Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2025-12-11T18:07:18.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Loved Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery? 6 locked-room mysteries to enjoy next
items: Doctor Who favourite Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe spill on Strictly journey and finale return
items: Meet the Warrior of the Deep
items: 'Tis the season to be stranger
items: Stranger Things creators reveal "very emotional" reactions to ending scenes – as stars talk final goodbye
items: Two Doors Down writer reveals Christmas episode with a twist – and why the show returned after co-creator’s death
items: 'We were failures before this'
items: Stranger Things creators reveal the biggest question answered in the final season and tease future spin-offs
items: Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea gives new name for classic monster: "It's racist to say Sea Devil"
items: Who are the monsters?
items: 'If I get picked to be a Traitor, I'll be ecstatic'
items: 'This is the first thing I’ve ever done as myself'
items: Praise be!
items: Guess who?
items: Reverend Richard Coles reveals if Murder Before Evensong's crime-solving vicar is based on him
items: Meet Strictly's class of 2025
items: Meet Strictly's class of 2025: From a Doctor Who star to a Neighbours legend
items: Steps to stardom
items: New Strictly Come Dancing 2025 professionals talk failed audition for the show - and which celebs they’re excited for
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: Marvel Studios' Blade: Release date, cast and latest news
items: Death Valley's Gwyneth Keyworth is "desperate" to make a season 2
items: Ten Questions with Christopher Chung
items: 'It felt like old-fashioned film-making'
items: The New-New Who
items: The Wanderer Returns
items: Happy birthday, Doctor
items: 20 Years in 20 Episodes
items: New Doctor Who turns 20: "I think its return has now proved that it's invulnerable"

Loved Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery? 6 locked-room mysteries to enjoy next
type: item
date: 2025-12-12T08:00:16.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Movies
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
description: A list of the essential locked-room mysteries every crime fan should know.
encoded: With Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery now streaming on Netflix, here's a list of some of the seminal locked-room mysteries from literature. Some of the titles may even be familiar to viewers of the new movie, with a certain reading list playing a key part in Benoit Blanc's investigations... 1. The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr A key influence on Wake Up Dead Man came from this 1935 novel by American author John Dickson Carr. Today, it’s renowned for both the ingenuity of its central locked-room mystery – whereby a murderous visitor seemingly disappears into thin air – and a fourth-wall-stretching speech by sleuth Dr Gideon Fell, who lays out the various methods often used by writers to explain such “impossible crimes”. Can I watch it? Unlike others on the list below, there are no major adaptations of this work outside of a few radio dramas – perhaps re-creating Carr’s solution is an impossible task in and of itself. 2. The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle Holmes and Watson tackle a fiendish criminal in this eerie 1892 short story, about a young woman who dies alone in her locked room a few days after hearing a low whistle. Soon, her surviving sister hears the same noise and understandably believes her time is up. But what could a house full of animals, an unconnected bell cord and a saucer of milk have to do with either murder attempt? Can I watch it? The Speckled Band features as an episode of the classic adaptation Sherlock Holmes, starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes, and is available to stream on ITVX. View Green Video on the source website 3. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie The Queen of Crime didn’t often go in for “classic” locked-room murder mysteries of the sort laid out by Dickson Carr. Still, this influential 1926 novel does provide what could be considered the Christie take on the idea, when the titular wealthy landowner apparently perishes just moments after being left alone in his study. Can I watch it? The obligato…

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Doctor Who favourite Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe spill on Strictly journey and finale return
type: item
date: 2025-12-09T17:01:54.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
subject: Christmas
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: From first steps to standing ovations: Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe reflect on dancing, friendship, and their post-Strictly Christmas plans.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. At 62, actor Alex Kingston is only three years younger than the mother of her Strictly Come Dancing partner, 38-year-old professional Johannes Radebe. But in this partnership, she was the one learning from him. Over the past few months, they went from tentative first steps to earning standing ovations. And now, despite their Strictly journey ending, they vow they’ll stay on the dance floor one way or another… Alex, what was it like learning from someone younger? ALEX: Oh my gosh, I can’t imagine anyone else being my dance partner. The problem is, now my Strictly journey has come to an end, I will have to carry on dancing and I don’t know who will ever come close to Johannes. JOHANNES: Oh my goodness, we’ll have to book some lessons. I’ve always said that partnerships are special because they grow, and that I always teach like a marriage – even though I have never been married. ALEX: And I’ve been married three times! Did you have a mentor or someone you looked up to earlier in your careers? JOHANNES: As a boy, there was an Australian dancer I watched from a distance from my township in South Africa. His name is Jason Gilkison. I modelled my career on his, and now I am in the same room as him – he’s the creative director of Strictly Come Dancing. It’s an honour to work with him. Nowadays, I go back home to South Africa and run workshops teaching kids to dance. That’s my way of giving back. ALEX: My English teacher saw that I wasn’t academic in the sciences, but she made sure I had an opportunity to begin acting, devising plays where I was the lead. Her name was Margaret Kirk. She’s no longer with us, but I’m forever thankful to her. Are you looking forward to the final, where every Strictly couple returns for a reunion? ALEX: Oh yes, one hundred per cent. Looking at the opening credits of Strictly, seeing all the contestants, you realise how few are left. The first week does seem a long time ago now. It will be rea…

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Meet the Warrior of the Deep
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Gugu Mbatha-Raw felt liberated by her transformation
encoded: Add The War Between the Land and Sea to your watchlist The Sea Devils have been around in Doctor Who since the 1970s. Were you aware of them? I have to confess, I wasn’t around in the 70s! And I didn’t do a deep-dive into the Sea Devils’ mythology. For me, it was exciting to start where we are, in the world that Russell T Davies has created with the show. For fans of Doctor Who, there are so many nuances and layers that they will pick up on. But you don’t have to know all of that background to really invest in the story, which I think is one of its strengths. You’ve been in the Doctor Who world before in 2007. You played Tish Jones, the sister of companion Martha; now you’re fish-woman Salt. What brought you back? I have such fond memories of working on Doctor Who. It was one of my first TV jobs and there was so much buzz around the show. I’ve seen Russell T Davies socially and in passing over the years. When he reached out about this project, I was really, really excited. But I was also kind of curious and a bit trepidatious, knowing that the character is an amphibian, and it’s something very, very different. Yes, as Salt you’re pretty unrecognisable… I’ve never done such a large-scale creature-character. I thought it would be a really interesting acting challenge, physically. Without spoiling too much of the magic, I spent three hours in hair and make-up every morning with Georgia Brown and Samantha Di Giuseppe. It’s quite a surreal experience as an actor, I think, to look in a mirror and almost not recognise yourself. You’re liberated from all the usual tools you have. Suddenly you don’t have curly hair and brown skin. You’re free to create something completely different. You have what you bring: your face, your physicality. Three hours! Wasn’t that exhausting? It was an arduous process, I’m not going to lie. It’s three hours just to do the face, and there’s the layers of glue and paint. Not to mention when you get into the body, the body armour, the scales and t…

