. It’s spring 1941 and Siegfried is struggling to keep the surgery going in the absence of James and Tristan. However, he might be in luck as uncertainty surrounds James’s RAF deployment. As ever, the success of this reboot hangs on its entirely reasonable reluctance to depart too radically from the vibes and values of the original. Phil Harrison
- Ted Sarandos issues spirited defence of ‘Baby Reindeer’ creator Richard Gadd, talks up UK creative industrieswww.screendaily.com Ted Sarandos issues spirited defence of ‘Baby Reindeer’ creator Richard Gadd, talks up UK creative industries
Netflix co-CEO says streamers top four shows in first half of 2024 were made in the UK.
> Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos robustly defended Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd while speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London conference today, announcing the streamer has just agreed a multi-year first-look deal with Gadd for scripted series. > > ... > > “Baby Reindeer is his true story… it is not a documentary. And there are elements of the story that have been dramatised. We’re watching it performed by actors on television. We think it is abundantly clear that there is dramatisation involved.” > >Sarandos also said that “it’s a fairly British debate – this debate is not happening anywhere else in the world.” > >Sarandos also used his RTS platform to praise the UK as a home for producing film and TV series. > >He said the streamer’s top four rating shows worldwide from the first six months of 2024 were produced in the UK: Fool Me Once, Baby Reindeer, Bridgerton and The Gentleman. The four shows were watched a combined total of 360 million times, he said. > >Sarandos said: “I’ve always thought of the UK as the birthplace of prestige television. It’s why Netflix invests more here in the UK than anywhere else outside of the United States.” > > ... > > He said Netflix had invested $6bn in the UK creative industries since 2020, and had worked with over 30,000 cast and crew. “Today, we have over 100 productions active in the UK,” he said, citing Bridgerton and Thursday Murder Club and features My Oxford Year and Wake Up Deadman: A Knives Out Mystery. > >He said the roots of UK creative industry success lay in its “great public service broadcasting system” and institutions for nurturing a wealth of talent, as well as regulation that supports creativity, investment in arts education and the UK’s ‘highly competitive tax incentive.”
- TV tonight: the incredible juggling act of Volodymyr Zelenskiywww.theguardian.com TV tonight: the incredible juggling act of Volodymyr Zelenskiy
Superb series following Ukraine’s leader comes to an end. Plus: John Major chats with by Amol Rajan. Here’s what to watch this evening
Superb series following Ukraine’s leader comes to an end. Plus: John Major chats with by Amol Rajan. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, BBC Two
- BBC children’s show Balamory gets reboot after 20 yearswww.theguardian.com BBC children’s show Balamory gets reboot after 20 years
CBeebies show will again be set in Scottish harbour village with stories centred around nursery school
> It’s been almost 20 years since the pastel-hued houses in the picture-perfect harbour village of Balamory appeared on television screens. > >On Tuesday, the BBC has announced it had commissioned two new series of the beloved CBeebies show to return in 2026. > >Originally produced between 2002 until 2005, it is expected that the new series will once again be set in the Scottish village of Balamory where coloured houses nestle round a charming harbour with stories centred on a nursery school and teacher. > >Balamory’s first run attracted millions of viewers across the world, spawned a live show and won best pre-school live action series at the 2004 Bafta children’s awards. > > The show will once again be filmed in Scotland, the broadcaster said, either in the original location of Tobermory or another Scottish location such as Rothesay.
- Jay Blades charged with engaging in controlling and coercive behaviourwww.theguardian.com Jay Blades charged with engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour
Repair Shop presenter has appeared at Kidderminster magistrates court, say West Mercia police
> The BBC presenter Jay Blades has been charged with engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour against his wife. The Repair Shop presenter appeared at Kidderminster magistrates court on Friday, West Mercia police said. > >The Guardian understands that the BBC took steps to remove a programme featuring Blades from its Friday evening schedule after the charge, and that no programmes with the former furniture maker would be shown in the foreseeable future. > >Blades, 54, was charged with one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship. The presenter will appear at Worcester crown court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on 11 October. > > ... > > According to court documents, the charge relates to his fitness instructor wife, Lisa Zbozen, who announced on her Instagram page on 2 May that their relationship was over. > >Blades has become a well-known figure thanks to the BBC restoration programme The Repair Shop, in which members of the public take damaged but treasured family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts. A source at the broadcaster said Blades was not a BBC employee and the charge was unrelated to his work at the BBC. > >Blades’ rise from furniture maker to TV celebrity has been meteoric since he first featured on the show in 2017. In August Channel 4 broadcast Dame Judi and Jay: The Odd Couple, which charts the friendship between Blades and Dench, who he first met on The Repair Shop two years ago. > >On Friday the BBC removed the seventh episode of the first series of David & Jay’s Touring Toolshed, Blades which was first shown by the broadcaster in January and features Blades and David Jason touring the UK meeting master crafters and hobbyists. > >In 2022 Blades featured in the BBC documentary Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51, which followed his journey of learning to read and write, having not been taught to do so in childhood.
