Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-01-30T14:32:41.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: ER is coming to Netflix – and it's time we recognised it changed television forever
items: Forget the doof-doofs – The Traitors' cliffhangers may have just outplayed the soaps
items: The Thursday Murder Club review: A safe and cosy whodunnit with touches of pathos
items: The Thursday Murder Club review: A cute whodunnit adaptation with touches of pathos
items: 13 must-watch crime dramas based on books – from Slow Horses to The Day of the Jackal
items: The 10 best page-to-screen adaptations to watch now
items: Star Trek: Section 31 review – Beloved franchise should have stayed on terra firma
items: Call The Midwife's Peter Davison on filming under social distancing - and what to expect from Nonnatus House this Christmas
items: Doctor Who's Jo Martin says her casting as the Fugitive Doctor was "groundbreaking"
items: Why the end of The Fall was a big disappointment
items: BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty says team was supportive but "lessons to be learnt" after guideline row
items: Succession's Jesse Armstrong wrote a screenplay about Rupert Murdoch’s family
items: Gemma Chan says she sees "definite shift" in industry with colour-blind casting
items: A League of their Own's Romesh Ranganathan and Andrew Norgate reveal many professionals aren't allowed to take part
items: Emily Maitlis reveals Palace's reaction to Prince Andrew interview: "We had plenty of engagement with them"
items: 4 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Vanessa has a meltdown, plus Dawn struggles with Lucas
items: 6 EastEnders spoilers for next week: Whitney makes exit plans as Keegan's anger boils over
items: 6 Coronation Street spoilers for next week: Dev learns Asha's sexting secret, plus Ken's big decision
items: Next week's Emmerdale spoilers: Belle gets fired, plus Billy faces big pressure
items: Next week's EastEnders spoilers: Mick and Linda's big news, plus Ian is threatened
items: Next week's Coronation Street spoilers: Shock death revealed, plus Yasmeen reaches out
items: Coronation Street spoilers for next week: Geoff threatens Alya, plus David's in big danger
items: EastEnders spoilers for next week: Shocks at Dennis's funeral, plus Jags and Habiba get passionate
items: Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Al and Priya get passionate, plus Mandy wages war against Brenda
items: 5 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Charity betrays Vanessa, plus Cain is out of his depth
items: 5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week: Geoff's shock plan, Ali leaves, plus James is outed
items: 5 EastEnders spoilers for next week: Jay proposes, plus Gray feels desperate
items: 5 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Marlon gets angry, plus Cara asks Nate to leave with her
items: 5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week: Bethany leaves, plus Sarah and Adam get married

ER is coming to Netflix – and it's time we recognised it changed television forever
type: item
creator: David Brown
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Comment
subject: Netflix
description: The classic US hospital drama set the gold standard back in 1994.
encoded: Add ER to your watchlist. We all have an example of a TV show like this, right? The one that holds an outsized importance in our affections? For me, it’s undoubtedly and wholeheartedly ER, the 15 seasons of which are coming to Netflix in the UK on 9 February. It’s a method of accessing the series that would have been inconceivable to the undergraduate version of myself who, back in the mid-1990s, was watching on a 14-inch portable TV with his girlfriend in manky digs. It felt, at the time, like an impossibly sophisticated drama. All that frantic talk of Chem-7s, CBCs, Coags, EKGs being clean or otherwise. No real idea what any of it meant, but it sure seemed as though we were eavesdropping on the way things truly worked at the sharp end of hospital life. And the acts of heroism on display, such as reckless Doug Ross (George Clooney) risking all to rescue a boy trapped in a storm drain as the rain waters rose. It felt filmic, almost mythic. Well, as much as anything can on a tiny, boxy Sony without Nicam Stereo. For the two of us, ER had staying power. We, like the nebbishy and lovable Dr Carter (Noah Wyle) were students when it began. But when it ended, a decade and a half later, we were bringing our second-born son home from hospital. Those real-life births, incidentally, made all-the-more fraught by us having witnessed on TV every late-stage pregnancy complication known to the medical profession. But such awareness mattered not. Each winter, we’ll still watch season one’s Blizzard because nothing says Christmas like a multi-car pile-up in the snow. And every festive season, we’ll tell our now-grown-up kids just how much ER meant to us when we were their age. They’ll smile indulgently for a second or two and then go back to thinking of us as they ordinarily do. As index fingers with a banking app attached. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/er-season-6-ec8f04f.jpg" width="3000" height="2000" alt="Anthony Edwards as Dr Mark …

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height: 2001

ER is coming to Netflix – and it's time we recognised it changed television forever
type: item
date: 2026-01-26T21:00:25.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Comment
subject: Netflix
description: The classic US hospital drama set the gold standard back in 1994.
encoded: We all have an example of a TV show like this, right? The one that holds an outsized importance in our affections? For me, it’s undoubtedly and wholeheartedly ER, the 15 seasons of which are coming to Netflix in the UK on 9 February. It’s a method of accessing the series that would have been inconceivable to the undergraduate version of myself who, back in the mid-1990s, was watching on a 14-inch portable TV with his girlfriend in manky digs. It felt, at the time, like an impossibly sophisticated drama. All that frantic talk of Chem-7s, CBCs, Coags, EKGs being clean or otherwise. No real idea what any of it meant, but it sure seemed as though we were eavesdropping on the way things truly worked at the sharp end of hospital life. And the acts of heroism on display, such as reckless Doug Ross (George Clooney) risking all to rescue a boy trapped in a storm drain as the rain waters rose. It felt filmic, almost mythic. Well, as much as anything can on a tiny, boxy Sony without Nicam Stereo. For the two of us, ER had staying power. We, like the nebbishy and lovable Dr Carter (Noah Wyle) were students when it began. But when it ended, a decade and a half later, we were bringing our second-born son home from hospital. Those real-life births, incidentally, made all-the-more fraught by us having witnessed on TV every late-stage pregnancy complication known to the medical profession. But such awareness mattered not. Each winter, we’ll still watch season one’s Blizzard because nothing says Christmas like a multi-car pile-up in the snow. And every festive season, we’ll tell our now-grown-up kids just how much ER meant to us when we were their age. They’ll smile indulgently for a second or two and then go back to thinking of us as they ordinarily do. As index fingers with a banking app attached. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/er-season-6-ec8f04f.jpg" width="3000" height="2000" alt="Anthony Edwards as Dr Mark Greene, Laura Innes as Dr …

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width: 3001
height: 2001

Forget the doof-doofs – The Traitors' cliffhangers may have just outplayed the soaps
type: item
date: 2026-01-23T14:14:49.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Entertainment
subject: Reality TV
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
subject: Comment
description: The Traitors is giving us a whole different slice of melodrama.
encoded: When lists are compiled of seismic TV cliffhangers, it’s to drama that critics ordinarily turn, be it The Walking Dead's Negan with his baseball bat, JR’s bullet to the guts in Dallas or EastEnders' Kat redrawing the Slaters’ family tree with the three words, "Yes, I am!" But if last night’s edition of The Traitors proved anything, it’s that fiction no longer has a stranglehold on unresolved friction. If the job of a cliffhanger is to compel an audience to keep watching, then the fate of the treacherous Rachel ought to be offered up in a masterclass on heightened stakes. Yet, what marks it out as different to acclaimed deferred payoffs from the past is the key ingredient of irrational human behaviour. Real people are unpredictable at the best of times, but put them under pressure at a roundtable where money and safe passage are at risk, and the messiness becomes momentous. Which is not to say that The Traitors is free from editorial manipulation. Each episode is as expertly designed and layered as Claudia’s wardrobe on a windswept Scottish morning. And those tasked with editing each show must have felt a whopping amount of job satisfaction when work was completed on Thursday’s jaw-dropper. But, for viewers, the tension crucially doesn’t feel manufactured. That sense of the Faithful and Traitors having agency over their fates puts events in a state of real flux, something that can’t really be said whenever a line-up of suspects is issued for the latest soap whodunnit. In those instances, the resolutions have usually been predetermined by a storyline team bound by the usual rules of characterisation, foreshadowing and the necessity of scheduling a big reveal to coincide with either a major anniversary or the festive season. And canny soap fans, being well-schooled in such tricks, are sometimes able to outsmart the writers. But in the case of knee-jerk Faithful James, it’s impossible to rely on convention. We can speculate, argue, and maybe take a side, but guaranteein…