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'Tis the season to be stranger
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The creators and stars of the Netflix hit discuss the dramatic finale and emotional farewells as they take one last trip into the Upside Down
encoded: Add Stranger Things to your watchlist Stranger Things has a history of setting and releasing its series during major US holidays, whether that’s series two’s Halloween theme – which featured a deadly pumpkin patch – or the firework-laden 4th of July setting of Stranger Things 3. So, with the final ever episodes of the hit Netflix series airing over the Christmas period, we had to ask the two men who created it – why have you not made a Christmas special? “Like the Star Wars Holiday Special, something like that?” laughs series co-creator Matt Duffer, referencing the infamously awful 1978 straight-to-TV spin-off. “Sadly, there is no Stranger Things Holiday Special. When we were working on it, we didn’t know exactly what the release date was.” Still, that doesn’t mean it’s completely divorced from the festive season. The Duffers have cited Yuletide classic Home Alone as a key influence on this final series – particularly its homespun traps – and lest we forget, one of the key images of the show has always been ominously flickering Christmas lights… “And we do like the idea of releasing it on Christmas,” adds Matt. “Just because we’re film guys and big films were often released at Christmas. We like the idea of people watching it together. So instead of just sitting there by yourself watching on a phone, perhaps it encourages people to sit down as a family or with a group of friends.” Following a cliffhanger episode four released in late November, three more episodes will be released on Boxing Day, while the finale – so secret even the actors aren’t allowed to see it beforehand – drops on New Year’s Eve. The final battle for Hawkins between Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) will also be shown in certain cinemas in America. “It’s really nice that we’re not going to have any super fans rushing ahead and spoiling it,” says Matt’s twin brother and co-creator Ross Duffer. “Everyone can experience that last episode at the same time.” “Filming the en…

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Stranger Things creators reveal "very emotional" reactions to ending scenes – as stars talk final goodbye
type: item
date: 2025-11-25T11:00:16.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
description: "Saying goodbye is one of those bittersweet moments. It’s hard. But all good things come to an end."
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Stranger Things has a history of setting and releasing its series during major US holidays, whether that’s season 2's Halloween theme – which featured a deadly pumpkin patch – or the firework-laden 4th of July setting of Stranger Things 3. So, with the final ever episodes of the hit Netflix series airing over the Christmas period, we had to ask the two men who created it – why have you not made a Christmas special? “Like the Star Wars Holiday Special, something like that?” laughs series co-creator Matt Duffer, referencing the infamously awful 1978 straight-to-TV spin-off. “Sadly, there is no Stranger Things Holiday Special. When we were working on it, we didn’t know exactly what the release date was.” Still, that doesn’t mean it’s completely divorced from the festive season. The Duffers have cited Yuletide classic Home Alone as a key influence on this final series – particularly its homespun traps – and lest we forget, one of the key images of the show has always been ominously flickering Christmas lights… “And we do like the idea of releasing it on Christmas,” adds Matt. “Just because we’re film guys and big films were often released at Christmas. We like the idea of people watching it together. So instead of just sitting there by yourself watching on a phone, perhaps it encourages people to sit down as a family or with a group of friends.” Following a cliffhanger episode four released in late November, three more episodes will be released on Boxing Day, while the finale – so secret even the actors aren’t allowed to see it beforehand – drops on New Year’s Eve. The final battle for Hawkins between Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) will also be shown in certain cinemas in America. “It’s really nice that we’re not going to have any super fans rushing ahead and spoiling it,” says Matt’s twin brother and co-creator Ross Duffer. “Everyone can experience that last episode at the same time.” “F…

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Two Doors Down writer reveals Christmas episode with a twist – and why the show returned after co-creator’s death
type: item
date: 2025-11-25T00:01:53.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC One
subject: Christmas
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Creator Gregor Sharp on what makes Two Doors Down's Christmas special so heartwarming and unmissable this festive season.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What makes the perfect sitcom Christmas special? Having now written five festive outings for his Scottish sitcom Two Doors Down, Gregor Sharp has a few ideas. “The audience is slightly different that time of year,” he tells RT. “Somehow, you’re trying to catch what’s magic about Christmas. The line to tread is emotion and warmth, without mawkishness. You’re also very conscious of repetition. Early on we did one set around a Christmas lunch. It now feels like it would be difficult to find an original angle on that.” So this year, the special isn’t even set in December. It’s late November, and long-suffering neighbourhood hosts Beth and Eric (Arabella Weir and Alex Norton) impulsively decide to put up their tree early. Cue their troublesome neighbours turning up, asking what gives the Bairds the right to “declare it’s Christmas” – and demanding a wee mince pie. “It’s typical of the show,” says Sharp. “It’s those moments that should be harmonious, but there’s a bit of tension as people bring up their expectations around Christmas. “There are certain shows that Christmas specials really work for,” he muses. “I think that Two Doors Down is by accident one of those, just because it’s a very domestic set. You’re not having to bend it.” The new Christmas special will also be a welcome return for a show that, following the unexpected death of co-creator Simon Carlyle in 2023, seemed like it might be gone for good. “In the immediate aftermath of all that, it felt like there was no appetite for it,” Sharp says. “And then, I suppose, time passes, and you go, ‘Well, actually, creatively, there’s more to do there.’ “It’s a real privilege to have a Christmas episode. Whether everyone would want to do more than that, we don’t know yet. It’s over to the audience now.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Two Doors Down returns to BBC One this Christmas. Stream old episodes on iPlayer. Add Two Doors Down to …