- TV tonight: Jamali Maddix spends time with paedophile hunterswww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Jamali Maddix spends time with paedophile hunters
The Ilford standup delves into the murky world of American vigilantes. Plus: could another White House coup attempt be on the cards? Here’s what to watch this evening
The Ilford standup delves into the murky world of American vigilantes. Plus: could another White House coup attempt be on the cards? Here’s what to watch this evening
- Huw Edwards: Former BBC presenter given suspended sentence over indecent images of childrennews.sky.com Huw Edwards: Former BBC presenter given suspended sentence over indecent images of children
The disgraced newsreader is told his "reputation is in tatters" as he is sentenced for three charges after he was sent 41 illegal images by a convicted paedophile.
> Huw Edwards has been spared jail for accessing indecent images of children as young as seven. > >The former BBC presenter was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London after he pleaded guilty to three counts of "making" indecent images of children. > >The court heard how he paid up to £1,500 to a paedophile who sent him 41 illegal images between December 2020 and August 2021, seven of which were of the most serious type. > > Of those images, the estimated age of most of the children was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine. > > ... > > As part of his sentence, the 63-year-old must attend a sex offender treatment programme and 25 rehabilitation sessions. > >He is also required to sign the sex offenders' register for seven years and pay £3,128 in costs and a victim surcharge. > > ... > > The court heard that Edwards had told his probation officer that his offending arose out of his fixation on online communications of a sexual nature, his poor mental health, using alcohol and the deterioration of his marriage. > > The hearing was told of Edwards' "long-standing mental health struggles" and how he had been diagnosed with arteriosclerosis - a vascular disease which causes the gradual hardening of arteries - last December. > >Mr Hope noted "the effect of these conditions includes impact on and impairment of mood, behaviour and judgement". > >The court heard Edwards is an in-patient at a private hospital.
- TV tonight: Hanif Kureishi reflects on life before and after his fallwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Hanif Kureishi reflects on life before and after his fall
The writer is unsentimental about his devastating accident in a moving new film. Plus: Richard E Grant on Mozart the musical prodigy. Here’s what to watch this evening
The writer is unsentimental about his devastating accident in a moving new film. Plus: Richard E Grant on Mozart the musical prodigy. Here’s what to watch this evening
10.40pm, BBC OneWriter Hanif Kureishi’s world changed on Boxing Day 2022 when a fall left him needing 24-hour care. In this moving film, he ponders his life before and after his accident. While he seems admirably unsentimental about almost everything, Kureishi is in reflective mood, talking about his new working practices, the paradoxes in his celebrated 80s work and being thrown out of a mosque for being friends with Salman Rushdie. Phil Harrison
- Interview: ‘The most horrific, sobering thing I’ve ever seen’: BBC nuclear apocalypse film Threads 40 years onwww.theguardian.com ‘The most horrific, sobering thing I’ve ever seen’: BBC nuclear apocalypse film Threads 40 years on
Ahead of a timely re-airing of Mick Jackson’s famously bleak docudrama, its director recalls why he unleashed a mushroom cloud on Sheffield in 1984
>Ahead of a timely re-airing of Mick Jackson’s famously bleak, rarely seen docudrama, its director recalls why he unleashed a mushroom cloud on Sheffield in 1984, while our writer explores the film’s lasting legacy
- TV tonight: a deeply addictive train thriller with shades of Bodyguardwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: a deeply addictive train thriller with shades of Bodyguard