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The Thursday Murder Club review: A safe and cosy whodunnit with touches of pathos
type: item
creator: David Brown
subject: App
subject: App features
description: This highly anticipated adaptation of Richard Osman's best-seller is a little broad and cute – but risk has never been part of the business of cosy crime.
encoded: ★★★☆☆ The Thursday Murder Club is in select cinemas and on Netflix from 28 August. Add it to your watchlist In a flash of self-awareness early on in this adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-seller The Thursday Murder Club, pensioner sleuth Joyce (Celia Imrie) is seen remarking to her cohort Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) that it feels like she’s in "one of those Sunday night dramas about two bright-eyed, feisty old lady detectives". But the line also serves as a way of pre-empting any criticism that could be headed in the direction of this cute whodunnit about a band of amateur mystery-solvers living in a plush retirement complex. View oEmbed on the source website For what we have here is a tale that, were it to be deprived of its stellar cast, would fit snugly in the weekend schedules alongside the murderous yet somehow comforting goings-on in the likes of St Mary Mead or Midsomer. Joyce, for instance, is all about the chintz, with pastel-pink living quarters that could have been interior designed by Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter, while fellow club member Ron (Pierce Brosnan) is the cuddliest trade unionist to have ever burned charcoal in a brazier. His best pal is psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), a man so buttoned-up he’s become one with his bowtie and tweed. And chief clue-finder is the redoubtable Elizabeth, an ex-spook as scrubbed and stylish as Jackson Lamb is filthy and slovenly. All these main players probing the untimely death of a property developer are as exemplary as you’d expect, though Brosnan’s (London?) accent does wander more quickly than any resident in an old folks’ home ever could. But as a piece of filmmaking, The Thursday Murder Club is cleanly rather than cinematically directed by Chris Columbus, to the extent that it feels, as Joyce suggests, like its story ought to have been told across several episodes of a series rather than in a single movie. What doesn’t help matters are the names in the supporting cast, many of whom are offering varia…

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The Thursday Murder Club review: A cute whodunnit adaptation with touches of pathos
type: item
date: 2025-08-22T07:01:03.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Movies
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
subject: Review
subject: Sky/Netflix crime
description: This highly anticipated adaptation of Richard Osman's best-seller is a little broad and safe – but risk has never been part of the business of cosy crime.
encoded: In a flash of self-awareness early on in this adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-seller The Thursday Murder Club, pensioner sleuth Joyce (Celia Imrie) is seen remarking to her cohort Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) that it feels like she’s in "one of those Sunday night dramas about two bright-eyed, feisty old lady detectives". But the line also serves as a way of pre-empting any criticism that could be headed in the direction of this cute whodunnit about a band of amateur mystery-solvers living in a plush retirement complex. For what we have here is a tale that, were it to be deprived of its stellar cast, would fit snugly in the weekend schedules alongside the murderous yet somehow comforting goings-on in the likes of St Mary Mead or Midsomer. Joyce, for instance, is all about the chintz, with pastel-pink living quarters that could have been interior designed by Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter, while fellow club member Ron (Pierce Brosnan) is the cuddliest trade unionist to have ever burned charcoal in a brazier. His best pal is psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), a man so buttoned-up he’s become one with his bowtie and tweed. And chief clue-finder is the redoubtable Elizabeth, an ex-spook as scrubbed and stylish as Jackson Lamb is filthy and slovenly. All these main players probing the untimely death of a property developer are as exemplary as you’d expect, though Brosnan’s (London?) accent does wander more quickly than any resident in an old folks’ home ever could. But as a piece of filmmaking, The Thursday Murder Club is cleanly rather than cinematically directed by Chris Columbus, to the extent that it feels, as Joyce suggests, like its story ought to have been told across several episodes of a series rather than in a single movie. What doesn’t help matters are the names in the supporting cast, many of whom are offering variations on parts they’ve played previously on TV. So, David Tennant gives us a spin on his cad from Rivals, Jonathan Pryce is essentially a facs…

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13 must-watch crime dramas based on books – from Slow Horses to The Day of the Jackal
type: item
date: 2025-07-11T06:00:42.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Drama
subject: TV
description: Read the book? Now watch the series.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Magpie Murders – available now on iPlayer Literary editor Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville) receives inspiration from a famous fictional detective. Sequel Moonflower Murders is also available, while filming has just wrapped on the third and final instalment in the trilogy, Marble Hall Murders. Adapted from the novels by Anthony Horowitz Murder Most Puzzling – available now on 5 A crossword-setter (Phyllis Logan) with a secret moves to a supposedly sleepy market town and starts solving murder cases. The police, naturally, take umbrage. Adapted from A Clue for the Puzzle Lady (2000) and its sequels by Parnell Hall. The Marlow Murder Club – available now on U Upmarket Buckinghamshire is the setting for this cozy whodunnit which finds a trio of female sleuths (led by Samantha Bond) taken on as helpers to the official force. Adapted from the 2021 novel (and its sequels) by Robert Thorogood A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – available now on iPlayer/Netflix Student Pip (Emma Myers) isn’t satisfied with the verdict in the case of a missing teen and turns investigator herself. A follow-up is currently in the works. Adapted from the 2019 novel (and its sequels) by Holly Jackson Virdee – available now on BBC iPlayer Bradford detective Harry Virdee (Staz Nair) hunts a killer targeting the Asian community, just as his new wife scandalises his family. Adapted from AA Dhand’s 2018 novel City of Sinners Department Q – available now on Netflix Matthew Goode stars as an arrogant copper who’s assigned a basement office and a stack of cold case files. Think Slow Horses with detectives instead of spies. Adapted from 2007 Danish-language novel The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen Dalgliesh – available now on 5 Poet and police officer Adam Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel) lays claim to being TV’s most cerebral detective in these elegantly plotted mysteries set in the 1970s. Based on the PD James Adam Dalgliesh novels (1962-2008) The Gold…

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The 10 best page-to-screen adaptations to watch now
type: item
creator: David Brown
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Amateur sleuths, cops and spooks lead our list of the best TV adaptations of novels. Which ones will you add to your watchlist?
encoded: With the news that Mark Gatiss is unconventionally making a novel out of his TV drama Bookish, our RT experts have chosen ten of the best TV shows that started life on the page. We start with the amateur sleuths of "cosy crime" before moving on to cop and spy dramas – and if you like TV with such a literary touch, there's more good news, as many more highly-anticipated adaptations are in the pipeline. For example, there’s Down Cemetery Road from Slow Horses author Mick Herron (on Apple TV+ later this year), the Rev Richard Coles-penned cosy-crime show Murder Before Evensong (due this autumn on 5), Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley cases (BBC1, this autumn), a nuclear-war spy drama called Atomic (coming soon on Sky) — and the small matter of The Night Manager 2, expected on the BBC in 2026…

