Daniel Craig reveals why he thinks the Knives Out films are not "whodunnits" at all
With Wake Up Dead Man now in cinemas, audiences are getting to enjoy the latest addition to Rian Johnson's series of Knives Out mysteries, starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. This latest film, which also stars Josh O'Connor, sees Blanc investigating the murder of a charismatic priest, with a line-up of suspects played by Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church. However, speaking in the upcoming issue of Radio Times magazine alongside O'Connor and Close, Craig has been quick to shut down the idea that the Knives Out films are Whodunnits – and he has explained why. In the interview, which will be included in the magazine released on Saturday 29th November, Close described the film as "Shakespearean", adding: "There’s a certain kind of order, then disorder comes in, and then it’s restored, either comically or with drama. And I love the ending of this movie. I think it will surprise people." When it was then put to Craig that perhaps audiences like whodunnits so much because they allow us to confront weighty topics while also being entertained, the actor was quick to cut in and say that "these movies are not whodunnits". "Those are the worst kind of movies," Craig said. "Yes, there is a denouement at the end, but it’s a denouement with a twist. And that’s part of its genius." Wake Up Dead Man, which will arrive on Netflix in December, is the third instalment in the franchise, and while there isn't a fourth currently in development, Johnson has said there's a good chance he will return to the series in future. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the BFI London Film Festival, Johnson said he would come back "as long as Daniel and I have fun doing it, and he wants to do them, as long as audiences like them, and also as long as we can keep challenging ourselves and coming up with something that’s genuinely new." The next issue of Radio Times is out on Saturday 29th November – subscribe here. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is in UK cinemas now and is coming to Netflix on 12th November. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Josh O'Connor argues that Daniel Craig with his "self-doubt and self-loathing" is nothing like James Bond
Wake Up Dead Man, which stars both O'Connor and Craig, is out now in cinemas.
The third film in Rian Johnson's Knives Out series, Wake Up Dead Man is now out in cinemas, with Daniel Craig reprising his now iconic role as Benoit Blanc. Craig has successfully managed to build recognition for his detective character and somewhat shake-off his association with James Bond, a role he left in 2021 with No Time to Die. This may be because, as his Wake Up Dead Man co-star Josh O'Connor said in the upcoming issue of Radio Times magazine, which will be released on Saturday 29th November, Craig is actually nothing like 007. Speaking in a wider interview, O'Connor said that Craig was the reason he got his role as young priest Jud Duplenticy in the new film in the first place. "Daniel is a really incredible human being," O'Connor said. "He’s so generous with his spirit and he brought me into Knives Out. He was the one that alerted Rian to my work. "I didn’t know that until yesterday, actually, and it’s a big deal." He continued: "Daniel is also a proper actor. I think we sometimes forget, because of Bond maybe, that his body of work is extraordinary and diverse. He can do tragedy, comedy, grief, drama, everything. "And as a person, he’s just a pure collaborator – incredibly full of self-doubt and self-loathing and not knowing whether he’s doing the right thing and constantly saying to me, 'What do you think about that?'" When it was put to O'Connor that people wouldn't expect "self-doubt" and "self-loathing" to be terms associated with Craig, he responded: "Completely. It’s partly because what he does with Bond is so confident. "But that’s not him at all. He’s like a boy. He’s sort of this sweet, insecure man who is incredibly charming and brings you in. He’s brilliant. I loved working with him." Wake Up Dead Man, which also stars Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Thomas Haden Church, Kerry Washington, Daryl McCormack, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny and Mila Kunis, sees Blanc investigating the seemingly impossible murder of charismatic priest Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. It has been reviewed positively, with a current critic's score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Knives Out got 97 per cent, while its first sequel Glass Onion got 91 per cent. The next issue of Radio Times is out on Saturday 29th November – subscribe here. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is in UK cinemas now and is coming to Netflix on 12th November. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Apple TV thriller The Hunt delayed as production company investigates "intellectual property matter"
The Hunt was originally due to be released on 3rd December.
Last week, eagle-eyed viewers noticed that French series The Hunt, also titled Traqués, was no longer on the schedule to be released on Apple TV, having originally been set to premiere on 3rd December 2025. It was then noticed that all promotional materials for the thriller had been removed, including the trailer for the series, although why this had happened was then uncertain. Now, production company Gaumont, from whom Apple TV acquired the series, has put out a statement to explain the decision to delay the series. The statement says: "The broadcast of our series The Hunt has been temporarily postponed. We are currently conducting a thorough review to address any questions related to our production. "We take intellectual property matters very seriously." Deadline has reported that questions were raised over the series being presented as an original work from creator Cédric Anger, in light of apparent plot similarities to 1973 novel Shoot by US author Douglas Fairbairn (which was also adapted into a 1976 film). Sources told the publication that Shoot had not been brought up as possible source material and was not on Gaumont or Apple TV’s radar until recently. Deadline also reports information about the issue started circulating this week after it was raised by French journalist Clément Garin, noting that any conversations over Shoot would involve his estate, as Fairbairn died in 1997. RadioTimes.com has approached Apple TV for comment. The synopsis for The Hunt says: "Franck (Benoît Magimel) and his long-time friends enjoy spending their weekends hunting together, but one Sunday, they come across another group of hunters who start targeting them without explanation. When one of their party is shot, Franck’s friends strike back, sending an attacker to the ground. "Barely managing to escape, the four friends keep the event a secret. Franck tries to go back to his life as usual alongside his wife, Krystel (Mélanie Laurent), but in the next few days, he starts to feel like he and his friends are being watched, or worse, tracked by hunters who are now hell-bent on revenge." Read more: Breaking Bad creator reveals his vision for new show Pluribus' future and why he wants it to run this long Apple TV's Down Cemetery Road book changes revealed by Emma Thompson The Hunt was due to stream on Apple TV – sign up to Apple TV now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Capture season 3 first look finally released as Holliday Grainger returns in beloved role to face "brutal" danger
The techno-thriller aired its previous seasons in 2019 and 2022.
More than three years after season 2 aired, a first-look image for The Capture season 3 has now been revealed, showing Holliday Grainger back in action as Rachel Carey. The image, which you can see below, shows Rachel stood in an interview room, with her image being reflected multiple times in the mirror behind her. The exact release date for season 3, which is once again written by Ben Chanan, has yet to be revealed, but we do know it will be airing in Spring 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. As already announced, season 3 will see Killian Scott (Kaos) take on a pivotal role, in the same way Callum Turner and Paapa Essiedu played co-leads alongside Grainger in seasons 1 and 2 respectively. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/Holliday-Grainger-as-Rachel-Carey-in-The-Capture-S3-coming-to-BBC-iPlayer-and-BBC-One-in-Spring-2026-291b2ba.jpg" width="7203" height="4802" alt="Holliday Grainger as Rachel Carey in The Capture season 3, stood in an interview room with her back to a mirror, which reflects her multiple times." title="Holliday Grainger as Rachel Carey in The Capture S3 coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One in Spring 2026" /> Meanwhile, returning cast members include Indira Varma as Khadija Khan, Ben Miles as Danny Hart, Lia Williams as Gemma Garland, Ginny Holder as DI Nadia Latif, Ron Perlman as CIA agent Frank Napier, Nigel Lindsay as DSI Tom Kendricks, Tessa Wong as DC Chloe Tan and Daisy Waterstone as Abigail Carey. Season 3 picks up 12 months after the huge season 2 cliffhanger, which saw Rachel broadcast a live deepfake of a government minister to the nation, exposing the UK intelligence service’s clandestine video manipulation programme known as Correction. The synopsis for the new season says: "Amidst an inquiry into the unlawful use of Correction, Carey has become Acting Commander of Counter Terrorism Command, determined to regain the public’s trust in surveillance technology through the new Operation Veritas camera system. "And then it happens: a brutal and exceptionally well-coordinated act of terror aimed right at the heart of the British establishment that leaves behind just one witness. "The more Carey investigates, the deeper she is drawn into an unfolding geopolitical crisis that infects the British political establishment, the security services, and the media. The conspiracy reaches deep into the State, but just who is pulling the strings? Caught in an increasingly violent situation, and with few allies left to trust, what sacrifices will Carey be willing to make?" The Capture season 3 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in Spring 2026. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Cooper & Fry release schedule: When will episode 3 air on 5?