Joe Cole stars in Nightsleeper, the BBC’s new adrenalised treat for Sunday nights. Plus, a harrowing look at the civilian cost of the conflict in Israel and Gaza. Here’s what to watch this evening
Joe Cole stars in Nightsleeper, the BBC’s new adrenalised treat for Sunday nights. Plus, a harrowing look at the civilian cost of the conflict in Israel and Gaza. Here’s what to watch this evening
Sun, 9pm, BBC One
- TV tonight: Strictly is back, hopefully minus scandalswww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Strictly is back, hopefully minus scandals
Chris McCausland, Toyah Willcox and Punam Krishan are among the celebs braving the dancefloor. Plus: flag-waving mayhem at the Royal Albert Hall as the Proms conclude. Here’s what to watch this evening
Chris McCausland, Toyah Willcox and Punam Krishan are among the celebs braving the dancefloor. Plus: flag-waving mayhem at the Royal Albert Hall as the Proms conclude. Here’s what to watch this evening
BBC One, 7.20pm
- TV tonight: for an utterly joyous hour, watch the best of this year’s Promswww.theguardian.com TV tonight: for an utterly joyous hour, watch the best of this year’s Proms
From Mark Elder’s final performance with the Hallé to the Kanneh-Masons covering Bob Marley, relive all of this year’s most epic Proms. Plus: Funny Woman is back. Here’s what to watch this evening
From Mark Elder’s final performance with the Hallé to the Kanneh-Masons covering Bob Marley, relive all of this year’s most epic Proms. Plus: Funny Woman is back. Here’s what to watch this evening
8pm, BBC FourMark Elder’s final Proms performance as music director of the Hallé; the Kanneh-Mason rendition of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song; Beethoven’s Ode to Joy climax on its 200th birthday. There are many beautiful Proms moments to catch up with on iPlayer, but here are the very best of the best in a joyous, poignant hour. Hollie Richardson
- Junk food TV ads to be banned pre-watershed in UK from October 2025www.theguardian.com Junk food TV ads to be banned pre-watershed in UK from October 2025
Online adverts for products high in fat, salt and sugar to be banned altogether and TV ads will air only after 9pm
> Junk food TV advertisements are to be banned from airing before the 9pm watershed as part of the government’s drive to improve public health. > >In addition, online ads for products that are high in fat, salt and sugar will be banned altogether, Andrew Gwynne, the public health minister, told the Commons on Thursday. Both measures will come into force on 1 October 2025. > >Health campaigners welcomed the move as an overdue restriction on firms’ ability to bombard children with ads for their unhealthy food and drink products. > > ... > > The previous, Conservative government pledged to bring in the TV watershed ban from January 2023. But a month before its introduction, Rishi Sunak decided to delay it until 2025, prompting a wave of criticism that he had put the interests of big business ahead of improving children’s health.
- Sir David Attenborough to present Asia on BBC One and iPlayerwww.bbc.com Sir David Attenborough to present Asia on BBC One and iPlayer
Filmed over the course of nearly four years, this is the first time that Asia has been the focus of a major BBC wildlife series
> BBC Factual has announced that Sir David Attenborough will present Asia, a seven-part natural history series for BBC One and iPlayer about the wildlife of our planet’s largest continent. Covering the length and breadth of Asia, the series will reveal its most remarkable landscapes and animals, and feature dramatic, previously unseen behaviour. > >Filmed over the course of nearly four years, this is the first time that Asia has been the focus of a major BBC wildlife series. From the vast Gobi Desert to the jungles of Borneo, and from the polar wilderness of Siberia to the coral seas of the Indian Ocean, this series will showcase the breath-taking variety of Asia’s wildest places. > >Seven one-hour episodes will feature thrilling wildlife stories from each corner of the continent.