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Star Trek: Section 31 review – Beloved franchise should have stayed on terra firma
type: item
date: 2025-01-23T05:00:39.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Movies
subject: Sci-fi
subject: Paramount Plus
subject: Review
description: Michelle Yeoh reprises her iconic role as Philippa Georgiou.
encoded: Back when Michelle Yeoh first played Emperor Philippa Georgiou in TV’s Star Trek: Discovery, her schedule wasn’t as packed as it is today. Yet despite the boost to her career following an Academy Award win for 2023’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, she’s still found time to reprise the role of Georgiou in this bombastic feature-length outing, Star Trek: Section 31, which finds the ruthless one-time despot pressganged into joining a secret division of Starfleet on a race-against-time mission. Among the members of this black-ops unit are some recognisable names and races, including a shapeshifting Chameloid called Quasi (Sam Richardson), whose species was introduced back in 1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. And then there’s Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), who as fans of the Next Generation know, will go on to captain the USS Enterprise-C. But, to be honest, these nods to the wider universe are merely surface dressing, as what we get is a noisy affair in which the optimistic ethos and iconography of Trek are mostly jettisoned in favour of a grungy aesthetic and a bog-standard sci-fi plot about a destructive weapon being put to ill use. Part of the problem is this stripping away of emblems that many associate with the series, from the pristine uniforms to the gleaming interiors of starships. Instead, the vessel on which Georgiou and her crew are travelling is described as "a garbage barge", while a sequence in which Garrett searches through a vat of trash has more a feel of Star Wars than Trek. But perhaps the more pressing issue is the focus on the institution of Section 31 itself. Its origins, for those who aren’t aware, lie in spin-off Deep Space Nine, where it was a very minor player in a series that, at times, explored the compromises the Federation had to make in pursuit of its utopian ideals. Here, however, where we find Section 31 more untethered from Starfleet, it’s difficult not to come away thinking that its existence conflicts with Gene Roddenbe…

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Call The Midwife's Peter Davison on filming under social distancing - and what to expect from Nonnatus House this Christmas
type: item
date: 2020-12-25T09:00:45.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Drama
subject: News
subject: TV
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: The former Doctor talks to David Brown about joining the circus for Call The Midwife, working during the pandemic, and wanting to act for as long as he can stand.
encoded: Peter Davison is not a man to let the small matter of quarantine deter him from working. This spring he was hard at it, recording Doctor Who audio adventures from a cupboard that he’s decorated to resemble a TARDIS, complete with roundels he made from cardboard boxes (pictured below). “I put a lot of effort into it because I’m a very sad person,” he says of his “moment of lockdown lunacy”. He admits that he feels most alive when acting and so jumped at the chance to emerge from his police box and run away to the circus for a festive turn as a ringmaster in this year’s seasonal Call the Midwife episode. It was filmed according to social distancing rules after restrictions were initially eased – but, at 69, did he feel as though he was risking his health? “I carry that strange British trait of thinking it’s never going to happen to me,” he reflects. “But I didn’t find it easy. It was very nice to be offered a part, and I was happy to do it, but because everyone on set was treated as though they were exuding billowing clouds of COVID-19, I didn’t get the sense of joyousness that I imagine has been there in the past.” Even those well used to life at Nonnatus House found the filming experience odd. “We’d been away so long I wasn’t sure I could remember how to do it,” admits Linda Bassett, 70, whose alter ego Nurse Phyllis Crane reveals an unexpected passion for circus life when Davison’s troupe visits Poplar. “Rehearsing in masks made it hard to tell what anyone was thinking.” The nation, though, will be relieved that the cast has managed to get the episode in the can, as Call the Midwife has now become a key part of many people’s Christmas viewing. Bassett says fans come up to her to tell her that they love Nurse Crane. “You can only react to that kind of thing with warmth, even though I am a little bit baffled as to why Nurse Crane is loved. But it’s so kind of them.” Davison, on the other hand, ought to be well used to the adoration, as a former lead of both Doctor Wh…

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Doctor Who's Jo Martin says her casting as the Fugitive Doctor was "groundbreaking"
type: item
date: 2020-11-02T15:43:57.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: News
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
description: "I was a fan of Doctor Who back in the day and not seeing myself on screen as a child was tough," says the Holby City actress.
encoded: Doctor Who actress Jo Martin has called her casting as a surprise incarnation of the Time Lord "groundbreaking". Speaking to RadioTimes.com, the star also revealed that Black science-fiction fans have reached out to her following her unveiling as ‘the Fugitive Doctor’ in the most recent series of the BBC One drama. "A lot of Black geeks who love sci-fi have sent me pictures of them doing cosplay. They thank me and tell me it’s great that they now have someone to dress up as,” Martin said. “I was a fan of Doctor Who back in the day and not seeing myself on screen as a child was tough. It’s an awful thing to grow up thinking it’s wrong to be Black. So it’s fabulous that there are now characters like this who young kids can look up to." Originally introduced with the character name of Ruth Clayton, Martin was later revealed, in the episode Fugitive of the Judoon, to be a previously unseen incarnation of the Doctor – a twist that series lead Jodie Whittaker called "an extraordinary moment". Now, Martin, who also plays hospital CEO Max Gerry in medical drama Holby City, has revealed her own feelings at being cast on both shows: “What’s really special about these parts is that they’re groundbreaking. No one would expect a Black, middle-aged woman to be Doctor Who, but there we have it. "And on American medical shows, there’s a lot more black representation in terms of status. So for Holby City to have a black female CEO is an amazing thing as well. I feel honoured to be a part of both these shows and to be representing these characters. It’s great for everyone." Doctor Who is to return over the Christmas period with a new festive instalment entitled Revolution of the Daleks, while Holby City is back on Tuesday 10th November with a hard-hitting episode that’ll find Max having to manage her under-pressure workforce during the first spike of the coronavirus pandemic. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide

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Why the end of The Fall was a big disappointment
type: item
date: 2020-08-25T09:50:00.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Drama
subject: News
subject: TV
description: "This desire to turn what should be standalone serials into long-running series needs to stop," says David Brown
encoded: Warning - the following contains plot spoilers for The Fall's final episode. From the start..! So, they let the bastard get away with it. Paul Spector, the murderer whose killing spree has fuelled The Fall, evaded the clutches of DSI Stella Gibson and remained at large to slaughter again in series two. Maybe we shouldn’t be that surprised: last month, Ben Stephenson – the controller of BBC drama – revealed that we were building “to a gripping cliffhanger” and that the Belfast-based thriller had been recommissioned. But surely the impact of The Fall would have been greater had it been given a proper conclusion and remained a five-parter? This desire to turn what should be standalone serials into long-running series needs to stop. It didn’t used to happen with shows that are now generally regarded as TV classics. There was never a need to make Closer to the Edge of Darkness or The Return of the Singing Detective, so why order another batch of episodes of The Fall? The answer, of course, is ratings (it’s been BBC2’s biggest drama series to launch in eight years), but continuing the story of a sizeable hit isn’t always the right move. Just look at the precedent set by Homeland – a tightly woven conspiracy tale for its opening run, a credulity-straining misfire in its second season. Because, let’s face it, the decision to serve up more episodes of The Fall undermined the coherence of tonight’s finale, almost to the point where the whole thing began to feel like a con. For a start, Paul’s ability to uproot his family and disappear in an instant seemed improbable. Also, Sally Ann’s decision to stay with her husband when she was under the impression that he’d had an affair with the under-aged babysitter seemed implausible – she had the girl’s number on her mobile, so why didn’t she call to get her version of events? OK, so he didn’t confess to murder, but he was still admitting to being a perv. Then there was the deus ex machina device of having one of Paul’s near-miss vict…