The detective drama starring Robert James-Collier and Mandip Gill is now airing.
Detective drama Cooper & Fry may have only aired two episodes, but the short length of this first season means we're already halfway through the mysteries they will be solving this time around. The 5 drama, based on the novels by Stephen Booth about two police officers solving cases in the Derbyshire town of Edendale, stars Robert James-Collier as Ben Cooper and Mandip Gill as Diane Fry, and viewers are already loving their mismatched dynamic. Episode 3 will see the duo travelling to a small village, Withens, which is in a fight for survival against a water company with plans to buy, demolish and rebuild. There, a local man, Neil Goodwin, has been found brutally beaten to death in a disused quarry. The synopsis for the episode says: "As Fry begins to connect the case to the disappearance of Emma Runshaw from five years ago, she and Ben are pursued at every turn by ‘The Border Rats’ a mysterious group shrouded in secrecy. Led by the formidable Lucas Oxley, they’re sworn to protect Withens and ready for war. "As the strange behaviour of Emma’s parents, Howard and Sarah, raise suspicions for Fry, the detectives learn that Neil was involved in profiting from stolen goods. "But as Cooper and Fry get closer to the truth, the discovery of a body illegally buried in the local church graveyard, brings forth secrets once laid to rest long ago. To find the truth, Cooper and Fry will have to face the past and the present." But when will fans be able to watch that episode and how many episode will there be of this season in total? Read on for everything you need to know about the release schedule for Cooper & Fry. When will Cooper & Fry episode 3 air on 5? Unlike some 5 shows which air episodes daily across a week or more, Cooper & Fry – like another 5 drama The Forsytes – has gone for a traditional weekly release. This means that episode 3 will air on 5 at 8pm on Tuesday 2nd December 2025. How many episodes will there be of Cooper & Fry? There will be four episodes of Cooper & Fry in total, with each being based on a different book by Stephen Booth – Black Dog, Dying to Sin, Blind to the Bones and Dancing with the Virgins. There are 18 novels in the Cooper & Fry series in total, meaning there is still plenty of material ready to be adapted in potential future seasons. Cooper & Fry release schedule New episodes of Cooper & Fry will air every Tuesday on 5 at 8pm. You can find the full release schedule for Cooper & Fry below. Cooper & Fry episode 1 – Tuesday 18th November 2025, 8pm (out now) Cooper & Fry episode 2 – Tuesday 25th November 2025, 8pm (out now) Cooper & Fry episode 3 – Tuesday 2nd December 2025, 8pm Cooper & Fry episode 4 – Tuesday 9th December 2025, 8pm Cooper & Fry continues on Tuesday 2nd December at 8pm on 5. Add Cooper & Fry to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
BBC confirms Christmas 2025 TV line-up – from Call the Midwife to The Traitors and David Attenborough
Other big hitters on the schedule for this year include an Amandaland Christmas special and The Night Manager season 2.
Following ITV's confirmation of its 2025 Christmas line-up last week, the BBC has now followed suit, unveiled a raft of festive programming to keep viewers entertained throughout the holiday season. Some of the big hitters this time are, of course, returning favourites. For instance, there are festive specials for dramas such as Call the Midwife, Beyond Paradise, Death in Paradise, as well as comedies including Amandaland, Mammoth, Mandy and Mrs Brown’s Boys. There are also plenty of returning entertainment programmes set to air, with Strictly Come Dancing, Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel, Gladiators and The Repair Shop all hosting specials, alongside twists on formats such as Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Christmas and The Celebrity Apprentice. However, there are still plenty of new programmes and one-off specials on the way. This year's Julia Donaldson adaptation The Scarecrows' Wedding is set to air, while Mark Gatiss brings us a new Ghost Story for Christmas, The Room in the Tower, and Sir David Attenborough hosts a brand-new film exploring the wildlife of England’s capital in Wild London. New comedies set to air include Shedites, written by and starring some Mrs Brown's Boys favourites, while Guz Khan will star in a modern-day Christmas caper, Stuffed. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/544033-7d6f2b9.jpg" width="4320" height="2880" alt="Jennifer Saunders as Aunt Joan, Philippa Dunne as Anne, Samuel Anderson as Mal, Lucy Punch as Amanda, Alexander Shaw as Manus, Miley Locke as Georgie and Joanna Lumley as Felicity in Amandaland, all sat and stood around a Christmas dinner table wearing paper crowns." title="544033,TITLE:Amandaland Christmas Special 2025" /> If you're already looking ahead to New Year, a host of big hitters are on the horizon to see 2026 in in style. Not only are there plenty of specific programmes for New Year's Eve – including Ronan Keating & Friends: New Year’s Eve Party, Jools' Annual Hootenanny and The Graham Norton Show New Year’s Eve, but hit comedy Here We Go is set to get a New Year's special. Meanwhile, The Night Manager will start airing on New Year's Day, and The Traitors is set to return for its fourth civilian season, expected to start airing in 2026. If you're in the mood for more Traitors (and let's face it, who isn't?) there's the broadcast of The Traitors at the Proms on the horizon, along with other musical programming including a new production of Kiss Me, Kate, Biggest Night of Musicals by the National Lottery, Top of The Pops: Review of The Year 2025 and Christmas Hits: The Videos That Sleighed. Quiz and competition show fans are in luck this season too, with new Christmassy editions of The Weakest Link, The Festive Finish Line, University Challenge, The Great British Sewing Bee and MasterChef in the line-up. MasterChef, of course, brings us on to food, and it wouldn't be Christmas without Mary Berry, who is hosting A Mary Berry Christmas on BBC One. Meanwhile, Paddy McGuinness and Cherry Healey will take us Inside the Factory for a Christmas Gingerbread Special. Gentle, fun-filled additions to the line-up include Gone Christmas Fishing with Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and terrier Ted, as well as Celebrity Escape to the Country, Christmas Treasures of the National Trust and the return of My Life at Christmas with Anita Rani. That really is just scratching the surface, with children's programming including Shaun the Sheep – Fleece Navidad and The Famous Five – Big Trouble on Billycock Hill also on the way, as well as annual events like Sports Personality of the Year and Carols From King's. Film fans can also find plenty to enjoy, with this year's line-up of blockbusters on the BBC including Elvis, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Robin Robin, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Oppenheimer, Operation Mincemeat, Challengers and Back to Black. The full schedule for the line-up – including dates and times – will come at a later date. We are also expecting to hear the line-ups for other broadcasters in the coming days, after ITV's offering was confirmed to include Red Eye season 2 and the return of The Masked Singer. Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Forsytes season 2: Release date speculation and latest news
Will the lavish period drama be back for more?