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'We were failures before this'
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The show’s first script was rejected 20 times. Now, five seasons on, The Duffer Brothers are moving on to even stranger things
encoded: Add Stranger Things to your watchlist Over one billion hours streamed of the most recent season; sold-out West End and Broadway shows; 15 million Funko Pop action figures bought by obsessed fans. Stranger Things is, by any metric, a runaway success, a bona fide pop culture phenomenon for under-20s to rival Star Wars or Marvel. One can only imagine the dream team of top writers, big-name stars and slick executives who brainstormed Netflix’s mega-hit into existence. Or perhaps not… “We were all failures. Complete failures,” says Matt Duffer, one half of the twin writer-director duo known as The Duffer Brothers, who created the drama. “Before we made this, we had only experienced heartbreak. We thought it was going to happen again.” From where they’re sitting as we speak, the star attraction at one of Europe’s biggest pop culture conventions in Lucca, Italy, his words seem ridiculous. Attended by 280,000 guests, the festival – which saw the 41-year-old brothers and the cast swamped by hordes of screaming fans – is but a modest first stop on a worldwide press tour for Stranger Things 5, the culmination of their franchise nine years after it began. But back in 2016, it was a different story. The Duffers weren’t sought-after creatives – they were 30-something wannabe film directors whose first projects had stalled. The story of Stranger Things and Will, a young boy who disappears in the 1980s while a terrifying monster attacks his friends, was deemed uncommercial. And while Winona Ryder (who plays the missing boy’s mother, Joyce) had been a star in her day, the rest of the cast was largely filled with unknowns and untested child stars. “None of us had had a success,” says Matt’s brother Ross. “We were a group of misfit toys.” It’s a familiar feeling for them. Born in North Carolina in 1984 – a few months after the first season of Stranger Things is set – the Duffer brothers remember themselves as uncool, movie-obsessed nerds, bullied and overlooked in much the same way as…

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Stranger Things creators reveal the biggest question answered in the final season and tease future spin-offs
type: item
date: 2025-11-18T00:01:21.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
description: The Duffer Brothers reveal how they went from "complete failures" to creating one of Netflix's biggest hits.
encoded: Over one billion hours streamed of the most recent season; sold-out West End and Broadway shows; 15 million Funko Pop action figures bought by obsessed fans. Stranger Things is, by any metric, a runaway success, a bona fide pop culture phenomenon for under-20s to rival Star Wars or Marvel. One can only imagine the dream team of top writers, big-name stars and slick executives who brainstormed Netflix’s mega-hit into existence. Or perhaps not… “We were all failures. Complete failures,” says Matt Duffer, one half of the twin writer-director duo known as The Duffer Brothers, who created the drama. “Before we made this, we had only experienced heartbreak. We thought it was going to happen again.” From where they’re sitting as we speak, the star attraction at one of Europe’s biggest pop culture conventions in Lucca, Italy, his words seem ridiculous. Attended by 280,000 guests, the festival – which saw the 41-year-old brothers and the cast swamped by hordes of screaming fans – is but a modest first stop on a worldwide press tour for Stranger Things 5, the culmination of their franchise nine years after it began. But back in 2016, it was a different story. The Duffers weren’t sought-after creatives – they were 30-something wannabe film directors whose first projects had stalled. The story of Stranger Things and Will, a young boy who disappears in the 1980s while a terrifying monster attacks his friends, was deemed uncommercial. And while Winona Ryder (who plays the missing boy’s mother, Joyce) had been a star in her day, the rest of the cast was largely filled with unknowns and untested child stars. “None of us had had a success,” says Matt’s brother Ross. “We were a group of misfit toys.” It’s a familiar feeling for them. Born in North Carolina in 1984 – a few months after the first season of Stranger Things is set – the Duffer brothers remember themselves as uncool, movie-obsessed nerds, bullied and overlooked in much the same way as the heroes of their series. “One reas…

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Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea gives new name for classic monster: "It's racist to say Sea Devil"
type: item
date: 2025-11-06T11:28:22.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Climate - Sustainable contributions within wider content
subject: News
description: When the Sea Devils rise again, they’re not monsters – they’re Homo Aqua.
encoded: The first time you see a blue, six-foot fish-man walking towards you, it’s a shock. But after your third or fourth – and once you’ve seen them yawning, stretching and singing Whitney Houston songs between takes – you get used to it. After all, rubbing fins with the blue and scaly is everyday life on the set of The War Between the Land and the Sea, the new spin-off from sci-fi stalwart Doctor Who that reimagines the classic 1972 monsters, the Sea Devils. Although… "It’s racist to say Sea Devil," screenwriter Russell T Davies tells RT, with a twinkle in his eye. In the context of the show, he says, the sea-dwelling race prefer to be called "Homo Aqua". And don’t call them monsters – arguably, it’s we humans who are the villains of the piece. After years of humankind polluting the oceans, Homo Aqua have had enough, with violence brewing unless human negotiator Barclay (Russell Tovey) and aquatic ambassador Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) can broker peace. "I think every writer in the world is thinking, how do you write about the climate crisis?" says Davies, while showing us around the twisted, tendril-strewn dome of the Homo Aqua base. "We’re already in a climate war. This just dramatises it. "When they first approached me about coming back to Doctor Who in 2021, this was the first bit of my pitch," he adds. "I had this idea separately first. "But weirdly, it needs the Doctor Who setting. If I just go and pitch this cold, saying, ‘There is a race of creatures that live in the sea…' They’d say, 'Really? You sure?' The pre-existence of the Sea Devils takes all the problems out of it." Read more: Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea releases epic teaser Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea has release window confirmed with new-look images Still, despite the presence of a Jon Pertwee-era monster, several returning Who characters (led by Jemma Redgrave’s UNIT boss Kate Stewart) and, in Tovey and Mbatha-Raw, two leads who starred as different …

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Who are the monsters?
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Russell T Davies on the new Doctor Who spin-off, The War between the Land and the Sea
encoded: Add The War between the Land and the Sea to your watchlist The first time you see a blue, six-foot fish-man walking towards you, it’s a shock. But after your third or fourth — and once you’ve seen them yawning, stretching and singing Whitney Houston songs between takes — you get used to it. After all, rubbing fins with the blue and scaly is everyday life on the set of The War between the Land and the Sea, the new spin-off from sci-fi stalwart Doctor Who that reimagines classic 1972 monsters the Sea Devils. Although… “It’s racist to say Sea Devil,” screenwriter Russell T Davies tells RT, with a twinkle in his eye. In the context of the show, he says, the sea-dwelling race prefer to be called “Homo Aqua”. And don’t call them monsters — arguably, it’s we humans who are the villains of the piece. After years of humankind polluting the oceans, Homo Aqua have had enough, with violence brewing unless human negotiator Barclay (Russell Tovey) and aquatic ambassador Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) can broker peace. “I think every writer in the world is thinking, how do you write about the climate crisis?” says Davies, while showing us around the twisted, tendril-strewn dome of the Homo Aqua base. “We’re already in a climate war. This just dramatises it. “When they first approached me about coming back to Doctor Who in 2021, this was the first bit of my pitch,” he adds. “I had this idea separately first. But weirdly, it needs the Doctor Who setting. If I just go and pitch this cold, saying, ‘There is a race of creatures that live in the sea…’ They’d say, ‘Really? You sure?’ The pre-existence of the Sea Devils takes all the problems out of it.” Still, despite the presence of a Jon Pertwee-era monster, several returning Who characters (led by Jemma Redgrave’s UNIT boss Kate Stewart) and in Tovey and Mbatha-Raw two leads who starred as different characters in Davies’s 2005—2010 Doctor Who run, we shouldn’t expect a repeat of the main show. Or for a familiar blue police box to turn up. “It…