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BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty says team was supportive but "lessons to be learnt" after guideline row
type: item
date: 2020-07-26T12:00:00.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Current Affairs
subject: News
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: David Brown talks to Naga Munchetty and BBC Breakfast producer Mark ahead of the BAFTAs.
encoded: This interview is part of our BAFTA 2020 special for more visit The Big Interview hub. For BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty, the working day begins at 5am — with an analysis of her boss’s wardrobe. “There’s always a quick appraisal of what I’m wearing,” says assistant editor Mark Grannell, to which Munchetty replies, “Yes, but it’s always complimentary! He’s very well dressed. Though he did do double-denim once and that didn’t fly with me…” One other thing with which Munchetty can find fault are the headlines, which will be debated in the hour before the show goes live at six o’clock: “Yes, I do come in and tear apart the headlines. But we disagree agreeably — what we all want is for the news to be accurate but also impactful.” What sets Breakfast apart from the other BBC bulletins is its informality. “We’re not the Today programme on television,” says Grannell. “Depending on what the main news is, we try and inject a bit of light into the shade. The interaction between the presenters is really important.” View oEmbed on the source website But there are risks in having such a relaxed atmosphere, as Munchetty discovered last year when she expressed anger at US president Donald Trump’s choice of words in telling four congresswomen to “go back home”. In September, the BBC decided that she’d breached guidelines, only for a public outcry that then led director-general Tony Hall to reverse the ruling. Her Breakfast colleague Dan Walker told Radio Times that the BBC’s defence of Munchetty should have been more robust — does she agree? “There are lessons to be learnt. The Breakfast team was very supportive at the time and, since then, I’ve had regular conversations with Tony Hall and other BBC bosses. My whole strategy was to just keep my head down because I didn’t want to be the story.” When asked whether it’s made her more circumspect about what she says on air, Munchetty insists that “it’s absolutely business as usual.” On the emotive issue, Grannell adds, “Naga’s …

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Succession's Jesse Armstrong wrote a screenplay about Rupert Murdoch’s family
type: item
date: 2020-07-25T17:00:58.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Drama
subject: News
subject: TV
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: David Brown chats to Jesse Armstrong and Brian Cox ahead of the BAFTAs.
encoded: This interview is part of our BAFTA 2020 special for more interviews visit The Big Interview hub. Coronavirus may have halted work on the new series of Succession, but star Brian Cox has devised a neat way to incorporate the pandemic into the season-three plotlines. “Logan could be handed a mask, just look at the person giving it to him and then tell them to f*** off,” he says, down the line from upstate New York (where he rushed off to straight after the RT photoshoot, before lockdown was enforced). “That could be the COVID crisis dealt with for the whole season.” It would be in keeping for the tyrannical media mogul Logan Roy, who leads the cast in this year’s most critically acclaimed, BAFTA-nominated drama (in the international category), as well as earning Jesse Armstrong a nod for best writer: drama. But it could all have been so different for Logan. “At one point, I did think he might expire at the end of the first season or even the first episode,” reveals Armstrong. “Though this all changed before we committed ideas to paper. And once I saw Brian, I realised how big a weight he is at the centre of our solar system. He’s great to write for.” When asked previously about the inspiration for the Roys and their media empire, Waystar Royco, Armstrong has always distanced his creations from comparisons to the real-life Murdochs. But he admits now that those ties are closer than we’ve been led to believe. “They’re fictional creations who’ve come out of a ton of reading and research. I’d written a screenplay about Rupert Murdoch’s family and it never got made. And it got me interested in the similarities between all these guys — Murdoch, Robert Maxwell and Conrad Black — who are passing from their position of predominance as tech takes over. But, also, how cable news and newspapers are still shaping our political climate.” View oEmbed on the source website Two things Armstrong won’t be drawn on, though, are when the cast will be back before the cameras or how COVID-…

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Gemma Chan says she sees "definite shift" in industry with colour-blind casting
type: item
date: 2020-07-25T14:00:57.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Drama
subject: News
subject: TV
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: David Brown catches up with Gemma Chan ahead of the BAFTAs
encoded: This interview is part of our BAFTA 2020 special for more interviews visit The Big Interview hub. When it comes to variety, 2018 will take some beating for Gemma Chan. In July, she’d finished shooting the big-budget film Captain Marvel in Hollywood and by September she was back in the UK working on a project for Channel 4 with her long-time friend Dominic Savage. “On a Marvel film, you’re just a very small cog in a huge machine. So, when the opportunity came up to work with Dominic again, I jumped at it. I’d missed being on an intimate set with a small crew,” she says. “And working with Dominic is wonderfully freeing, but terrifying as well. You don’t know what’s going to work or where it’s going to end up.” The pair first worked together on 2012’s True Love for BBC1 and had been seeking the right reunion. The result was I Am… Hannah, an intimate, semi-improvised tale about a single woman in her 30s struggling to fulfil society’s expectations, which Savage created in collaboration with her. “The pressures women face had been something I’d been talking to my girlfriends about for a while,” Chan says. “Women have far more options than they used to — there’s a chance to work and have a family, but also an expectation that you can have it all. It’s not an easy thing to make those decisions.” It’s a subject that also resonates with Savage: “My mother is a big influence on me. A lot of women from her generation weren’t able to make choices that were right for them. She grew up in poverty and didn’t have a formal education. Hannah, like all three characters in the series, gets the chance to make something else of her life. But my mum could never choose.” Chan finds the empathy Savage has for women unusual in the TV industry. “It’s not the norm to find someone who wants to shine a spotlight on women. There have been improvements over the past few years. Just think of Fleabag and I May Destroy You. But for a long time, the perception was that programmes like this were just f…

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A League of their Own's Romesh Ranganathan and Andrew Norgate reveal many professionals aren't allowed to take part
type: item
date: 2020-07-25T10:00:53.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Entertainment
subject: News
subject: TV
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: David Brown talks to Romesh Ranganathan and Andrew Norgate ahead of the BAFTAs.
encoded: This interview is part of our BAFTA 2020 special for more interviews visit The Big Interview hub. To the makers of the BAFTA-winning A League of Their Own, Andrew Norgate is the senior games producer, who dreams up all the wild tasks the panellists take on. But to Romesh Ranganathan, he’s the personification of all his worst nightmares. “It’s weird. I love him and I think he’s the very best at what he does. But I can’t help associating his face with horror. He’s my Jason or my Freddy Krueger,” says the comedian. “It’s because every time I see him, I’m going to be shown something that increases my anxiety level.” Yet despite the nerves, Ranganathan (nominated for two BAFTAs for The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan and The Ranganation) always gives his all on the Sky 1 sports-based comedy panel show. And for this, Norgate is thankful. “Romesh is a godsend,” he says. “Many of the professional sports people we have on won’t do any of the games. They’re not allowed. So what Romesh brings is a fantastic willingness. Even though — and I don’t think he’ll be offended if I say this — he’s not a natural athlete.” Is Ranganathan offended? “No, because I was terrible at PE at school. I was an overweight kid who had terrible hand-eye coordination. All of my PE reports said, ‘Romesh has coped ably despite his obvious physical drawbacks.’ So I now consider myself to be a hero and an inspiration. People are looking at me and thinking, ‘There’s no way I could be as awful as him. Yet he still does it every week.’” He became a regular team captain in 2018, so surely he can’t still be scared of the physical challenges? View oEmbed on the source website “I’m still terrified every single time,” he laughs. “And there have been occasions when I’ve thought, ‘I can’t complete this.’ It’s got to the stage now where it’s about getting through this without ending my career.” Norgate, though, believes the star is being too harsh on himself. “We shoot on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So, bec…