- TV tonight: Jack Dee and Rosie Jones star as Taskmaster returnswww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Jack Dee and Rosie Jones star as Taskmaster returns
Fun antics as Alex Horne gets force-fed bubblegum in the new season of the TV challenge show. Plus: Jessica Ennis-Hill delves into her family history. Here’s what to watch this evening
Fun antics as Alex Horne gets force-fed bubblegum in the new season of the TV challenge show. Plus: Jessica Ennis-Hill delves into her family history. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, Channel 4TV’s greatest challenge show is getting a junior spin-off this autumn, but before that another cohort of game celebrities is taking on taskmaster Greg Davies: Andy Zaltzman, Babátúndé Aléshé, Emma Sidi, Jack Dee and Rosie Jones. In the first round, they have to search for a seal, throw yoga balls in a theme park and force-feed Alex Horne a bowlful of bubblegum. Nothing’s changed here then. Hollie Richardson
- TV tonight: Kevin McCloud looks back on 25 years of dream homebuildingwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Kevin McCloud looks back on 25 years of dream homebuilding
Celebrating the grandest and greenest of house designs. Plus: who will get the gongs at The National Television Awards? Here’s what to watch this evening
Celebrating the grandest and greenest of house designs. Plus: who will get the gongs at The National Television Awards? Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, Channel 4Sorry to make you feel ancient but Kevin McCloud’s self-building property series first aired a quarter of a century ago. Within that time, what started as an aspirational show of marvel now feels like a kick in the teeth during a housing crisis. Still, McCloud marks the anniversary by starting the newest series with a look at some of the most ambitious, green and emotionally draining designs. Hollie Richardson
- TV tonight: Ross Kemp is on the trail of the mafia in the UKwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Ross Kemp is on the trail of the mafia in the UK
Kemp revisits the strange death of Robert Calvi, found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London. Plus: a new term at Waterloo Road. Here’s what to watch this evening
Kemp revisits the strange death of Robert Calvi, found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London. Plus: a new term at Waterloo Road. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, Sky HistoryRoss Kemp is back at it and this time is delving into the world of mafia bosses, capos and hitmen in the UK. He starts in London, with the story of Roberto Calvi, an Italian banker who, in 1982, was found hanging from scaffolding under Blackfriars Bridge, with bricks in his pockets. But there were many clues that strongly suggested it wasn’t suicide though the case is still officially unsolved. Hollie Richardson
- TV tonight: artist and fourth plinth model Alison Lapper tells her storywww.theguardian.com TV tonight: artist and fourth plinth model Alison Lapper tells her story
Portrait of the artist whose pregnant figure caused outrage when it was erected as a Trafalgar Square sculpture in 2005. Plus: what if Trump wins? Here’s what to watch this evening
Portrait of the artist whose pregnant figure caused outrage when it was erected as a Trafalgar Square sculpture in 2005. Plus: what if Trump wins? Here’s what to watch this evening
10.40pm, BBC OneMarc Quinn’s sculpture of pregnant artist Alison Lapper was a celebration of motherhood and disability, but it outraged many people when it was erected on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2005. She is still angry at the reaction, clips of which she rewatches in this frank documentary, before telling her remarkable and colourful life story. The main focus here, though, is on the beautiful relationship she had with her son, Parys, who died of an accidental drug overdose aged 19 after battling mental health issues. “All the doubting Thomases, they kind of won didn’t they?” she says, heartbreakingly, as she pours her grief into an exhibition of paintings about him.Hollie Richardson
- TV tonight: Paris bids a spectacular farewell to the Paralympicswww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Paris bids a spectacular farewell to the Paralympics
Jean-Michel Jarre headlines the closing ceremony. Plus: the puzzle starts to make sense in James Graham’s visceral drama Sherwood. Here’s what to watch this evening.
Jean-Michel Jarre headlines the closing ceremony. Plus: the puzzle starts to make sense in James Graham’s visceral drama Sherwood. Here’s what to watch this evening.
6.30pm, Channel 4
- TV tonight: festival season climaxes with Sting, the Manics and Sugababes livewww.theguardian.com TV tonight: festival season climaxes with Sting, the Manics and Sugababes live
All the action from the Radio 2 weekender in Preston. Plus - French drama Sambre: Anatomy of a Crime continues to grip and disturb. Here’s what to watch this evening
All the action from the Radio 2 weekender in Preston. Plus: French drama Sambre: Anatomy of a Crime continues to grip and disturb. Here’s what to watch this evening
10.15pm, BBC TwoFestival season winds down with Radio 2’s weekender in Preston. Manic Street Preachers, Sugababes, Gabrielle and Paul Heaton are all set to play, with their sets available on iPlayer. Sting gets the Saturday headline slot, including songs from his new album, The Bridge. Tune in on Sunday for Pet Shop Boys. Hollie Richardson
- Steven Moffat on ‘Doctor Who’ bosses being “Chief Satan of the Nation” and how not to adapt British series for the U.S.www.hollywoodreporter.com Steven Moffat on ‘Doctor Who’ Bosses Being “Chief Satan of the Nation” and How Not to Adapt British Series for the U.S.