'If I get picked to be a Traitor, I'll be ecstatic'
type: item
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The 73-year-old actor is hoping to feel Claudia's hand on her shoulder…
encoded: Add The Celebrity Traitors to your watchlist Celia, why have you decided to take part in The Celebrity Traitors? Well, it’s the most talked about game on television, isn’t it? On both sides of the Atlantic – worldwide in fact. I just think it’s such a clever invention. I’d love to meet the person who thought it up. What will you bring to the game? It’s a very good thing to remain as open as possible, really. But people think I’m nice, which could be useful. Are you good at reading people, would you say? Can you spot a liar? Yes, but I’ve got to have time. I don’t think it’s an instant thing. I want to give myself time to scrutinise their body language. Do you want to be a Traitor or a Faithful? I don’t really mind – if Claudia’s hand goes on my shoulder, I’ll be ecstatic with excitement. But I do think it’s quite a hard job. We recently spoke to you for your role in The Thursday Murder Club — was all that mystery and murder good practice? In a strange sort of way, yes. More generally, I suppose, being an actor, you do spend your life pretending to be somebody else, so that’s quite an advantage. But it is also a horror, because you haven’t got a character to hide behind here. It’s quite exposing. It’s true, we rarely see Celia Imrie “as herself”… In my autobiography I say that actresses are likened to Victorian young girls sitting round a ballroom on their gilt chairs waiting to be asked to dance. We all have to wait for the part to come along. Yes, I could play Hedda Gabler in my attic but there’s nobody to tell me how good I am. If I was Van Gogh, I could create a painting in the middle of the night, I wouldn’t need an audience. The only thing I have tried to do in terms of control in my career is to attempt to try and do something as different to the last thing so as not to be pigeonholed. And this, to be a player of The Traitors, is as different to anything else I have ever done. Speaking of the game — how do you feel about the Missions? I’m quite nervous about t…

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'This is the first thing I’ve ever done as myself'
type: item
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Comedian and actor Nick Mohammed, 44, rarely appears publicly when he's not in character… so how will he cope in the castle?
encoded: Add The Celebrity Traitors to your watchlist Nick, why join The Celebrity Traitors? I absolutely adore the show, and always have done. This is the first thing I’ve ever done as myself. I did Taskmaster, which was sort of as me, but even that, I decided to dress as Dracula to hide behind something. In my comedy I’m usually in character, so I tend not to do much as myself to preserve that element of mystery. But there was no way I was going to give up an opportunity like this! I’ve always loved games like this and to hang out with such a wonderful bunch too – what a privilege. So, your character Mr Swallow won’t be making an appearance? Sadly, I think Nick Mohammed was booked rather than Mr Swallow. But also, can you imagine how irritating that would be, not just for the people taking part, but. for the nation! There are always potential tactics from your other work — perhaps a rousing team talk à la Ted Lasso? Maybe that would be good at the Round Table – a sort of Gladiator-style motivational speech. But you don’t want to draw too much attention to yourself or make yourself a target. I don’t know if I would want to do anything too overconfident, because it’s like when Kas [in series three] did a toast to the first person who went and then was immediately suspected as being a Traitor. He was clearly a lovely, lovely guy, I just don’t want to fall into the same trap. It’s a fine line to tread. If you blend into the background too much, people will think you’re deliberately hiding. Have you got a strategy? I think I’ll just try and be quite easy breezy in the first instance. A little further down the line you can maybe start considering strategy – and it also depends on whether I’m made a Traitor or a Faithful. There’s a certain thrill of being made a Traitor, of course, and you’re in a little bit more control, but if I’m a Faithful, I’ll also have that constant worry each night whether I’ll be murdered. That said, I’ve got a lovely family, so it’s sort of a win, win. …

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Praise be!
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: TV has a new crime-busting priest – he’s like me, but hotter, says creator the Rev Richard Coles
encoded: Add Murder Before Evensong to your watchlist "Do you know how many vicar detectives there are in fiction?” asks musician, priest and now writer the Rev Richard Coles. “No? There’s 200. If you think about it, vicars are very likely candidates for murder mysteries. You get stuck in everywhere and nobody asks what you’re doing.” But even outside the world of so-called cosy crime, Coles says dealing with murder is a part of any priest’s job. “I was in central London, then left to become a vicar of a semi-rural parish for 12 years. Everybody said, ‘Oh, you’ll get bored. You’ll just be doing village fêtes.’ But there was a murder in my first week. Or rather, an alleged murder. It happens, you see. The human heart is the human heart. It’s darkness and it’s light wherever you go. “Murder victims need to have funerals, just like everybody else. Often you’ll find yourself doing funerals not just for murder victims but for murderers, too. Everyone comes to your door in the end.” With this on-the-job experience, plus the fact that his brother was a detective at Scotland Yard, it was perhaps fate that Coles would turn to writing holy whodunnits. His addition to the, er, canon is cultured cleric Daniel Clement, who solved his first case in the 2022 novel Murder before Evensong, before returning for three more novels (and a short story). Now he’s getting the TV treatment, with Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis stepping into a cassock for a six-episode adaptation, in which Daniel’s roped in to hunt down a killer in a 1988 Midlands village. “Readers think that Daniel Clement is basically me and when I saw Matthew in costume, he actually does look like a hotter version of me,” says Coles. “So that’s a little bit of mental rearrangement!” Given how closely the series cleaves to Coles’s own experiences – like him, Daniel has moved to a village parish after time in London, and has a fondness for sausage dogs – I wonder at a line of dialogue in the second episode. Daniel ruffles feathers b…