It's been a drama-filled six weeks, but now The Forsytes, 5's lavish new adaptation of John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga has come to an end – for now. Of course, for those who have seen the season finale, they will know that things don't end on a conclusive note, and there are still plenty more stories to be told surrounding the titular family. So will the series, and its all-star cast including Tuppence Middleton, Millie Gibson, Jack Davenport and Eleanor Tomlinson, be back for more? And if so, when will be the new episodes be released? Read on for everything you need to know about The Forsytes season 2 on 5. Will there be The Forsytes season 2? There will! In fact, it was announced back in June 2025 that the show would be returning for a second season, well before the first had even debuted. When the news was announced, Damien Timmer, CCO and founder of production company Mammoth Screen, said in a statement: "We can’t wait for the world to see series 1 of The Forsytes, and we’re so pleased to be getting ahead of ourselves and starting on this thrilling second series with Debbie Horsfield’s irresistible scripts and our glorious – and ever expanding – cast." Meanwhile, Susanne Simpson, head of scripted content and executive producer for the show's US broadcaster, Masterpiece, said: "We’re so pleased with the first season of The Forsytes that we’re thrilled to continue the story into season 2 with our stellar cast. "We’re confident that our MASTERPIECE audience will quickly come to love the intrigue, romance and drama that this series brilliantly brings to the screen." When will The Forsytes season 2 be released? We don't yet know when The Forsytes will be returning for season 2, but given that the team got a head start on it, thanks to the early renewal, we imagine fans shouldn't have to wait too long. It seems likely that the show will stick to an annual release, which would therefore mean the new episodes would start airing in late 2026 – however, at this point that's purely speculation. We will keep this page updated with any more concrete news as and when we get it. Who will be back to star in The Forsytes season 2? It has already been confirmed that the entire central cast from The Forsytes season 1 will be back for season 2, including the likes of Francesca Annis, Danny Griffin, Joshua Orpin, Tuppence Middleton, Millie Gibson, Stephen Moyer, Jack Davenport and Eleanor Tomlinson. Meanwhile, there are also at least three new stars joining, with the trio having been announced when season 2 was confirmed. Those joining the series for season 2 include Outlander's Richard Rankin, Art Detectives' Sarah Alexander and Bob Marley: One Love's Nia Ashi. Their characters have yet to be confirmed. You can find a full list of the currently announced cast for The Forsytes season 2 right here: Francesca Annis as Ann Forsyte Danny Griffin as Jolyon Forsyte Joshua Orpin as Soames Forsyte Tuppence Middleton as Frances Forsyte Millie Gibson as Irene Heron Stephen Moyer as Jolyon Senior Jack Davenport as James Forsyte Eleanor Tomlinson as Louisa Byrne Justine Moore as June Forsyte Tom Durant Prichard as Montague 'Monty' Dartie Naomi Frederick as Emily Forsyte Jamie Flatters as Philip Bosinney Owen Igiehon as Isaac Cole Eleanor Jackson as Winifred Dartie Susan Hampshire as Lady Carteret Richard Rankin as TBC Sarah Alexander as TBC Nia Ashi as TBC Is there a trailer for The Forsytes season 2? There isn't a trailer for The Forsytes season 2 just yet, as season 1 has only just finished airing. However, we will make sure to add one in here once it's available, and in the meantime you can rewatch the season 1 trailer below. View oEmbed on the source website The Forsytes will continue airing on 5 on Mondays at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who finale script sheds new light on Ncuti Gatwa's surprise regeneration into Billie Piper
It remains a mystery just how and why the Doctor appeared to regenerate to have the same face as his former companion, Rose.
To mark Doctor Who Day yesterday (23rd November) – the anniversary of the date on which the show originally debuted back in 1963 – all eight scripts from the sci-fi series' most recent season have been released online. Naturally, one moment that fans have immediately scrolled through to is the very end of episode 8, The Reality War, to see how the script talks about Ncuti Gatwa's shock regeneration into Billie Piper. The moment, which came as a huge surprise for fans at the end of the finale, was made all the more intriguing because the credits of the episode didn't refer to Piper – who previously played the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler – as the Doctor, and it has never been confirmed since. That tradition continues in The Reality War's script, with Gatwa's regeneration being described as follows: "Regeneration energy volcanoes out of him! "Collar and sleeves filled with streaming bolts of gold. Wider. The Tardis in space, the Doctor in the doorway, with energy shooting out into the galaxy, a wild display. Closer, as the Doctor's face finally vanishes into the gold. "And... A face appears! A person wreathed in miraculous gold and light. Who says... 'Oh, hello!'" The fact that Piper is only described as "a face" and a "person" only reaffirms many fans' belief that Piper won't be playing the 16th Doctor, and there will instead be some other timey-wimey shenanigans which will be addressed in the now-confirmed 2026 Christmas special. It's also interesting that Piper isn't referred to by name at all. This may have been to avoid spoilers leaking out, although Piper has said she was approached "very last-minute" about appearing in the scene. View oEmbed on the source website That special will be written by showrunner Russell T Davies, and will be the first episode of the show to air following the end of the BBC's production and distribution deal with Disney for the programme. When news of the special was confirmed, Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama, BBC said in a statement: "We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea. "The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026. "We can assure fans the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC." The War Between the Land and the Sea, a new five-part Doctor Who spin-off, is set to start airing on 7th December on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. A number of figures connected with the show, both past and present, have now reacted to Gatwa's regeneration into Piper, with former showrunner Steven Moffat being among them. Earlier this year, he told RadioTimes.com: "I genuinely don’t have any insider information, but they have hedged their bets. They've not said [she’s the Doctor] so I don’t know. I don’t even know if they know!" Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Is Responsible Child on Netflix based on a true story?
The one-off drama first aired on BBC Two in 2019.
It's now been over a week since 2019 TV film Responsible Child, which first aired on BBC Two, arrived on Netflix, but it is still riding high in the streamer's top 10 chart. The hard-hitting drama tells the story of a 12-year-old boy called Ray, played by Bring Her Back's Billy Barratt, who is put on trial for murder, after his step-father was found dead. Along with Barratt, the rest of the film's cast includes Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones), Tom Burke (Strike), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Gold), Owen McDonnell (True Detective), Shaun Dingwall (Doctor Who), Debbie Honeywood (Vera), Angela Wynter (EastEnders) and James Tarpey (Grace). But is the disturbing story told in the drama based on a true story, and if so, just were the details behind the real events that inspired the film? Read on for everything you need to know about the inspiration for Responsible Child on Netflix. Is Responsible Child based on a true story? The story behind Responsible Child hasn't been taken directly from real life, but it does appear to have been heavily inspired by the 2014 case of Jerome Ellis and his older brother Joshua. In 2014, Jerome was just 14, while his brother Joshua was 23. Together, the pair stabbed their stepfather, Neil Tulley, to death as he lay on the sofa at their family home. Tulley was later found with over 60 stab wounds. Jerome and Joshua claimed that Tulley was abusive and had threatened to kill Joshua, who struggled with depression. Tulley is said to have even swung an axe at Joshua. Neighbours and relatives attested that the family lived in fear of Tulley's outbursts. Jerome was sentenced to six years in detention for manslaughter on grounds of loss of control. Meanwhile, Joshua was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 14 years behind bars. While Jerome has now been released and is living a private life, Joshua is still in prison and is not eligible for parole until 2028 at the earliest. The film was directed by Nick Holt, a documentary maker who had previously spent time in Glasgow High Court while researching for his project, The Murder Trial. While speaking at a screening for Responsible Child in 2019, he said: "During my time there I saw a very, very young child coming into the court, and I asked the lawyer who I was with whether this child would be giving evidence... and he said, 'No, no, he's the accused.' And that came as quite a shock, and that led me to ask questions about, what age do we put children on trial?" However, details have been changed and altered for the drama. While elements such as the central character's home life mirror that of Jerome's story, the film follows a 12-year-old boy called Ray, rather than the 14-year-old Jerome. Meanwhile, Ray's brother is called Nathan, not Joshua, and their stepfather is called Scott, rather than Neil. Holt specified that although the film "has its feet in the real world", Ray is a character he created alongside screenwriter Sean Buckley. Responsible Child is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Will there be The Penguin season 2? Latest news and speculation
*Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Penguin episode 8.* Although many fans of The Penguin are willing another season into existence, it appears we're no closer to knowing whether the HBO series will return for more. However, we do now know a few more parameters around the potential of a second season. For starters, showrunner Lauren LeFranc has said that we can't look ahead to The Penguin season 2 when we still don't have The Batman Part II. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said that the "intention of our first season always was, we’re launching Oz into the second film, and so we couldn’t air a second season until after Matt’s movie comes out". Similarly, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content Casey Bloys told Deadline about a potential second season: “It’s definitely possible. Obviously, Matt has the film that he needs to work on. But there’s definitely a possibility. I think probably what’s most important in that world right now is getting the movie started, and I know they’re dealing with that now.” With the note that things ended on in season 1, series star Colin Farrell has previously admitted that it may be hard for his protagonist to come back from such a disturbing turn of events. Having murdered Vic (Rhenzy Feliz) in the finale, Farrell told The Hollywood Reporter: "I certainly think it makes [a second season] more difficult. [Killing Vic] is a very hard thing to claw back from. It’s not impossible, but it’s a tougher hill to climb." It's certainly a valid point to remember, but does that mean we could be seeing more of Cristin Milioti's Sofia instead? While nothing has yet been confirmed, Milioti remains excited about whatever shape her character's future takes, whether in another season of The Penguin, The Batman II or in her own spin-off series. Speaking to RadioTimes.com exclusively, Milioti said: "I'd play her for the rest of my life. I mean, I love that show, and I love those people. You know, it was like, across the board, 10 out of 10s. And I would love to be able to revisit it one day." But what else do we know about the potential for The Penguin to return for a season 2? Here's everything we know so far. Will there be The Penguin season 2? Currently, there's no confirmation as to whether there will be The Penguin season 2, but we wouldn't rule it out. Speaking to RadioTimes.com in 2024, actor Farrell said that, while the show was originally planned as a limited series, he would "absolutely" be up for more. He said: "It was only ever envisioned as an eight-hour limited series, but it's gone pretty well and I would imagine when things tend to go well, people tend to want to revisit them. "If they came up with an amazing way to do another eight hours, and if it fit in primarily to Matt Reeves's vision, because this whole show really had to work with being born of The Batman film and also being kind of a cartilage to the second film, which I haven't read yet... "Matt's the wizard of this whole universe. So Lauren LeFranc [showrunner] and her team of writers, myself, Mike Marino [makeup/prosthetic artist], when we were deciding that the Penguin would look the way he did, we all have to be in step with what Matt's vision is. "So if Matt wants to do a second season, for sure, I'd consider it, yeah. [But] by the end of this I'd had my fill! I know I was bitching about not having enough in the first film, but I'm good now. I've been at the table for long enough. It was amazing, but it's quite a thing." However, Farrell has been a bit more pessimistic about the possibility recently. Speaking to ComicBook, he said: “Oh, I don’t know. I have a bit of a, generally speaking, I have a bit of a negativity bias. Apparently, I’ve been told by various people close to me. So I would say I would bet against, but not by much.” He also said in an interview with Variety, when asked about a potential season 2: "I don’t want it, I don’t not want it. We all left it in the ring in those eight hours. I would hate to, just because of a quote-unquote success, have to go again and for it to be a diluted version of what people seem to feel it is, majoritively. "So I’m in no rush. I have no deep desire to do it. Sure, if they think of something that works in conjunction as a parallel to Matt Reeves’s cinematic universe and it’s a good idea, I’m open to it. But it’s not something concerning me." The priority for the universe of the TV series is with the upcoming second Batman movie, though, with HBO CEO Casey Bloys telling Variety: "The number one thing right now that Matt is dealing with is getting the movie going. I believe they’re making progress there. "I know that he and Lauren have talked about various ideas. So, could another chapter be in the future? Definitely possible. Right now, I think the priority for Matt is the movie. But I know that Lauren is thinking of various ideas that might work alongside the movie. I think it’s possible. I just don’t know at this point." Showrunner LeFranc has also opened up about the potential of a second season, saying that "there’s no current status update" regarding the future of the series. She told The Direct: "I mean, we put it all out on the table. I think that in order to do a second season, we have to feel like we can top ourselves. We have to feel like there's something more there to really dig into. "Gotham City is just such a fun sandbox to play, and I'd love to keep playing in it, but I think it just has to be the right thing. We should never do anything just to do it." In December 2024, Milioti told The Hollywood Reporter: "All I can say is that it is my wildest hope [to play Sofia Falcone again]. It’s my wildest hope, and I couldn’t be any clearer about making my desire known. But I haven’t heard anything concrete yet." At this point, it seems it's all up in the air - so watch this space! When could a potential The Penguin season 2 be released? If The Penguin does get renewed for a season 2, we'd expect a long wait ahead, perhaps for a release date in 2028. It's clearly just an idea at this point, and it would require as lengthy a production period as season 1 did. Showrunner LeFranc has spoken about the fact that if a second season of The Penguin was to go ahead, it wouldn't return before The Batman: Part II. LeFranc said that any new season wouldn't air until after Matt Reeves's film would come out. So, we could be waiting a while yet. Season 1 had a long road to release after all. Development was under way by September 2021 but, as many other productions did, its filming faced a delay due to the Hollywood labour disputes. Filming concluded in February 2024, with the show being released in October 2024. Who could be in the cast of a potential The Penguin season 2? We'd expect some of the cast of season 1 to return if the series is confirmed for season 2 – with some notable exceptions of people who didn't make it to the end. This is your last spoiler warning! Key cast members who could return include: Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb/Penguin Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone Theo Rossi as Julian Rush If Rossi does return, then don't expect him to take on the mantle of Batman villain the Scarecrow, as had been theorised by some fans - LeFranc has explicitly ruled that out. Of course, a fair few figures didn't make it to the end of season 1, most prominently Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar, who was killed by Oz in the season 1 finale. Michael Zegen's Alberto Falcone was also killed early on in the season. Episode 4 was an absolute blood bath, with Sofia Falcone killing much of her family in the gas spill. Plus, while Francis Cobb, Oz's mother, played by Deirdre O' Connell, made it to the end of the series alive, she was left in a vegetative state and permanently bedbound. In season 2, we could potentially see the appearance of: Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/The Batman Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman While Pattinson and Kravitz did not appear in season 1, the door has possibly been left open for their arrivals in season 2. What could the plot of a potential The Penguin season 2 be? Details are thin on the ground currently about what the plot of The Penguin could be, but we'd expect to pick up with Oz after he's won the city and has become its kingpin, following his rise through the ranks of Gotham's underworld. We'd also expect to follow Sofia Falcone as she meets her half-sister, Selina Kyle. The Penguin is available to watch on Sky and NOW. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Hijack writer's "gripping" new thriller casts Torchwood star opposite David Morrissey
Psychological drama Gone will be coming to ITV.
The central cast has been announced for Gone, a new six-part thriller series from the writer of Hijack, George Kay, with two big name actors leading the series. The show, which is described as a "gripping, psychological drama", will air on ITV and ITVX, will be directed by Richard Laxton (Joan) and will star David Morrissey (Daddy Issues) and Eve Myles (Torchwood). The synopsis for the series says: "Set against the backdrop of a prestigious private school, a foreboding forest and the quiet sprawl of Bristol, Gone is a chilling mystery focusing on local Headmaster Michael Polly, played by David Morrissey, who becomes the prime suspect in his wife Sarah’s disappearance. "An upstanding member of the community, Michael Polly is inscrutable and likes order and precision in his working life. Until, that is, he encounters super bright, gutsy Detective Annie Cassidy, played by Eve Myles, and a compulsive game of cat and mouse begins as she chips away at his veneer in search of the truth. "With tension in the air, yet Polly not displaying any emotion, Annie’s suspicions are heightened the more she investigates. Something in her gut tells her all is not what it seems. Could he be capable of murder? And if so – why?" The series has been partly inspired by the book To Hunt a Killer, written by former Detective Superintendent for Gloucestershire Police, Julie Mackay, and ITV Crime Correspondent Robert Murphy, both of whom serve as consultants on the series. Sarah and Michael’s daughter, Alana, a teacher at the school, will be played by Emma Appleton (The Road Trip), while other cast members include Jennifer Macbeth, Arthur Hughes, Nicholas Nunn, Elliot Cowan, Billy Barrett, Rupert Evans, Jodie McNee, Oscar Batterham and Clare Higgins. Eve Myles said in a statement: "I'm thrilled to be playing Detective Annie Cassidy in George Kay's brilliantly written drama Gone. "Annie is a fascinating character, intuitive, gutsy and doesn't suffer fools, but she has met her match in Michael Polly, who is a formidable adversary played by David Morrissey. It's wonderful to be directed by Richard Laxton and I can't wait for the audience to see it." Meanwhile, Morrissey added: "I’m delighted to be reunited with George Kay and the wonderful team at [production company] New Pictures. And to be working for the first time with the amazing Eve Myles and Richard Laxton." Kay said: "After teaming up with ITV and New Pictures for true crime drama The Long Shadow, I’m delighted to be working with them again to create a new police drama. "Inspired by real life research, Gone sees the excellent Eve Myles’s overlooked Detective Annie Cassidy go head-to-head with main suspect Michael Polly, played by the superb David Morrissey. In a story about privilege and prejudice, the truth is tantalisingly close. Or at least, that’s what Annie thinks…" Gone will air on ITV and STV and will be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player. Add Red Eye to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Landman season 2 release schedule: When will episode 3 arrive on Paramount Plus?