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Emily Maitlis reveals Palace's reaction to Prince Andrew interview: "We had plenty of engagement with them"
type: item
date: 2020-07-25T08:00:57.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Entertainment
subject: News
subject: TV
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: David Brown chats to Emily Maitlis ahead of the 2020 BAFTAs.
encoded: “I realised within minutes of sitting down that it was going to be explosive,” says Emily Maitlis, as she recalls the interview last November with Prince Andrew that has earned Newsnight a nomination in the News coverage category at this year’s BAFTA Television Awards. “First, he was tackling the subject matter head on. Secondly, the lack of apology or any real expression of regret told me that the prince still believed that his actions had broadly been the right ones. And thirdly, the level of detail was unlike anything I was expecting. It was just astonishing to be in that room listening. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.” Back at the Newsnight base at London’s Broadcasting House, the programme editor, Esme Wren, was fearing the worst as her presenter sat down across town at Buckingham Palace. “I was actually waiting for Emily to call me and say they’d pulled it or cut it short after ten minutes. At the time, I felt like a father standing outside the labour ward waiting to hear news,” she recalls. In the end, of course, it was a successful delivery — for Newsnight anyway. The interview had been a year in the planning and Maitlis is relieved that the team held out for the in-depth interview they wanted: “We could have done something shorter, easier and less comprehensive much earlier. But we sat it out until we were given the assurance that it would be the kind of interview we needed to do. I’m glad we waited and were properly prepared for it.” She and Wren had role-played what they thought might be every possible response the prince could give to the questions about his links to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After all, Wren had told Andrew’s representatives that he would be “asked about every piece of information in the public domain that we could gather”. Yet despite the prep work, Maitlis was still apprehensive. “I was incredibly nervous. How could I not be? I remember Esme saying, ‘This interview has to be a document that …

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4 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Vanessa has a meltdown, plus Dawn struggles with Lucas
type: item
date: 2020-04-18T05:45:34.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Emmerdale
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And Mandy opens up about her past with Paul
encoded: Fans of #Vanity should brace themselves: Emmerdale’s favourite couple are about to be put through the emotional wringer when Vanessa’s drunken night out has big repercussions. And it's a big week for Dawn, who struggles with her boy, Lucas. Find out more in the latest batch of storyline spoilers covering the week of Monday 20th to Friday 24th of April 2020. Vanessa’s bender If their storyline wasn’t so traumatic, I’d be thinking that Charity and Vanessa were in the middle of some fantasy body-swap comedy. Six months ago, if I’d been asked to guess which of the pair would be featured in a widely distributed video on social media showing them getting into a row with a stranger on a boozy night out, I’d definitely have predicted it to be Charity. But Vanessa’s cancer diagnosis has understandably sent her into a tailspin, so much so that there’s now a rift between her and Charity. And it’s set to widen further on Friday when Vanessa makes a big request that leaves Charity faltering. Dawn needs help Dawn is having parenting problems – which isn’t much of a surprise seeing as that teddy bear is still declaring “I love you, Lucas” every 10 seconds. Harriet and Will ultimately suggest that Dawn ask the social worker for advice on the issues she has with Lucas. And pretty soon, Dawn is being pointed in the direction of Lucas’s foster parent Carol. But when Dawn witnesses just how well Lucas gets on with his foster family, she’s left unsure whether having custody of her son is the best option. The next day, when Billy suggests that Dawn reach out to Manpreet for some support, Dawn is left offended. But when he says supportive things about Dawn being an awesome mum, she’s left with fresh impetus to get closer to Lucas. But might Will end up throwing a spanner in the works? After hearing how Carol’s visit has upset Dawn, he takes action. But what will he end up doing? Elsewhere on Emmerdale Mandy reveals more of her history with Paul to Lydia, unaware that the man himself is no…

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6 EastEnders spoilers for next week: Whitney makes exit plans as Keegan's anger boils over
type: item
date: 2020-04-18T05:30:03.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: EastEnders
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: Plus Ash apologises to Iqra
encoded: It’s another truncated week on EastEnders, with episodes airing on just Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st April. But there are still big developments for Whitney who is planning an exit from Walford as her fears grow about a future behind bars, while an under-pressure Keegan is nearing breaking point. Read on for all the latest storyline spoilers... Whitney to leave? <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/04/20148523-high_res-eastenders-january-march-2020-d6a3893-scaled.jpg" width="2560" height="1707" alt="WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 14/04/2020 - Programme Name: EastEnders - January - March 2020 - TX: 20/04/2020 - Episode: EastEnders - January - March - 2020 - 6107 (No. 6107) - Picture Shows: ***EMBARGOED TILL TUESDAY 14TH APRIL 2020*** Whitney Dean (SHONA MCGARTY) - (C) BBC - Photographer: Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes" title="EastEnders - January - March - 2020 - 6107" /> Whitney is obviously petrified of going back to jail, but she needn’t be so worried. Half the Square have done time and lived to tell the tale. In fact, many of them probably feel more at home in a prison tabard than they do in regular clothes. One former inmate – Max Branning – is even popping round to tell a frit Whit about his own experiences behind bars. Mind you, Whitney does also have the added pressure of Michaela posting horrible things about her online. Michaela, if you hadn’t already noticed, is cut from the same cloth as Marion Logan in Coronation Street and Wendy Posner in Emmerdale – both blinkered, grieving mums who’ll do anything to defend their psychopathic sons. And Michaela’s smear campaign does appear to be working, with Whitney ultimately deciding to reach for her passport. You can find out on Tuesday whether anyone will be able to put a stop to her plan to leave town. Keegan lashes out The writers seem determined to see just how much misery Keegan can withstand before he completely buckles. Accused of a crime he didn’t comm…