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Guess who?
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: As the Celebrity Traitors convene at Claudia Winkleman’s Highlands castle, Uncloaked host Ed Gamble reveals who he thinks has the wits to win the game
encoded: Add The Celebrity Traitors to your watchlist The torches are lit, the Round Table waxed and polished, the green cloaks freshly dry-cleaned, all ready for the latest return to the cut-throat world of The Traitors. And this time, you’ll recognise some of the faces under the hoods. Yes, the inevitable has happened – after three smash-hit series of glossy betrayal on BBC One, we’re getting the celebrity version. But this is no cheap cash-in, with genuine, A-list household names like Stephen Fry, Tom Daley and Clare Balding among the 19 famous faces being put through their paces by Claudia Winkleman. “I could barely breathe when I saw them all in the Highlands,” Winkleman says. “I’m such a fan of every single one of them. The whole team were just in awe, it was hard not to scream, ‘You’re here!’” “Any worry that they’re going to take it easy on these people because they’re celebrities – you can forget about that,” adds comedian Ed Gamble, host of companion series The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked. “We’ll get to see how they cope under that amount of pressure, and whether they will let slip their media-trained mask. But it’s still the Traitors we know and love.” Though perhaps, for those playing it’s a little trickier. Normally, Traitors contestants are strangers to each other, sometimes even rewriting their backstories to play the game. Here, there’s no chance of pretending to have a different job – or putting on a fake Welsh accent. “You’ve made a lot of your decisions about someone if you’ve seen them on television for years,” agrees Gamble. “I think that throws an extra spanner in the works.” Over the last two series of the main show, Gamble has gone toe-to-toe with every Traitor and Faithful on Uncloaked, commiserating with and grilling them on every double-cross, bad vote and tough decision they’ve made throughout the game. In other words, he’s seen it all. So which celebrities does he think have what it takes to win the game as Faithful or Traitor? Here are his fir…

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Reverend Richard Coles reveals if Murder Before Evensong's crime-solving vicar is based on him
type: item
date: 2025-09-29T15:30:12.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
subject: News
description: TV has a new crime-busting priest.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. “Do you know how many vicar detectives there are in fiction?” asks musician, priest and now writer the Rev Richard Coles. “No? There’s 200. If you think about it, vicars are very likely candidates for murder mysteries. You get stuck in everywhere and nobody asks what you’re doing.” But even outside the world of so-called cosy crime, Coles says dealing with murder is a part of any priest’s job. “I was in central London, then left to become a vicar of a semi-rural parish for 12 years. Everybody said, ‘Oh, you’ll get bored. You’ll just be doing village fêtes.’ But there was a murder in my first week. Or rather, an alleged murder. It happens, you see. The human heart is the human heart. It’s darkness and it’s light wherever you go. “Murder victims need to have funerals, just like everybody else. Often you’ll find yourself doing funerals not just for murder victims but for murderers, too. Everyone comes to your door in the end.” With this on-the-job experience, plus the fact that his brother was a detective at Scotland Yard, it was perhaps fate that Coles would turn to writing holy whodunnits. His addition to the, er, canon is cultured cleric Daniel Clement, who solved his first case in the 2022 novel Murder Before Evensong, before returning for three more novels (and a short story). Now he’s getting the TV treatment, with Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis stepping into a cassock for a six-episode adaptation, in which Daniel’s roped in to hunt down a killer in a 1988 Midlands village. “Readers think that Daniel Clement is basically me and when I saw Matthew in costume, he actually does look like a hotter version of me,” says Coles. “So that’s a little bit of mental rearrangement!” Given how closely the series cleaves to Coles’s own experiences – like him, Daniel has moved to a village parish after time in London, and has a fondness for sausage dogs – I wonder at an intriguing storyline in the drama that didn’t feature in…

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Meet Strictly's class of 2025
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: From overcoming grief to chasing lifelong dreams – here’s why this year’s Strictly stars have embraced the sequins
encoded: Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist Editors' note: this feature was updated to exclude Dani Dyer, who has been forced to withdraw from this year's competition due to injury. Strictly Come Dancing is bigger than its scandals. This time last year, amid a flurry of damaging behind-the-scenes stories, there were whispers that the show’s days might be numbered. Instead, it delivered one of its most heartwarming competitions yet, as blind comedian Chris McCausland and pro partner Dianne Buswell waltzed their way to victory. Now, despite more tabloid headlines, Strictly is quickstepping back onto our screens for its 23rd series. As always, there are a few changes – voting is online onlyand the set has had a minor refresh – but the heart of the show remains the same: a new cast of celebrities looking to dazzle the judges with their dancing. So, who’s bringing secret dance experience? Who’s got two left feet? Who’s already sweating with nerves – and who’s cool as a cucumber? This year’s professional dancers introduce the class of 2025… Dianna Buswell with Stefan Dennis 66, Neighbours actor Dianne “Stefan’s acting is going to help, as I always like to show a character in the dance. When we met he didn’t know anything about me. He told me the guy who won last year made him tear up. I had to say, ‘Did you notice he was dancing with me?’ “Last year was an incredible experience. Chris [McCausland] and I weren’t prepared for the way people kept us in to the end. I don’t come into it thinking, ‘Ooh, I won last year.’ It’s a new slate. One year you could be holding the glitterball, the next you could be gone in week two or three.” So, Stefan, you didn’t recognise Dianne? Stefan “I didn’t know her from a bar of soap! But she’s a brilliant teacher. It’s going to be hard work, but it’s going to be fun. You know, I could be digging ditches.” Who’s your biggest competition? “I’m a bit nervous about Dani, Karen, Lewis… Harry’s going to be a surprise. And Ellie is just a delight — …

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Meet Strictly's class of 2025: From a Doctor Who star to a Neighbours legend
type: item
date: 2025-09-22T23:01:02.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: BBC One
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: From overcoming grief to chasing lifelong dreams – here’s why this year’s Strictly stars have embraced the sequins.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Strictly Come Dancing is bigger than its scandals. This time last year, amid a flurry of damaging behind-the-scenes stories, there were whispers that the show’s days might be numbered. Instead, it delivered one of its most heartwarming competitions yet, as blind comedian Chris McCausland and pro partner Dianne Buswell waltzed their way to victory. Now, despite more tabloid headlines, Strictly is quickstepping back onto our screens for its 23rd series. As always, there are a few changes – voting is online only and the set has had a minor refresh – but the heart of the show remains the same: a new cast of celebrities looking to dazzle the judges with their dancing. So, who’s bringing secret dance experience? Who’s got two left feet? Who’s already sweating with nerves – and who’s cool as a cucumber? This year’s professional dancers introduce the class of 2025… Dianne Buswell with Stefan Dennis, 66, Neighbours actor Dianne “Stefan’s acting is going to help, as I always like to show a character in the dance. When we met he didn’t know anything about me. He told me the guy who won last year made him tear up. I had to say, ‘Did you notice he was dancing with me?’ “Last year was an incredible experience. Chris [McCausland] and I weren’t prepared for the way people kept us in to the end. I don’t come into it thinking, ‘Ooh, I won last year.’ It’s a new slate. One year you could be holding the glitterball, the next you could be gone in week two or three.” So, Stefan, you didn’t recognise Dianne? Stefan “I didn’t know her from a bar of soap! But she’s a brilliant teacher. It’s going to be hard work, but it’s going to be fun. You know, I could be digging ditches.” Who’s your biggest competition? “I’m a bit nervous about Dani, Karen, Lewis… Harry’s going to be a surprise. And Ellie is just a delight — she’s a bowl of positivity.” Obviously, Neighbours is coming to an end again… “Yeah, it’s a bugger, isn’t it?” Is that why you …