Taylor Sheridan's drama starring Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore is releasing new episodes now.
The second season of Landman is now well and truly underway, with the episode 2, which is now available on Paramount Plus, starting to set up some of the conflicts to come. Season 2 has seen the return of Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore, with the latter's character taking on a bigger role following the death of her husband Monty, who was played by Jon Hamm. The series, which takes place in the world of the West Texas oilfields, comes from Taylor Sheridan, the creator who is also behind a number of Paramount's other hits, including Yellowstone, Lioness and Mayor of Kingstown. But if you're wondering when episode 3, the next instalment in the season, will arrive, then never fear – we've got you covered. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the release schedule for Landman season 2 on Paramount Plus. When will Landman season 2 episode 3 released? Landman season 2 is following a weekly release on Sundays, meaning that episode 3 will arrive on Paramount Plus on Sunday 30th November 2025. The episode is titled Almost a Home, and like all the others in the series it has been written by Taylor Sheridan. How many episodes of Landman season 2 will there be? There will be 10 episodes of Landman season 2 in total, the same number as in season 1. Thankfully for fans, it seems there is still plenty of scope for the show to continue beyond this in future seasons. Ainsley star Michelle Randolph told The Hollywood Reporter: "There’s so many stories to tell. There’s so many really distinct characters, I feel like we could go on and on and on because what I always have to remind myself – the first season was 10 days in the show so I’m like, we could film the show for so long because it’s not like it’s one season, taking place over a year or anything. "There’s so much room for growth in every single character; they’re all deeply flawed in their own ways, which is what makes them really enticing to watch because it’s very human." Landman season 2 release schedule – When are new episodes out? New episodes of Landman will arrive on Paramount Plus every Sunday, starting on 16th November 2025. This means the second run will continue right through the festive season, with the finale arriving on Sunday 18th January 2026. You can find the full release schedule for Landman season 2 below. Landman season 2 episode 1 – Death and a Sunset – Sunday 16th November 2025 (out now) Landman season 2 episode 2 – Sins of the Father – Sunday 23rd November 2025 (out now) Landman season 2 episode 3 – Almost a Home – Sunday 30th November 2025 Landman season 2 episode 4 – Dancing Rainbows – Sunday 7th December 2025 Landman season 2 episode 5 – The Pirate Dinner – Sunday 14th December 2025 Landman season 2 episode 6 – Dark Night of the Soul – Sunday 21st December 2025 Landman season 2 episode 7 – Forever Is an Instant – Sunday 28th December 2025 Landman season 2 episode 8 – Handsome Touched Me – Sunday 4th January 2026 Landman season 2 episode 9 – Plans, Tears and Sirens – Sunday 11th January 2026 Landman season 2 episode 10 – Tragedy and Flies – Sunday 18th January 2026 Landman season 2 will continue on Paramount Plus on Sunday 30th November. Season 1 is available to stream on now. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Prisoner 951 true story: How accurate is the BBC drama to the real events?
The four-part drama tells the true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's imprisonment in Iran.
New BBC drama Prisoner 951 tells a true story many viewers may recognise from the news, as the events dramatised took place just years ago, between 2016 and 2022. The story surrounds Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an British-Iranian woman who was imprisoned in Iran for six years, as her husband and many others campaigned tirelessly to bring her home. The series stars Narges Rashidi as Nazanin, while Joseph Fiennes plays her husband, Richard Ratcliffe. But just how closely does the series stick to real events and what are the details of the true story behind the programme? Read on for everything you need to know about the true story behind Prisoner 951. What is Prisoner 951 about? Prisoner 951 tells the true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen who travelled to Iran with her 22-month-old daughter Gabriella in 2016. As they were waiting to board their flight back to the UK, they were arrested by Iranian authorities and Gabriella's passport was confiscated. Iranian officials accused Nazanin of leading a "foreign-linked hostile network", and she was sentenced to five years in jail. She has always denied those allegations, and said that she was only in Iran to visit her family. Over the proceeding months and years her husband Richard campaigned in the UK for Nazanin to be freed and brought home, something which was finally achieved after six years, in 2022. Richard and Nazanin have repeatedly asserted that she was a pawn in a decades-old political dispute between the Iranian government and the UK, relating to a debt the latter owed. The UK government has always denied that the two issues were linked, but her freedom, and the freedom of other imprisoned dual nationals, was only secured after the debt was paid. Is Prisoner 951 based on a book? It is, however viewers won't be able to get their hands on it for some time yet. Prisoner 951 is based not only on extensive research by the team behind the programme, but also on the firsthand accounts of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband Richard Ratcliffe in their forthcoming book, A Yard of Sky. The book is scheduled to be released on the 3rd September 2026. How accurate is Prisoner 951 to the true story? The series dramatises events from the first-hand accounts and perspectives on events of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe, and therefore, others may have differing versions to tell. It is also noted at the start of each episode that some names have been changed as the story is brought to the screen and, as in every factual drama, some scenes have been imagined. However, for the most part it appears to be the case that Prisoner 951 has been very faithful to the real events as they occurred. When asked about the research he and the team took, writer Stephen Butchard said: "It was a case of speaking to the people involved, some members of the government and trying to get minutes of meetings. This is as true and factful as we can make it, everything that’s on screen we’ve tried to back up with records of the real events. "We were speaking to MPs and politicians, and family members resident in the UK, asking how they remembered things. It was about making it as truthful and as based on fact as possible. When you’re dealing with a drama like this that’s the responsibility you have. "We also spoke to people who had been detained, related charities, Nazanin’s employers, and human rights lawyers. All the time we were building up the relevant and factual information." Meanwhile, director Philippa Lowthorpe said that when she was directing, she always had Nazanin and Richard's words from their book in her head as well as the scripts. "During our editing I constantly went back and checked things they'd written to make it feel faithful to their experience," she explained. It should also be noted that, given that the series is four hours long, it is not able to put to screen every notable moment from across the six years it dramatises. Butchard explained that he decided "quite early on" to structure the series with more detail at the start of Nazanin and Richard's ordeal, and less as the episodes and as time went on, to in some ways mirror their experiences of it. "I was putting myself into Richard and