At a TIFF appearance, he also discusses differences between the U.K. and U.S. TV systems, why Sherlock Holmes is least qualified to solve crimes and how comedy is all about breaking rules.
> In his appearance, Moffat also discussed his latest show, Douglas Is Cancelled, an ITV commission with SkyShowtime, which was produced by Hartswood Films and launched at the annual BBC Studios Showcase in London earlier this year. The series, which debuted in the U.K. in June and will be rolling out in other markets soon, stars Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington) and Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy) in four 45-minute episodes revolving around respected news host Douglas, regarded as a national treasure, and his younger co-anchor Madeline. Co-starring are Ben Miles (Hijack, The Crown), Alex Kingston (A Discovery of Witches, Treason), Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso, Intelligence), and Simon Russell Beale (Firebrand, Thor: Love and Thunder). Ben Palmer (Breeders) directed the series. > > ... > > Asked to explain the premise to the audience since the show hasn’t aired in Canada yet, Moffat quipped: “Illegally download it.” He later joked: “Please watch my new show. Legally.” In the context of piracy, Moffat shared that he used to look online to see how quickly new shows of his became available, suggesting the entertainment industry’s approach to release and windowing strategies may not be the best. “We are a strange industry. We get really, really cross that people are so enthusiastic about our product that they desperately want to get it early,” Moffat said. “I feel as though some other industries might have had a different solution to that. Yeah, it may not be the greatest business idea in the world: ‘no, you can’t have it yet’.” > > Moffat does not believe in the argument that in an age of political correctness comedy can’t be successfully conceived. “You make comedy by breaking rules, right? So the more rules there are, the better,” he explained. > >Was he ever canceled? He recalled that when he worked on Doctor Who, there was much hatred from fans directed at him. “The level of hate you get could down three passenger jets. I mean, seriously, it doesn’t stop,” he shared. “I was vilified endlessly. I was a homophobe, misandrist and a misanthrope and a sexist and misogynist and a racist. I was against so many people I could only be described as an omni- bigot, which I would suggest means I’m treating everybody equally.” Moffat concluded by joking that any Doctor Who showrunner is taking on the role of “chief Satan of the nation.” > > ... > > Moffat closed his appearance by explaining that his advice on writing is simple. “Every sentence has to make you want to read the next sentence,” he shared. “Keep people reading.”
- TV tonight: Gemma Arterton is back in Nick Hornby’s Funny Womanwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Gemma Arterton is back in Nick Hornby’s Funny Woman
The second season of the charming ode to British comedy begins. Plus: Michael Palin visits Africa’s biggest floating slum. Here’s what to watch this evening
The second season of the charming ode to British comedy begins. Plus: Michael Palin visits Africa’s biggest floating slum. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, Sky Max
Gemma Arterton is back for a second season as the 60s sitcom star Sophie Straw in this charming ode to British comedy, written by Morwenna Banks and based on Nick Hornby’s hit 2014 novel Funny Girl. Now that her breakthrough show, Barbara & Jim, has been cancelled, she is going it alone with Just Barbara. Will she reunite with the old writing gang to ensure its success? The bigger question for fans, though, is: can she and Dennis (Arsher Ali) finally be together? Hollie Richardson
- TV tonight: from Charli xcx to Cat Burns, who will win this year’s Mercury prize?www.theguardian.com TV tonight: from Charli xcx to Cat Burns, who will win this year’s Mercury prize?
The ceremony will be broadcast live from Abbey Road studios. Plus: a throuple seek help in Couples Therapy. Here’s what to watch this evening
The ceremony will be broadcast live from Abbey Road studios. Plus: a throuple seek help in Couples Therapy. Here’s what to watch this evening
8pm, BBC Four
A sense of mounting disarray surrounds the music awards this year – expect a scaled-down event at Abbey Road studios (no sponsor has been forthcoming) and the usual sense of mild confusion about what exactly is being celebrated. The do is being filmed and broadcast live, with this year’s leading contenders including Charli xcx (for the summer-defining Brat), Corinne Bailey Rae (for Black Rainbows), Cat Burns (above, for Early Twenties) and Beth Gibbons (for Lives Outgrown). Annie Macmanus and Huw Stephens host the ceremony. Phil Harrison
- Lord of the Flies series adaptation coming from BBC – with a Hans Zimmer scorewww.empireonline.com Lord Of The Flies Series Adaptation Coming From BBC – With A Hans Zimmer Score
Jack Thorne and Marc Munden are adapting the classic desert island novel with a young cast – shooting now. Read more at Empire.