Steps to stardom
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Strictly has two new pros – American Alexis Warr and Australian Julian Caillon. So how did they get their big cha-cha-chance?
encoded: Add the Strictly Come Dancing Launch Show to your watchlist What were your first dance steps? ALEXIS Well, I started off doing gymnastics when I was six because I loved to flip around. I got serious about dance around 10. I did jazz, ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, musical theatre… but I wasn’t introduced to ballroom until I was 13. I trained until I was 18 and then picked up my first tour. JULIAN I was always sporty, but also a mummy’s boy, so when my mum asked me to try dance, I said, “Sure!” From the ages of 10 to 16, dance was something I did along with football and tennis. But then from 17, I really focused on it. Favourite dance? ALEXIS I think it depends on my mood. I love to dance a rumba, but I also love a waltz – those slow, emotional dances. JULIAN I love the Latin dances – the paso doble is my favourite. When did you get the glitterball call to try out for Strictly? JULIAN I first auditioned in 2022. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be, but maybe it was for the best. At the time, I was two weeks into a relationship with my now fiancée. Having to go long distance that early would have been tough! This year, I made it… and my fiancée is here with me. ALEXIS I had a producer reach out to me and did interviews online. Because of the different time zones, when I got the call it was early in the morning. I shot out of bed, bedhead and everything, thinking I was dreaming. It still feels surreal. Did you know any of the other professional dancers? JULIAN I toured in the theatre show Burn the Floor with Dianne [Buswell], Gorka [Márquez] and Lauren [Oakley]. But the last time we danced together I was freshly 18 – now I’m 30! ALEXIS It was my first time meeting everybody. I felt like that new kid at school, thinking, “I hope they like me!” Any celebs you were excited to meet? JULIAN Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink! I’m a massive Chelsea fan, so I was super-excited to meet both him and Karen Carney [both former Chelsea footballers], to the point where I turned up for the ce…

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New Strictly Come Dancing 2025 professionals talk failed audition for the show - and which celebs they’re excited for
type: item
date: 2025-09-15T23:01:47.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Entertainment
subject: Reality TV
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
description: Strictly has two new pros – American Alexis Warr and Australian Julian Caillon. So how did they get their big cha-cha-chance?
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What were your first dance steps? Alexis Warr Well, I started off doing gymnastics when I was six because I loved to flip around. I got serious about dance around 10. I did jazz, ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, musical theatre… but I wasn’t introduced to ballroom until I was 13. I trained until I was 18 and then picked up my first tour. Julian Caillon I was always sporty, but also a mummy’s boy, so when my mum asked me to try dance, I said, “Sure!” From the ages of 10 to 16, dance was something I did along with football and tennis. But then from 17, I really focused on it. Favourite dance? Alexis I think it depends on my mood. I love to dance a rumba, but I also love a waltz – those slow, emotional dances. Julian I love the Latin dances – the paso doble is my favourite. When did you get the glitterball call to try out for Strictly? Julian I first auditioned in 2022. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be, but maybe it was for the best. At the time, I was two weeks into a relationship with my now fiancée. Having to go long distance that early would have been tough! This year, I made it… and my fiancée is here with me. Alexis I had a producer reach out to me and did interviews online. Because of the different time zones, when I got the call it was early in the morning. I shot out of bed, bedhead and everything, thinking I was dreaming. It still feels surreal. Did you know any of the other professional dancers? Julian I toured in the theatre show Burn the Floor with Dianne [Buswell], Gorka [Márquez] and Lauren [Oakley]. But the last time we danced together I was freshly 18 – now I’m 30! Alexis It was my first time meeting everybody. I felt like that new kid at school, thinking, “I hope they like me!” Any celebs you were excited to meet? Julian Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink! I’m a massive Chelsea fan, so I was super-excited to meet both him and Karen Carney [both former Chelsea footballers], to the point where I turned up for …

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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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Marvel Studios' Blade: Release date, cast and latest news
type: item
date: 2025-06-24T08:50:16.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Movies
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Marvel Cinematic Universe (franchise)
description: The superhero vampire hunter is certainly taking his time on his way into the MCU.
encoded: It's been six years since a new Blade film starring Mahershala Ali was first announced, yet a troubled development process has meant cameras have yet to even start rolling on the project. Both Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange have at one time or another boarded and subsequently exited the project as director, the script has reportedly undergone numerous rewrites and a number of supporting actors have pulled out after they were cast, including Aaron Pierre and Delroy Lindo. Even Ali's own lawyer described all the goings-on as "the craziest thing in my professional experience". Late in 2024, Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed that the film is still in the works, saying: "We love the character, we love Mahershala’s version of him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still trying to figure out how it fits into our schedule, we let the public know. "You’re up to date on what’s going on. But I can tell you that the character will be coming to the MCU." However, more recently, while promoting the release of his film Jurassic World Rebirth, Ali has been slightly less assured that the project will actually happen – even if he himself is still keen. He told The Hollywood Reporter: "I’m just taking it a day at a time. I’m doing the best work I can. I just did a movie called Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother that I'm very excited about, that I got to scratch my stunts itch. "I got to do some sword work in that, it's a wonderful story. I would love for Blade to happen. We’ll see. I don’t know where Marvel is at right now. I’m just looking for the next great part, I really am." Reiterating his desire to make the film, he also told Variety that they should "call Marvel" when asked about Blade, adding: "I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready." But what else do we know about the current status of Blade, is it still happening, and when might we finally see it on the big screen? Read on for everything you need to know. Marvel Studios' Blade release date spe…