Nazanin’s point of view from when this all started," he said. "What that gives us is hours and days, because those first hours and first days are really frightening. In episode one there’s a lot there; Nazanin is arrested at the airport, Richard is told there might be something wrong with a passport. "They’re not sure what is going on, but things can happen at the airport in Iran and maybe she’ll just be held for 24 hours, but this doesn’t happen... Then Richard is told he should be concerned and consider this an abduction, Nazanin goes missing. "So, I decided to concentrate just in this first episode on hours and days because there is a lot happening to Nazanin and Richard. It’s about mining into the very human emotions of our protagonists. "That led on to thinking if episode one is ‘hours and days’, episode two could be ‘weeks’ – where things are changing over the space of weeks. "That lead on to episode three as ‘months’, then once Nazanin is sentenced and it doesn’t look like there is much hope that led to looking at the final episode as ‘years’. To me, that seemed like a good structure, looking at it as points in time." Prisoner 951 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Sunday 23rd November 2025. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Prisoner 951 cast: Narges Rashidi and Joseph Fiennes star
The four-part drama is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Factual drama Prisoner 951 is based on the true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen who was arrested in Iran while visiting family, and imprisoned for six years. Meanwhile, the other half of the story focuses on her husband Richard, who spent years campaigning for her release. It's hard hitting series based on the first-hand accounts of the couple, which has been written by Stephen Butchard and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe. Nazanin and Richard are played by Narges Rashidi and Joseph Fiennes respectively, while other actors to feature across the series include Nicholas Farrell and Alastair Mackenzie. But who do they all play and where might you have seen the actors before? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Prisoner 951, and to see images of the cast members next to their real-life counterparts. Prisoner 951 cast: Who stars in the four-part BBC drama? Here are the main cast members and characters in Prisoner 951. Read on below for more info about who they are and where you've seen the actors before. Narges Rashidi as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Joseph Fiennes as Richard Ratcliffe Ella Varavipour as Baby Gabriella Mana Sayyah as Young Gabriella Ava Rose as Older Gabriella Bijan Daneshmand as Baba Behi Djanati-Atai as Mamani Kavé Niku as Mohammad Nicholas Farrell as John Marion Bailey as Barbara Simon Armstrong as Uncle Geoff Catherine Bailey as Rebecca Shaun Yusuf McKee as Lim Armin Karima as Interrogator Seyed Zanyar Mohammadi as Interrogator Yazdi Hamid Azari as Young Prosecutor Claudia Harrison as Penny Madden Astrid Whettnall as Monique Villa Tristan Sturrock as Jason Freddie Stevenson as George Alastair Mackenzie as Tobias Ellwood MP Sam Troughton as Oliver Denton Farzana Dua Elahe as Tulip Siddiq MP Melika Foroutan as Narges Banafshe Hourmazdi as Farah Elham Karimpour as Shirin Sima Rostami as Samira Vivienne Gibbs as Liz Truss MP Christopher Colquhoun as James Cleverly MP Narges Rashidi plays Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Who is Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe? Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a British-Iranian citizen who was arrested while visiting family in Iran for crime she didn't commit, and imprisoned between 2016 and 2022. Where have I seen Narges Rashidi? Rashidi is an American-German actress of Iranian descent, who has had roles in series including Hanna and Gangs of London, as well as films such as I Came By and Havoc. Joseph Fiennes plays Richard Ratcliffe Who is Richard Ratcliffe? Richard Ratcliffe is Nazanin's husband, who spent years campaigning to get her home. Where have I seen Joseph Fiennes? Fiennes is known for his roles in films including Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love, Enemy at the Gates, Killing Me Softly and Hercules, as well as series such as Flashforward, Camelot, American Horror Story and The Handmaid's Tale. He will soon be seen reprising his stage role as Gareth Southgate in the BBC's adaptation of Dear England. Bijan Daneshmand plays Baba Who is Baba? Baba is Nazanin's father. Where have I seen Bijan Daneshmand? Daneshmand has had roles in series including The Night Manager, EastEnders, Suspicion, Tehran, House of the Dragon, The Diplomat, Brassic and Coronation Street. Behi Djanati-Atai plays Mamani Who is Mamani? Mamani is Nazanin's mother. Where have I seen Behi Djanati-Atai? Djanati-Atai is a French actress of Iranian descent, who has had roles in series including Tehran and Kabul. Kavé Niku plays Mohammad Who is Mohammad? Mohammad is Nazanin's brother. Where have I seen Kavé Niku? Niku has had roles in series including Tehran and Black Mirror. Nicholas Farrell plays John Who is John? John is Richard's father. Where have I seen Nicholas Farrell? Farrell has had roles in series including Poirot, Waking the Dead, Torchwood, Father Brown, Call the Midwife, The Crown, Gentleman Jack, Everything I Know About Love, The Gold, Endeavour, Bodies, Fool Me Once, The Count of Monte Cristo, as well as films such as Chariots of Fire, Othello, Pearl Harbour, The Iron Lady, Grace of Monaco, Testament of Youth, Legend and Munich: The Edge of War. Marion Bailey plays Barbara Who is Barbara? Barbara is Richard's mother. Where have I seen Bailey? Bailey has had roles in series including The Bill, Him & Her, Temple, Britannia, The Crown, Endeavour, This is Going to Hurt, Obsession, All the Light We Cannot See and Murder Before Evensong, as well as films such as Vera Drake, Mr Turner, The Lady in the Van, Allied and Peterloo. Alastair Mackenzie plays Tobias Ellwood MP Who is Tobias Ellwood? Tobias Ellwood is a former Conservative MP who, at the time of Nazanin's arrest, was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Middle East and North Africa. Where have I seen Alastair Mackenzie? Mackenzie has had roles in series including Monarch of the Glen, Black Mirror, Borgen, Wolf Hall, The Loch, Cold Feet, Deep Water, Unforgotten, Professor T, The Crown, Vigil, Andor and The Bombing of Pan Am 103, as well as films such as Peterloo and Outlaw/King. Farzana Dua Elahe plays Tulip Siddiq MP Who is Tulip Siddiq? Tulip Siddiq is a Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate (formerly Hampstead and Kilburn) – Nazanin's constituency – who campaigned for her release. Where have I seen Farzana Dua Elahe? Elahe has had roles in series including EastEnders, Silent Witness, Broadchurch, Next of Kin, Our Girl, Honour and Vera, as well as films such as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and The Hundred-Foot Journey. Christopher Colquhoun plays James Cleverly MP Who is James Cleverly? James Cleverly is a Conservative MP who was Minister of State for Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, and latterly Middle East, North Africa and North America, between 2020 and 2022. Where have I seen Christopher Colquhoun? Colquhoun has had roles in series including Casualty, Coronation Street, Fleabag, Vera, Absentia, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Sandman, Patience and Coldwater. Prisoner 951 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Sunday 23rd November 2025. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Prisoner 951 review: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe drama is fittingly infuriating and heart-rending
Narges Rashidi and Joseph Fiennes shine in this powerful four-part series.