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6 Coronation Street spoilers for next week: Dev learns Asha's sexting secret, plus Ken's big decision
type: item
date: 2020-04-18T05:15:25.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Coronation Street
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And Geoff has new plans
encoded: Asha’s online actions have new consequences and she's about to learn the true extent of them on Coronation Street next week. Plus, Ken has to come to a drastic realisation about his life in Stillwaters. Here's all your spoilers for Coronation Street between 20th and 24th April. Asha is in turmoil How do you keep your teenage children safe while they’re online? It’s a question a lot of parents will be asking themselves at the moment, what with their bored offspring communicating solely on devices after being physically separated from friends and peers. It’s even become a problem on the Street, which despite currently being in a virus-free bubble, has found one of its teen characters taking a big risk on FaceTime and then ruing her actions. As we’ve seen, Asha’s world has come crashing down after a video of her going topless was swiped and shared. Now, word reaches her dad Dev who first rails at and then consoles his sobbing daughter. And when Aadi later reveals that Asha’s video has made its way onto the internet, Dev decides to head to the police station – a move that leaves his daughter furious. Ken’s big decision Ken has the proof he needs to demonstrate that corrupt Charles has deposited all the payments from the Stillwaters residents into a personal bank account. But after publicly exposing his adversary, Ken finds he and Claudia have reached an impasse where their relationship is concerned. He explains that the retirement complex will never be his home, while she wants to stay put. Ken is someone who’s spent his whole adult life dreaming of new horizons, but might he be destined to head back to No 1? Geoff’s new fears Fans hoping to see Yasmeen send Geoff packing may have to wait a little longer. He’s found a pamphlet she received about domestic abuse and so decides to take a different approach by creating a divide between his wife and her best mate Cathy. When Geoff manipulates the situation so that Cathy ends up getting offended and storming off, Yasmeen look…

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Next week's Emmerdale spoilers: Belle gets fired, plus Billy faces big pressure
type: item
date: 2020-04-04T07:30:17.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Emmerdale
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And will love blossom for Bob and Wendy?
encoded: Jamie gets ruthless, Bob is besotted and Malone piles on the pressure. It’s your full week of Emmerdale action previewed for the week of the 6th to 10th of April 2020. Read on to see all the drama... Billy faces pressure Corrupt cop Malone gets a shock when he finds his beloved 4x4 smouldering in a field – and it’s Billy who’s soon incurring his wrath. When Malone discovers that Cain and Billy had been keeping the 4x4 to use as leverage against him, Billy soon finds himself under arrest following a trumped-up assault claim. Malone then takes great delight in telling Billy that one of his helpers has taken a beating and is now under instruction to tell officers that Billy was responsible. What will Billy do when Malone then issues him with a surprise ultimatum? Jamie gets Belle fired Jamie is juggling the two women in his life and is far from pleased when he sees Belle attending Take a Vow’s lingerie party, where she ends up spending time with Andrea. The normally moist-eyed Jamie then ends up displaying some Tate ruthlessness when he tells Paddy that the only way to solve the vets’ financial problems is to fire Belle. When Paddy then tells Belle that she needs laying off, she comes to the realisation that Jamie is behind the decision. But you can expect Belle to be left surprised by Jamie’s reaction to her words after she engineers a showdown… Bob and Wendy get close It’s the term many workers dread hearing: team building. But Bob Hope has always been irrepressibly upbeat, so the fact that he’s organised a treasure hunt in the village for the Woolpack workers should come as little surprise. His aim is to bring Victoria and Luke together, but Mandy also has matchmaking on her mind as she encourages Bob to tell Wendy how he really feels about her. The trouble is that, just as Bob is summoning up the courage to open his heart, a passer-by swoops over and steals Wendy’s handbag. How will Wendy react to Bob’s efforts to comfort her? In other news… Paddy is still anxious …

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Next week's EastEnders spoilers: Mick and Linda's big news, plus Ian is threatened
type: item
date: 2020-04-04T07:15:59.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: EastEnders
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: All the latest Walford drama
encoded: Next week’s episodes of EastEnders (for the 6th and 7th of April) see the Carters’ plan to sell the pub being discovered, while Dotty ratchets up the pressure on a beleaguered Ian Beale. As Albert Square kicks off, can anyone find a resolution? Read on for full details of the upcoming spoilers... Mick and Linda are selling the Queen Vic There have apparently been viewer complaints about soaps still featuring scenes that place in pubs. After all, real-life landlords have been told to call last orders, at least for the time being. But we need to cut the likes of EastEnders some slack. These episodes were filmed a while ago and the BBC is trying to eke out its supply for as long as possible now that filming has been put on pause. So just think of Walford as a land of lost content, albeit one where everyone feels permanently wretched. Take Mick, for example. He’s currently looking deflated because an estate agent has called to value the Queen Vic. And a guilty-feeling Linda is soon suggesting that she no longer work behind the bar. The pair are in agreement, though, that Shirley and Tina needn’t know about their plan to sell up just yet – but news travels fast in Walford and they’re soon caught out. Next, of course, we’ll have the bidding war as to who gets ownership of the Square’s beloved boozer. My dream would be for vampy Chrissie Watts to make a surprise comeback. Dotty v Ian I like to imagine that the ghost of Nick Cotton is sitting on daughter Dotty’s shoulder, encouraging her to stir up trouble wherever she goes. She starts the week by venting her anger on Vinny and finishes it by goading and then ultimately threatening Ian. And while I’m loath to condone such bullying, it’s quite fun watching the odious Ian being driven potty by Dotty. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.

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Next week's Coronation Street spoilers: Shock death revealed, plus Yasmeen reaches out
type: item
date: 2020-04-04T07:00:59.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Coronation Street
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And young Oliver is in big danger
encoded: I’m afraid anyone wanting light relief won’t be finding much solace in Coronation Street next week (6th to 10th April 2020), what with the death of Ken’s beloved pet dog Eccles. Thankfully, Yasmeen looks to be getting the upper hand where Geoff is concerned – only for him to make another disturbing move. Read on for all the drama... Eccles dies Being a nation of animal lovers, we’re always hit hard when a beloved soap pet dies. There are some who’ve never recovered from the poisoning of Wellard in 2008, while others are still brought to tears by memories of Schmeichel’s demise in 2011. Now, Coronation Street is set to leave us traumatised once again as Emma takes Eccles for a walk, only to realise that she’s not herself. A visit to the vet then reveals that the lovable dog has an inoperable tumour. Canny Corrie fans may have twigged that something was wrong with Eccles when she was seen looking lackadaisical in Ken’s lap the other week. With the pair having forged a close bond this last decade, you can expect the Barlow family patriarch to be devastated by news of the border terrier’s death. After all, they’ve been through a lot together – Eccles even had to witness some of randy Ken’s canal-side trysts with Martha Fraser, the poor thing. What’s wrong with Oliver? After little Oliver’s lethargy became a feature of his birthday celebrations back in February, I started to suspect that the state of his health would soon be providing new drama. And so it turns out on Friday when – just as Summer is babysitting the youngster – Oliver has a fit. When Steve returns home, he’s met by a panicky Summer, who breathlessly explains the situation. All of which results in Steve scooping up his son and dashing off in search of medical help. Yasmeen reaches out to Alya When we last saw Yasmeen, her exit from her home was being barred by Geoff. But luckily on Monday she finds the courage to pick up her suitcase and stride out the door. And after arriving at the builder’s flat, Yasmee…