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Death Valley's Gwyneth Keyworth is "desperate" to make a season 2
type: item
date: 2025-05-26T23:01:13.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
description: The actor speaks to Radio Times about the possible future of her BBC comedy-drama, co-starring Timothy Spall.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Tell us about your character in Death Valley. I play DS Janie Mallowan. On a murder case she meets John Chapel, her all-time hero from her favourite TV show. What first seems like the best thing ever to have happened, sort of turns when she realises she can’t get rid of him… To start with, Janie hero-worships Chapel – does that reflect your own experience working with the great Timothy Spall? Not far off. It’s Timothy Spall! There was a bit of hero worship when we started. But I’d worked with his son Rafe before on stage [in Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill a Mockingbird adaptation] — he was so nice, so I thought his dad would probably be nice as well. And I was not disappointed! Are you hoping that continues – could this become one of those long-running detective partnerships, like Morse and Lewis? I really hope so. I haven’t been told anything yet. But I’d be desperate to do it. Getting to hang out with Tim again would be an absolute treat. Death Valley is full of murder mysteries – but it’s also a very Welsh story. Was that part of the appeal for you? Definitely. It shows off Wales in all its scope and diversity. But also, I think Wales has a really good sense of humour about itself. We all watched the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special! And as a Welsh speaker, it’s nice to be able to speak some Welsh in the show. Do you ever worry about it being stereotypical, or tokenistic? There’s a definite worry. I’ve gone up for things before set in Wales that have clearly been written by people who are not from Wales. Suddenly everyone’s in a choir, no one has a degree and we’re all down a mine. And it’s disheartening, because you know that there is so much vibrancy and so much diversity within Wales. That’s what’s great about this — we’re showing a vibrant, modern version of Wales on primetime. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Death Valley is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Come…

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Ten Questions with Christopher Chung
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The break-out star of Slow Horses almost gave up acting. Now he has a guest spot on Doctor Who — but is he a man who can keep a secret?
encoded: Add Doctor Who to your watchlist Australian actor Christopher Chung, 36, had only a handful of screen roles to his name when he landed the part of the swaggering, socially awkward tech expert Roddy Ho in Slow Horses, Apple TV+’s hit spy series starring Gary Oldman. Four series later he’s the toast of the industry with a surprise Bafta nomination, a central role in the next series and more parts pouring in — including a guest spot in a brand-new episode of Doctor Who. Though apparently, it’s more top-secret than anything in the files at Slough House… Hi Chris. First of all, congratulations on your Bafta best supporting actor nomination. Was it a surprise? Thank you! It was completely unexpected. It’s funny because I was having a drink with someone the night before, and I was saying I thought Slow Horses had a really good chance of getting [nominated], and then maybe next year, because season five is a little bit more based around my character, I might get a look in. So it blindsided me. As you say, there’s more Slow Horses coming later this year — what can we expect? There’s a really central focus on Roddy, where he does something to set off the chain of events that occur. Season five is based on Mick Herron’s book London Rules. But there’s a lot of deviation away from the books now – we’ve just kind of enhanced that world a little bit more and given it more colour and depth. It’s a massive hit — partially because, unusually in these days of streaming, you actually make a series every year. What’s the secret? Don’t sleep! No, we actors swan in and out, but the production team really are there 24/7, working on the last or the next series. We’ve been doing it since 2020, and it’s a finely oiled machine. Crew tend to stay on the show, so there’s a shorthand, which makes things easier. For my part, as long as I’m allowed to keep playing Roddy, I’ll keep being the obnoxious p***k that he is! Seriously, Slow Horses has opened up all these doors for me. Before I got it I wa…

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'It felt like old-fashioned film-making'
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Photographer Des Willie discusses what it's like to be an on-set stills photographer for a Star Wars streaming drama
encoded: Add Andor to your watchlist For professional photographer Des Willie, the power of Star Wars’ iconography is undeniable. “The first time I saw a stormtrooper walk towards me, it was literally one of the most exciting moments of my life,” he tells RT. “It’s really, really good design — you’d recognise them from the silhouette, almost. I had the [John Williams] music in my head and I thought, ‘I’ve got to shoot this.’” Luckily, Willie — a fan of George Lucas’s galaxy from the very first film release in 1977 — was in just the position to do so. As the official “stills” photographer for Andor, he was on set throughout the series’ production taking pictures, later editing, cropping and “grading” (adjusting colour) 30 photographs every day to present to producers for review. “My favourite shot is the one of Cassian [Diego Luna] in the TIE fighter cockpit [see left],” he says. “You have so little time in those moments, but Diego would see me holding the camera and he’d just adopt a pose, check I’ve got it, then move on.” While some of Willie’s pictures become behind-the-scenes material, around 70 to 80 per cent are further tinkered with by Lucasfilm in order to reflect the show — for example, in another version of the cockpit shot, visual effects (VFX) artists added in the control panel lights. The final version (see inset, below left) is transformed into what you’ll see in the finished episode. Still, Willie stresses how “real” Andor was, compared to many other sci-fi series. Physical sets and custom-built spaceships were used wherever possible, rather than relying solely on green-screen backgrounds and special effects. “[Showrunner] Tony Gilroy told me, ‘We want to be real — to really build sets and use real-world lighting,” Willie says. “Obviously, CGI is still a huge part of it, but so much of it felt like old-fashioned film-making. And that’s how Star Wars started, isn’t it?”

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The New-New Who
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: App Doctor Who 20
description: Returning showrunner Russell T Davies has demanded a Christmas Day special for Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor. He tells Huw Fullerton about his hopes for the show’s bright new era
encoded: This article was published in RT in December 2023 and is part of our digital Doctor Who anniversary bookazine — click here to download it for free. Russell T Davies is a hard man to deny. I should know because he’s currently eating my lunch. He has a force of personality that’s taken him from Welsh fanboy to top-tier television writer and producer – and allowed him to revive his favourite childhood TV show. Twice. “I kicked in the door at the BBC,” laughs Davies, “and said, ‘Christmas Day, or else…’ I literally demanded it from day one because I think Doctor Who just suits it perfectly.” This autumn, we’ve already had three hour-long specials starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate. Now, we’re here to talk about a new Christmas special, the first that Doctor Who has had since 2017. Given how meekly I handed over my chips, it’s no wonder Davies persuaded the Beeb to give Who back that coveted Yuletide slot. “Look, it’s Christmas Day. It’s BBC1. It’s a new Doctor. It’s joy all around. I never liked Only Fools and Horses Christmas specials where they went to Hull or Spain. I think Christmassy things should look Christmassy. So, we have snow. We have Christmas trees. It’s properly, properly Christmassy, from beginning to end. We’re going to ride back into the job.” And as he says, Davies isn’t riding alone – because as well as bringing festive fun back to the show, the new episode will also usher in a new Doctor, played by 31-year-old Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa. “Every new Doctor should be a chance for brand-new viewers to step on board. And I think Ncuti will bring in a new audience,” says Davies. “So it’s an open door. It’s completely written with that in mind – you can watch it from scratch. It’s absolutely designed for new viewers.” Gatwa, who’s already filming his second series for 2025 at time of writing, was cast in 2022 after a rigorous round of auditions that Davies was part of – in fact, he read the role of the Doctor’s companion. The choice was, he says…