Unless you've been living under a rock or have been avoiding the news entirely for the past 10 years (and, honestly, it would be hard to blame you), then chances are you'll have some knowledge, however fleeting, of the story surrounding Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. That is in no small part thanks to the work of her husband Richard, whose tireless and personally brutal campaigning shone a light on Nazanin's plight, which could otherwise have gone so much deeper under the radar. Now, a BBC drama, Prisoner 951, is set to bring Nazanin's story to even greater prominence and recognition, while also deepening the understanding of those who are only aware of it on a cursory level. Based in part on Nazanin and Richard's upcoming book, A Yard of Sky, which is set to be released next year, the series is a powerful, unflinching piece of drama, which is at once both deeply upsetting and utterly enraging. To fill in some of the blanks: in 2016, a British-Iranian citizen, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe travelled to Iran with her 22-month-old daughter Gabriella to visit her family. Her husband, Richard, stayed at home in the UK. As the mother and daughter were waiting to board a flight back to the UK, they were arrested at the airport, and Gabriella's passport was confiscated. Iranian officials accusing Nazanin of leading a "foreign-linked hostile network" and plotting to overthrow the Iranian government. She was sentenced to five years in jail. Nazanin always denied those allegations and said that she was only in Iran to visit her family. Over the following years, Richard worked to bring her home in any way possible. As he became disillusioned with the political response, he turned to making waves in the press to draw attention to Nazanin's plight. Both he and Nazanin became convinced that she was a pawn in a decades-old political dispute between the Iranian government and the UK, relating to a debt the latter owed. The UK government has always denied that the two issues were linked, but her freedom, and the freedom of other imprisoned dual nationals, was only secured after the debt was paid. That was six years later, in 2022. Prisoner 951, which has been written by Stephen Butchard and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, retells this story in detail, backed up not only by Nazanin and Richard's accounts, but also by extensive research. It's an interesting prospect, given that the story is still so fresh in recent history. This recency suggests that the intention behind the programme is not necessarily just to make you aware of Nazanin's plight, but to make you understand it, both in greater detail and on an emotional level. Throughout the first episode, I have to admit that I worried the drama was focusing too keenly on the former, while neglecting the latter. As the piece speedily ran through Nazanin's detainment, the bogus charges she was levelled with and Richard's response to events, everything felt strangely detached. It turned out that was the drama's genius. Just like Nazanin and Richard themselves, you as a viewer are thrown into a chaotic, confounding situation, where events are escalating at a mile a minute and it's hard to truly reckon with the enormity of what is happening. Then come the final scenes of the episode. One particular sequence, in which Nazanin is briefly reunited with Gabriella, is so moving, so deeply upsetting and so profoundly human, I'd challenge anyone not to well up. From there on out, the four-part series is an emotional hurricane, buffeting you from one crisis scenario to another. This is not in any way easy or light watching, nor should it be. The programme reckons with the real horrors that Nazanin and her family faced, as she was repeatedly given false hope only for it to be squashed. So many of the sequences are utterly infuriating, as she protests her innocence, yet it becomes clearer and clearer the truth really doesn't matter here. There are other factors at play, and she has no agency is securing her own freedom, and reuniting with her daughter and husband. Nazanin's journey is brought to life wonderfully by Narges Rashidi, in a transformative performance which never breaks the immersion of the viewer. It's a performance which could so easily have been one-note, given the suffering Nazanin is seen experiencing, but Rashidi manages to make it anything but, layering her portrayal with additional elements of hope, joy and wit. Thousands of miles away, the other portion of the series, the other side to this coin, is dedicated to Richard's efforts to investigate the real reason for Nazanin's detention, and to spur British politicians into meaningful action. Like Rashidi, Joseph Fiennes is phenomenal in his role. It's a profoundly un-showy performance, one full of restraint, compassion and perseverance, with Richard's frustration and despair almost always bubbling under the surface rather than being out in the open. In so many ways, this is a story of duality. There are Nazanin and Richard's dual stories. There are the two emotional levels it's operating at, balanced perfectly between sorrow and fury. And then there's the genre elements, as the series shifts between profound love story and political thriller. The political narrative is entirely told through Richard and Nazanin's eyes. There are no scenes trying to guess at the conversations the Iranian officials were having privately, nor are there any meeting shown between the British government ministers regarding the situation, without Richard being present. This is absolutely a wise choice, particularly given the recency of events. It also helps to put us firmly in their shoes – for instance, while work may have been going on with regards to Nazanin's case behind closed doors, from Richard's perspective it appeared as though little to nothing was happening, a state we are made to endure as well. However, one downside is that it does leave the scenes with real-life British political figures feeling somewhat artificial and incongruous with the rest of the series. The decision was actively made not to cast and actor to play Boris Johnson, as Butchard explained when speaking with Radio Times magazine. Instead, Johnson appears only in archive footage. In contrast, there are three politicians and former Government ministers that do feature and are played by actors – Tobias Ellwood, James Cleverly and Liz Truss. It's tricky knowing what the team should have done here, given that they wanted to showcase examples of the meetings Richard really did have, and the frustration he felt as he kept pushing for greater focus and action. However, there's no denying that it is jarring seeing Liz Truss brought to life as a character (and a little bit of a caricature), not long after witnessing the real Boris Johnson. Perhaps there is no right answer for what should have been done here. It's certainly a relief we didn't get Truss and Cleverly turning up to play themselves, like the bizarre sequences featuring Nadhim Zahawi in Mr Bates vs the Post Office. Still, the scenes featuring them do stick out, particularly when the rest of the drama is so engrossing and involving, and feels so real. The rest of the cast play their parts ably, with strong performances from the likes of Kavé Niku and Behi Djanati-Atai as Nazanin's brother and mother, as well as from the young actors playing Gabriella at various points of her life. It has to be said none of them get any particularly huge, showcase moments. This really is Nazanin and Richard's stories, as it should be. The end of the drama does go on to highlight another prisoner and activist, whose journey we have seen glimpses of, but in a way which feels slightly out of the blue and doesn't really feel earned by the series. It's clear what the drama is trying to do here, but unfortunately it doesn't entirely land, given the highly personal route it has taken with the rest of its runtime. Regardless, these are such minor quibbles in the face of what is a profoundly impactful watch. Prisoner 951 doesn't break any moulds or feature any particularly notable directorial flourishes, but nor should it. The team behind the series clearly know that in telling a story like this, it is key not to lose focus on the elements that matter. This is a story about resilience, about love, about justice and injustice, but predominantly, it's the story about Nazanin and Richard, two unremarkable people who were forced to become remarkable through horrific circumstance. In its small, limited way, in the way that any drama can, this series does them justice. Prisoner 951 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Sunday 23rd November 2025. Add Prisoner 951 to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
What to watch on TV this week: 22nd - 28th November
Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 and Prisoner 951 are among our picks for what to watch on TV this week.
It's been over three years of waiting, but finally Stranger Things is returning this week, with the first batch of episodes from the sci-fi show's fifth and final season set to arrive on Netflix. It isn't the only scripted show set to release – there is also hard-hitting drama Prisoner 951, which is based on the true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, plus the third season of Alan Carr's sitcom Changing Ends. Meanwhile, fans of documentaries can look forward to two immersive shows, in the form of the BBC's Civilisations: Rise and Fall and Apple TV's Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, plus Peter Jackson's remaster of The Beatles Anthology. Last but not least, on the entertainment front, Strictly Come Dancing is heading to Blackpool for its annual show at the Tower Ballroom, and live event Clash of the Comics, in which some of the biggest names in comedy wrestle each other and some of the UK’s top professionals, is set to be broadcast on U. Here, you'll find our top picks for this week – read on for our full guide of what to watch. Strictly Come Dancing: Blackpool special Release date: Saturday 22nd November, 6:35pm, BBC One The seven remaining pairs of celebrities and professionals will have an extra spring in their step tonight; not just because they’ve reached the second half of the series, but because they will be dancing on the famous sprung floor of the Tower Ballroom. Yes, it’s Blackpool Week. The good news is that we’ll get to see performances kick up a notch as the couples will be joined by a company of dancers who will supercharge their routines. The bad news is that there will undoubtedly be a sky-high number of cheesy skits and puns – due not only to this week’s seaside setting, but also to the footwork-themed musical act gracing the ballroom tonight: Steps. Frances Taylor Prisoner 951 Release date: Sunday 23rd November, 9pm, BBC One In April 2016, charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was returning to Britain with her young daughter after visiting her parents in Iran. The country’s Revolutionary