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Coronation Street spoilers for next week: Geoff threatens Alya, plus David's in big danger
type: item
date: 2020-03-28T08:00:58.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Coronation Street
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: All the big Weatherfield drama previewed
encoded: Hope you’re all getting used to the stripped-back scheduling of Coronation Street, which now airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7.30pm. Not that they’re stinting on the drama in the week ahead as there's plenty of danger in store. Read on for all the latest spoiler gossip for 30th March to 3rd April. Geoff’s all heart Might this be the start of Geoff’s downfall? I know we seem to write this whenever the next batch of spoilers are issued, but the arch manipulator is certainly going to be on the back foot this week. On Monday, we’ll see him faking some chest pains as he bids to put a halt to him and Yasmeen heading to Spain for Zeedan’s wedding. But a trumped-up medical malady isn’t enough to stop Detective Alya from digging for dirt. When she confronts the evildoer about both his fake heart scare and fictitious hotel booking, Geoff loses his temper and threatens her, only to be caught in the act by Yasmeen. Despite Geoff then assuring Yasmeen that he’d never lie to her, viewers will see that her suspicions have been aroused. When Geoff next uses his laptop, Yasmeen makes a mental note of his password and, later, when her husband is in the shower, she ends up scrolling through his emails, only to find numerous messages to the escort agency that he regularly uses. Following a showdown, Yasmeen tells Geoff that she’s now packed for Spain and is attending Zeedan’s wedding without him. But Geoff then jumps in Yasmeen’s path and menacingly tells her that she’s not going anywhere… David dices with danger Reeling from the current situation with Shona, David hits self-destruct. Wandering the streets with a drink in his hand, he finds himself confronted by a gang of muggers, who drag him into an alleyway and pull a knife on him. After fighting them off, David legs it and manages to evade the gang. But by Friday, it starts to appear as though David is now setting out to deliberately attract danger when he starts taking some unnecessary risks in his interactions with strang…

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EastEnders spoilers for next week: Shocks at Dennis's funeral, plus Jags and Habiba get passionate
type: item
date: 2020-03-28T07:30:40.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: EastEnders
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: A shock return mars Dennis's wake
encoded: The leaner EastEnders output means we’re only getting two episodes again this week, with instalments airing on Monday at 8.00pm and Tuesday at 7.30pm. Key events include Dennis’s funeral service and Linda’s fall from the wagon. Read on for the full details of EastEnders between 30th March and 3rd April... Dennis’s funeral drama Sharon is laying down the law on the day of Dennis’s funeral: no Mitchell is allowed at the service. But since when did anyone in that particular soap clan play by the rules? So, it’s no surprise when first Jay arrives with flowers and then a defiant Ben turns up at the wake. It’s left to a guilty-feeling Ian to try and calm Sharon down, but no soothing words will work when a third member of the Mitchell family rocks up: Phil. Sharon then launches herself at her estranged husband and, with the situation fast spiralling out of control, Ian calls the police. But by the time officers arrive, Phil has fled back home, where he’s now contemplating taking a drink. Just as Jay tries to talk him out of it, the police turn up and Phil hares off to hide. However, when Ian later spots him in the Square, he’s left shocked by Phil’s admission… Linda succumbs to temptation Anyone who thought that the ill-fated river cruise served as a real wake-up call for Linda will be reconsidering their view on Monday. Despite the Queen Vic landlady telling husband Mick that she’s now ready to return to work full time, Linda finds her anxiety levels rising. And after finding Shirley’s bottle of vodka, she ends up pouring herself a drink. Shirl then catches her daughter in law red handed and when Mick also arrives on the scene, Linda is left with little option but to admit that she’s had a drink. In the aftermath, Linda will be seen opening up to Mick about life’s pressures – and pretty soon, the Carters are making a big decision… Passion for Jags and Habiba Habiba and Jags discuss Suki’s actions and, as the pair have a heart to heart, Habiba is touched when she’s left wi…

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Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Al and Priya get passionate, plus Mandy wages war against Brenda
type: item
date: 2020-03-28T07:00:24.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Emmerdale
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: All the big drama from the Dales
encoded: This is the moment when Emmerdale cuts back to three episodes per week as it tries to eke out the drama until the early summer. So, you can catch the soap each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7.00pm. Here are the latest storyline spoilers to get you prepped for what lies ahead between 30th March and 3rd April. Rhona helps Moira There’s some bonding going on with Moira and Rhona opening up to each other about how difficult their lives are right now. Moira is feeling cash strapped, while Rhona is still grieving for Graham. But you can expect the situation to change when a flabbergasted Rhona reveals to Paddy, Chas and Marlon that she’s been left a large wedge of cash by Graham. The trouble is that Kim is saying that Rhona won’t get her hands on the money and makes it plain that she still holds her responsible for Graham’s untimely demise. But this doesn’t stop Rhona from telling Moira that she wants to go into business with her – but sets a condition that they must honour Graham’s legacy. Mandy gets proof In the wake of Dan’s hospitalisation, Pollard will be seen suggesting to Brenda that she dispose of any evidence relating to the incident at the café. A nervy Eric will also try to broker peace between Dan and Brenda – with the patient himself agreeing that pointing the finger of blame in Brenda’s direction won’t improve his situation. Brenda, meanwhile, is frantically trying to dispose of anything incriminatory, but is left shocked when Mandy arrives to tell her that she’ll pay for what’s happened to Dan. Later on, Mandy will be witnessed emerging from a bin behind the café clutching the evidence she needs. But what will she do next? Emmerdale breaks boundaries with new allergy storyline - and it's about time, too Will makes a rash move The Bent Cop saga rumbles on with Cain telling Will that a) he has a plan to deal with Malone and that b) he should choose where his loyalties lie. The next day, Malone approaches Will and tells him that he wants them to do a new job…

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5 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Charity betrays Vanessa, plus Cain is out of his depth
type: item
date: 2020-03-07T09:30:11.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Emmerdale
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And has Arthur put Archie in peril again?
encoded: Shady police officer Malone will be making his presence felt on Emmerdale next week (9 to 13 March 2020) when animosity builds between him and Cain. Elsewhere Jai gets shock news, while news of Vanessa’s cancer diagnosis reaches Tracy. All these spoilers and more below... Will and Cain v Malone Has Emmerdale finally found a way to turn world-weary Will (Dean Andrews) into an interesting character? I’m reserving judgement for the moment, but his encounters with dodgy copper Malone (Mark Womack) do at least have some bite to them. Their latest meet-up has left Will with spiralling levels of stress, hence him opening up to Cain about the pressure he’s currently under. But Cain is set to underestimate Will’s enemy in the days ahead. After Cain meets Malone in a layby, he soon realises he’s made an error of judgement when he gets back to find the garage has been trashed and Moira’s bull has been murdered… Emmerdale confirms DI Malone's real identity - and it's very bad news for Cain ITV discuss plans for Emmerdale and Coronation Street should the coronavirus worsen Kim Tate in shock arrest - is she leaving Emmerdale for good? Has Arthur hurt Archie again? OK, so We Need to Talk about Arthur. And yes, the allusion to Lionel Shriver is deliberate because the soap is once again putting the youngster’s bullying of little Archie in the spotlight. A seemingly repentant Arthur may have confessed all to mum Laurel about his horrible actions, but on Thursday, Archie ends up trapped underneath a toppled cabinet. Is Laurel right to worry that her son is up to his old tricks? Despite Arthur assuring Laurel and Jai that he had nothing to do with it, Archie is quick to blame him. Expect Jai to be left floored when Laurel finally reveals to Jai about Arthur’s bruising encounters with his son. Charity tells Tracy about Vanessa’s cancer Tracy looks set to throw a surprise party for Vanessa, oblivious to the fact that she’s in pain. When Charity walks in on the ‘celebrations’, she drags T…