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The Wanderer Returns
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: App Doctor Who 20
description: As Doctor Who clocks up 60 years, David Tennant is back in control of the Tardis – but for how long? Huw Fullerton finds out about his triumphant return
encoded: This article was published in RT in November 2023 and is part of our digital Doctor Who anniversary bookazine — click here to download it for free. David Tennant had it all. As the tenth Doctor he was a fan-favourite with a run of episodes that reached more than 13 million viewers in the UK – a record for the modern revival of Doctor Who, which almost rivalled its 1970s heyday. He left on his own terms in 2010 rather than being shoved aside for a younger, cooler star (in fact, the BBC wanted him to stay longer). His legacy set him up for lucrative convention appearances and fan worship for life, while his post-Who career is flourishing. So why risk it all by returning? “I hadn’t thought about it like that,” Tennant laughs. “Thank God I made it to this point! It never really occurred to me to worry about that. Perhaps it should have done… but with Catherine [Tate] being part of it, and with Russell [T Davies] writing the scripts, I never actually worried about anything other than my own ability to run as fast as I used to.” In fairness, while the return of old favourites to a stage they’ve vacated can sometimes tarnish a legacy, Tennant’s Doctor is a special case. Apart from Tom Baker, it’s hard to think of a Doctor Who star who so captured the public’s imagination. At the height of his career on the show, Tennant was plastered on magazine covers and lunchboxes; he was accosted in the street. In 2009, he was the BBC’s Christmas ident. By the time he left, aged 39, one suspects he could have been reading the phone book to a Dalek and viewers would still have tuned in. Happily this comeback, announced to great fanfare last year, is a little more involved than that. “The first conversation we had about it was very casual,” Tennant recalls. “Russell and Catherine were talking about the notion of: ‘What if we got the band back together for one last special? But David would never do it.’ And I said, ‘What do you mean, I’d never do it? I’d do it in a shot. And then suddenly…

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Happy birthday, Doctor
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: App Doctor Who 20
description: In 2005, Russell T Davies defied the critics to bring Doctor Who back to life. Now, he tells Huw Fullerton, it’s invulnerable – but it didn’t always feel that way
encoded: Add Doctor Who to your watchlist This time 20 years ago, screenwriter Russell T Davies was under pressure. His passion-project revival of Doctor Who was about to air, starring Christopher Eccleston as the ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as his companion, Rose Tyler. It was 16 years on from the BBC’s original cancellation of the show, which to most of the world was a distant memory of wobbly sets and Daleks foiled by stairs. In 2005, TV was on a different planet. Could a series about a time-travelling alien in a police box really work in the era of The Sopranos and The Wire? “It all felt terribly important,” Davies says now. “I’d loved Doctor Who all my life, and I think its return has now proved that it’s invulnerable. But it didn’t feel like that then. It felt very much last chance at the saloon.” There was a lot at stake. But Davies found himself oddly confident. “In that build-up to transmission, I felt like we had a secret weapon – and that was Billie Piper,” he says. “Everyone knew Christopher Eccleston was a great actor, but knowing how good Billie was, was a terrific feeling. Because people came to criticise, people came to mock, and people came to scorn.” In the end, Davies’s confidence was borne out. The Doctor Who revival became an overnight success, kickstarting a new era for the show that has spanned another two decades. Eccleston was succeeded by David Tennant, who recalls, “When I signed on, the first series of the new version hadn’t even transmitted. I sort of signed up to be in a second series that nobody could really be certain would ever arrive. I could have appeared in a regeneration scene at the end of series one, and that could have been it. I would have been not even the George Lazenby of Doctor Who; if I can make a slightly obscure Casino Royale reference, I’d have been the David Niven of Doctor Who!” Following Eccleston and Tennant’s time, new Doctors – Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi – came in with Davies’s successor as series boss, Steven Moffat…

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20 Years in 20 Episodes
type: item
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: App Doctor Who 20
description: The best and most important Doctor Who adventures from every year since the 2005 revival – plus the showrunners’ favourites!

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New Doctor Who turns 20: "I think its return has now proved that it's invulnerable"
type: item
date: 2025-03-18T12:00:47.000Z
creator: Huw Fullerton
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
subject: Magazine
description: Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall speak to Radio Times as the modern era of the sci-fi show celebrates a big anniversary.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. This time 20 years ago, screenwriter Russell T Davies was under pressure. His passion-project revival of Doctor Who was about to air, starring Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as his companion, Rose Tyler. It was 16 years on from the BBC’s original cancellation of the show, which to most of the world was a distant memory of wobbly sets and Daleks foiled by stairs. In 2005, TV was on a different planet. Could a series about a time-travelling alien in a police box really work in the era of The Sopranos and The Wire? "It all felt terribly important," Davies says now. "I’d loved Doctor Who all my life, and I think its return has now proved that it’s invulnerable. But it didn’t feel like that then. It felt very much last chance at the saloon." There was a lot at stake. But Davies found himself oddly confident. "In that build-up to transmission, I felt like we had a secret weapon – and that was Billie Piper," he says. "Everyone knew Christopher Eccleston was a great actor, but knowing how good Billie was, was a terrific feeling. Because people came to criticise, people came to mock, and people came to scorn." In the end, Davies’s confidence was borne out. The Doctor Who revival became an overnight success, kickstarting a new era for the show that has spanned another two decades. Eccleston was succeeded by David Tennant, who recalls, "When I signed on, the first series of the new version hadn’t even transmitted. I sort of signed up to be in a second series that nobody could really be certain would ever arrive. I could have appeared in a regeneration scene at the end of series one, and that could have been it. I would have been not even the George Lazenby of Doctor Who; if I can make a slightly obscure Casino Royale reference, I’d have been the David Niven of Doctor Who!” Following Eccleston and Tennant’s time, new Doctors – Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi – came in with Davies’s successor as series…

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