> With Lost back in the air for its 20th anniversary, and the wait for Yellowjackets Season 3 stretching on, you might be looking for your next desert island TV fix. And the BBC has picked up your message in a bottle: the broadcaster (along with Australian streamer Stan) is preparing to strand a cast of kids on a faraway shore in a new four-part series take on Lord Of The Flies. William Golding’s novel is being adapted by none other than the perpetually-busy Jack Thorne, with director Marc Munden behind the camera. While the series was announced last year, new details are emerging now that it's started filming in Malaysia. > >Most notably, Hans Zimmer has signed on to provide a score – along with Kara Talve – meaning this take on the castaway tale should sound suitably epic. “Hans has already shared his first sketches for the score, which are hugely inspiring. We are honoured to be working with him,” says executive producer Joel Wilson. Plus, after an open casting call, the cast of youngsters has been confirmed: David McKenna will play Piggy; Winston Sawyers is Ralph; Lox Pratt is Jack; Isaac Talbut is Simonl; Thomas Connor is Roger; Noah and Cassius Flemyng are twins Sam and Eric; Cornelius Brandreth is Maurice; Tom Page-Turner is Bill.
- TV tonight: Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s remarkable pivot from comedian to presidentwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s remarkable pivot from comedian to president
How a TV star playing a fictional leader went on to lead Ukraine. Plus: Rob and Romesh perform a Metallica classic at Download. Here’s what to watch this evening
How a TV star playing a fictional leader went on to lead Ukraine. Plus: Rob and Romesh perform a Metallica classic at Download. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, BBC Two
It is not a new story, but it is remarkable and almost unbelievable – the TV comedian who played a fictional president and went on to be elected the real president of Ukraine. It’s told here in three parts. In the first episode, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, his wife, Olena, and the people who know him best rewind and paint a portrait of a clever, funny, popular man who had the unlikeliest rise to power. Other contributors include Nancy Pelosi and the Guardian’s Luke Harding. Hollie Richardson
- TV tonight: Colin from Accounts is back – but where is Colin?www.theguardian.com TV tonight: Colin from Accounts is back – but where is Colin?
Can Ashley and Gordon’s new relationship survive without their dog? Plus: Freddie Flintoff’s cricket tour wraps up. Here’s what to watch this evening
Can Ashley and Gordon’s new relationship survive without their dog? Plus: Freddie Flintoff’s cricket tour wraps up. Here’s what to watch this evening
10pm, BBC Two
The word-of-mouth hit Aussie comedy is back – but there is a paw-shaped hole as the second series starts. Ashley and Gordon (real-life couple and co-creators Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall) are regretting giving away Colin, the injured dog who brought them together. They are also realising that their relationship may not last in his absence. Can they get him back? The hurdles ahead include a bombshell secret and an excruciating meet-the-parents encounter. High jinks, hilarious one-liners and heartbreaking shots of Colin ensue. Hollie Richardson
- TV tonight: a shocking look at the rise of far-right women in the USwww.theguardian.com TV tonight: a shocking look at the rise of far-right women in the US
Louis Theroux’s production company is behind this startling documentary. Plus, Gemma Whelan’s crime drama The Tower returns. Here’s what to watch this evening
Louis Theroux’s production company is behind this startling documentary. Plus, Gemma Whelan’s crime drama The Tower returns. Here’s what to watch this evening
9pm, BBC Three
- TV tonight: John Simm is back solving grisly crimes in Gracewww.theguardian.com TV tonight: John Simm is back solving grisly crimes in Grace
The popular Brighton-based cosy crime drama is back for a third series. Plus, behind-the-scenes footy action in Mission to Burley. Here’s what to watch this evening
The popular Brighton-based cosy crime drama is back for a third series. Plus, behind-the-scenes footy action in Mission to Burley. Here’s what to watch this evening