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5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week: Geoff's shock plan, Ali leaves, plus James is outed
type: item
date: 2020-03-07T09:15:00.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Coronation Street
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And Ken says goodbye to No 1
encoded: The doctor is out! Yes, Ali Neeson makes his exit from Coronation Street as his rivalry with Gary Windass reaches breaking point. Elsewhere, Ken is moving out of No 1, while James finds his personal life is public news. Full spoilers for 9 to 13 March 2020 below. Goodbye, Dr Ali Coronation Street has never really known what to do with Dr Ali. At one point, it looked as though he was going to become an unhinged killer. A couple of months later, he’d developed a brief addiction to painkillers instead. Now, he’s at the centre of this underpowered rivalry with Gary for the affections of Maria. No wonder that, by Friday, he’s deciding to move away. He’s probably sick of not knowing who he is from one day to the next. ITV discuss plans for Emmerdale and Coronation Street should the coronavirus outbreak worsen Coronation Street killer Clayton Hibbs' return plot revealed as Shona makes a brave decision Jade leaves Coronation Street after a shock kiss with Tyrone - has she gone for good? Ken moves out When we first met Ken Barlow in December 1960, he was already dreaming of an escape. Back then, he was a snooty student, turning his nose up at buttered bread and bottles of sauce on the teatime dining table. Little did he know, though, that it would take him over five decades to escape the very neighbourhood he looked down upon in his youth. Now, he’s packing the last of his things from No 1 and taking a last wistful look around the living room before he heads off for his new life at Still Waters. It’s already been announced by ITV that Ken and his latest girlfriend Claudia will be running into pernickety former next-door neighbour Norris once they’ve settled in at the luxurious-looking retirement village. If only Stephanie Cole had still been a member of the cast – she could have joined them for a Corrie version of Waiting for God. James is outed What begins as a celebratory week for the Bailey family quickly morphs into an anxiety-inducing one when news about James’s sexuali…

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5 EastEnders spoilers for next week: Jay proposes, plus Gray feels desperate
type: item
date: 2020-03-07T09:00:55.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: EastEnders
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And Suki is under suspicion
encoded: Next week’s EastEnders spoilers (Monday 7 to 13 March 2020) see Jean getting increasingly suspicious of Suki, Gray lashing out and the possibility of two Walford proposals. Read on for more info… Suki found out? Plotlines in which characters fake illnesses only ever end one way: the attention-seeker gets caught out in a heated showdown. You’d have thought everyone on EastEnders, in particular, would steer clear of pretending they had cancer. Surely, Angie Watts’s classic “I’ve got six months to live” ruse is the stuff of local legend? It seems not, though, because Panesar matriarch Suki is the latest malingerer – and Jean is now determined to find out whether she’s lying about her diagnosis. EastEnders' Jay Brown for heartbreak as Lola faces a difficult decision EastEnders confirm return of Danny Hardcastle - but what does he want with Ben Mitchell? EastEnders' Chantelle Atkins in more danger as Gray erupts after huge news New pressure for Gray and Whitney Elsewhere, we have the horrible irony of Gray continuing to involve himself in Whitney’s legal battle. She, of course, stands accused of killing Leo, who subjected her to mental abuse. But lawyer Gray is also a master manipulator who regularly terrorises wife Chantelle behind closed doors when his temper frays. Viewers who fear those explosions of anger should be braced more violence now that he’s learned his firm has dropped Whit’s case. How will he react when Chantelle tells him to represent Whitney on his own? Jay proposes Jay has romance on his mind and will be seen secretly checking the engagement ring he’s planning to use in his proposal to Lola. The trouble is, Lexi catches him and Jay makes her promise to keep it a secret. The next day, Jay is practising proposals with Lexi when Lola suddenly arrives on the scene, all of which forces him to quickly come up with a cover story. Later on, an unsuspecting Lola returns home to a romantic lunch and is gobsmacked when Jay pops the question. What will be her react…

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5 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Marlon gets angry, plus Cara asks Nate to leave with her
type: item
date: 2020-02-29T09:00:21.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Emmerdale
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And Victoria's demons return to haunt her
encoded: What next for Marlon now that he's a free man? And is Nate headed for the nearest exit? All your Emmerdale spoilers for the week ahead, between Monday 2nd March and Friday 6th March 2020. Marlon’s stress levels rise When Cain gave Marlon that talking-to about toughening up in prison, I was hoping he’d emerge from his spell inside looking like Sylvester Stallone in Lock Up. The newly released Marlon isn’t quite that but there is definitely now a harder edge to him. On Monday, for instance, he’s left seething when he discovers that his angelic daughter April is being bullied at school by kids who have branded her dad a “murderer”. And the anger settings of the Woolpack chef will go from simmer to boil later in the week when he finds out that it was Charity who stole Kim’s money and then sat on evidence that could have led to him being freed from jail sooner. Emmerdale lines up more drama for Charity after Vanessa's cancer diagnosis Has Pierce Harris left Emmerdale for good? Emmerdale cast: who is leaving, returning to and joining the cast? Will Nate leave? Cara’s sole mission since arriving has been to prise son Nate away from his long-lost family. At the moment, she can barely conceal her attempt, making digs at everyone at her, with her target next week being Tracy. Nate suggests that Cara is being judgemental of Tracy in the same way as the Dingles once judged her. And Cain emphasises the point when he tells Cara that Nate should be free to make his own decision about Tracy. But what path will Nate take when Cara reveals that she’s leaving Emmerdale and wants him to accompany her? Trouble for Cain and Will Speaking of Nate, he’s also tangentially involved in a plot line unfolding elsewhere in the village. The firearm that Cain used to shoot him proves to be something of a….well, smoking gun when police reveal that they’ve discovered new forensic evidence on the weapon. But as Cain and Will anxiously discuss the matter, little do they realise that their actions are …

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5 Coronation Street spoilers for next week: Bethany leaves, plus Sarah and Adam get married
type: item
date: 2020-02-29T08:00:41.000Z
creator: David Brown
subject: Coronation Street
subject: News
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: And Geoff begs Yasmeen not to leave him
encoded: The Platts are in the spotlight thanks to Sarah's wedding to Adam, as well as Bethany's exit from Weatherfield. But there's drama elsewhere too as Geoff continues to manipulate Yasmeen, while Jade makes a pass at Tyrone. Read on for all of your Coronation Street spoilers for the week ahead, between Monday 2nd March and Friday 6th February 2020. Wedding bells for Sarah and Adam Marriage fever has hit Weatherfield, something that I reckon is down to the fact that bride Sarah Platt and groom Adam Barlow look like they ought to be on the cover of one of those glossy magazines offering tips on how to have your dream wedding day. Amazingly, it appears that the two of them are going to get hitched without a hitch, which is more than can be said for the other residents thinking of tying the knot. Maria and Gary, for instance, have excitedly agreed on a date, but she’s currently unaware of the fact that he bumped off loan shark Rick Neelan in June of last year and buried his body in the woods. And then there’s Daniel, whose proposal to Bethany on Wednesday will be marred by him being half-cut and in possession of the ring worn by his late wife Sinead, who’s barely cold in her grave. And they say that romance is dead. Coronation Street's Sally Carman warns, "Ray's not finished yet" Bethany leaves after Daniel proposes with a "devastating" twist Nathan Graham teases Bailey family breakdown Bye-bye, Bethany Now, speaking of Bethany, it’s really beggared belief that she would have opted to stay around for so long. For the first 15 years of her life, she enjoyed an enviable, sun-kissed life in Milan. But then she rocked up here and, in no time at all, was feuding with local gangster Callum and getting sexually exploited by Nathan, before being shamed by the likes of Beth and Tracy for her admittedly ill-timed flirtations with Daniel. But then this is the path that most soap heroines seem to travel: arrive acting all carefree and bubbly, leave after being crushed and broken. So, I…

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