Guard detained her at Tehran’s airport, separating her from her child. Her interrogators suggested she was a spy. It was six years before her family was together again. Written by Stephen Butchard and based on Nanzanin’s book about her experiences, this brilliantly – but distressingly – evokes the feelings of fear, uncertainty, helplessness and frustration felt by Nazanin (Narges Rashidi) and her British husband Richard (Joseph Fiennes) as she was moved from one filthy prison to another. Cruelly, she was told she would be freed in 24 hours, or on a Saturday, but never was. The British Foreign Office advised her husband not to interfere with the diplomatic process, but months passed and Iran wouldn’t even say where she was being held. Inevitably, this is harrowing. Expect to weep but also feel extremely angry. Jane Rackham Changing Ends season 3 <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/changing-ends-season-3-key-art-d6ef9f0.jpg" width="3000" height="2000" alt="Alan Carr and Oliver Savell star in Changing Ends season 3; here, present day Alan and child Alan are sat in separate twin beds – the older Alan smiles at the camera, while the younger Alan reads Agatha Christie" title="changing-ends-season-3-key-art" /> Release date: Sunday 23rd November, 10:05pm, ITV1 It’s summer 1989, a period when teenagers got their kicks at the poster racks in Athena, or “Woolies for perverts” as Alan Carr puts it. Only, the young version of Alan (Oliver Savell) can’t get excited by the image of a female tennis player’s bare bottom, his gaze instead landing on Jake, a school mate with a Saturday job on the tills. As series three of this beautifully observed sitcom arrives, the hormones are raging and Alan feels he should suppress his true feelings to pursue girls. He may have made for a convincing adult Traitor, but adolescent lothario proves a tad trickier. More tomorrow at 10.20pm. David Brown Civilisations: Rise and Fall Release date: Monday 24th November, 9pm, BBC Two The BBC is clear that this handsomely produced series is the inheritor of Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation, but there are some key differences. Gone is the authored presentation; instead we have almost too many experts talking to camera, and lots of (shudder) dramatic reconstructions. And all to push the same notion; that what’s happening in the world today is mirrored in the fall of great civilisations of the past. In this first episode, for example, looking at events leading to the sack of Rome in 410 AD by the Goths, we have the blowback from imperial expansion, a refugee crisis, the concentration of wealth among a few super-rich… The gloom is leavened with some glorious objects courtesy of the British Museum (I particularly like the bronze head of Augustus that was buried in front of a temple in Sudan to be deliberately walked over), and you can’t fault the contributors, who are expert communicators. It’s educational to a fault, but sometimes you just want to enjoy beautiful things. Gill Crawford The Beatles Anthology Release date: Wednesday 26th November, Disney Plus Originally broadcast thirty years ago, this exhaustive eight-part documentary did much to bolster and enshrine the Beatles’ legacy. Now it’s been visually and audially refreshed by film director and Get Back maestro Peter Jackson. With full access to the band’s rich archive and told via to-camera testimony from Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, with candid audio commentary from John Lennon, it remains the definitive retelling of pop culture’s greatest story. It serves as a thorough introduction to the Fab Four for the TikTok generation, and a joyous trip down memory lane for everyone else. A real highlight for afficionados will be a new ninth episode (releasing on Thursday) which Jackson has put together from previously unseen footage, filmed between 1994 and 1995, of the surviving ‘Threatles’ as they reunited, reminisced and worked on new music. Mark Taylor Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age Release date: Wednesday 26th November, Apple TV Back in 2022, dinosaur telly was taken up several notches by Prehistoric Planet, a series that achieved the impossible and made entirely computer-generated images of extinct animals look essentially indistinguishable from real footage. Now it's taking us back millions of years into the past once more to meet the woolly mammoths, hardy rodents and giant, sabre-toothed cats that had to survive in bitter cold - and animals elsewhere who were dealing with a changing climate that wasn't necessarily icy. As it turns its viewers into experts on Pleistocene megafauna, it looks as stunning as ever. Jack Seale Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/07/StrangerThingsS50011-99cd161.jpg" width="4488" height="2992" alt="Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, and Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things all standing on a ledge and looking down." title="StrangerThings_S5_0011" /> Release date: Thursday 27th November, Netflix After nine years of getting our heads around demogorgons, Mind Flayers and the Upside-Down, the pop culture phenomenon finally enters its endgame, releasing four episodes this week before its final entries drop on Netflix between Christmas and new year. Stranger Things has become such a huge success with so many die-hard fans, it’s hard to imagine how they’ll manage to wrap up all the plot threads while also creating a satisfying conclusion. Certainly, these opening episodes have to do a lot of set-up before they get to the “horror in 1980s suburbia” sequences this show does best. We open back in Hawkins, Indiana in 1987, just four years after young Will Byers went missing and introduced the town to the creepy ‘Upside Down’ world that exists on a parallel plane of existence. Last series, psychic baddie Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) tried to force the two worlds together, but the military have papered over the cracks and have Hawkins in lockdown. Vecna’s hurt, but still out there. So it’s down to Hawkins’ finest – including telekinetic teen Eleven, played by series breakout Millie Bobby Brown – to track him down. Assuming, of course, he doesn’t track them down first… Huw Fullerton Clash of the Comics Release date: Friday 28th November, U Punchlines meet clotheslines in this bizarre mash-up of stand-up comedy and wrestling, brought to TV after years as a live show fixture at comedy festivals. The premise is simple – well-known stand-ups try their hand at the theatrical, faux-violent world of pro wrestling, either against other comics or real wrestlers. The headline “grudge match” is between Ed Gamble and Phil Wang – sorry, Ed “The Gambler” Gamble and Phil “Kill” Wang – but other comics entering the ring include Rosie Jones, Rose Matafeo, Maisie Adam and Amy Gledhill. On hand for commentary duties are Greg James, Nish Kumar and Sara Pascoe, with Ivo Graham as the MC and other familiar stand-ups popping up throughout. A full, 2 hour-plus version will air on U&Dave next week, but for now you can check out nine bite-size segments on their streaming service. And frankly, this may be the best way to watch, as the full show is a little baggy and chaotic. Watch out for highlights including James Acaster’s big entrance, and some surprisingly brutal moves from the full-time wrestlers. Huw Fullerton Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Endeavour favourite stars in first look at all-new MI5 drama from award-winning writer where "loyalty and deception collide"
Shaun Evans, Romola Garai and Zahra Ahmadi star in Betrayal, which is coming to ITV1 in 2026.
A selection of first-look images have been released for Betrayal, the new ITV drama from award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge, directed by BAFTA and Emmy nominee Julian Jarrold (A Very Royal Scandal). The images for the series, which will arrive in 2026, show us the characters played by Shaun Evans (Endeavour), Romola Garai (Vigil) and Zahra Ahmadi (Beyond Paradise) for the first time. While Evans plays John Hughes, a mid-career MI5 officer, Garai plays his partner Claire and Ahmadi his unlikely ally, Mehreen Askari-Evans, an intelligence operative. The synopsis for the series says it sees John "navigating a rapidly evolving intelligence landscape while struggling to keep his personal life intact". The synopsis continues: "Acting on a hunch, John meets a British-Iranian man with links to the Stockport gangland who claims to have intelligence about an imminent plot on UK soil. "When the encounter takes an unexpected turn, John finds himself under internal investigation, facing scrutiny from his superiors, including Simone Grant (Nikki Amuka-Bird), while his partner Claire (Garai) grapples with the secrecy that defines his world. John’s efforts to save his marriage are complicated by his inability to let the case go. And when he meets Mehreen Askari-Evans (Ahmadi), an intelligence operative who is tasked with taking over John’s duties, he finds an unlikely ally. "As John becomes increasingly convinced of the involvement of a hardline faction of the Iranian regime, he also starts to worry there are enemies closer to home. But can he identify the target and avert the attack before it’s too late?" Other stars set to feature in Betrayal include Gamba Cole (The Outlaws), Omid Djalili (His Dark Materials), Matthew Tennyson (Grantchester), Hayley Tamaddon (Unforgotten), Anthony Flanagan (House of the Dragon), Paddy Rowan (G’wed), Waj Ali (Out There). They will be joined by Karim Kadjar (Wolf Hall), Emma Cunniffe (Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes), Georgina Rylance (Sherlock), Ben Lambert (Outlander), Julia Watson (Doctor Who) and Julian Wadham (Black Doves). Betrayal will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX in 2026. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Mrs Brown's Boys star's BBC sitcom special with "shed full of laughs" gets first look amid major production update
Half-hour comedy Shedites will form part of the BBC's 2025 festive offering.
The BBC has released a first-look image from the behind-the-scenes of new one-off comedy special Shedites, as production has begun. Shedites, which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, has been created and written by Mrs Brown's Boys star and writer Paddy Houlihan, while he has brought a host of his cast mates from the hit sitcom across to star in the project. Brendan O’Carroll, Danny O’Carroll, Simon Delaney and Houlihan himself will all appear in the project, along with Trying star Phil Davis, The Young Offenders actor Shane Casey and Small Town, Big Story's Deirdre O’Kane. It has also been confirmed that the special will be part of the BBC’s festive offering this Christmas, meaning it's on a tight turnaround. The synopsis for Shedites says that it is about "a place where men can make themselves useful building and repairing things, and along the way find company through unlikely friendships, a sense of purpose, and a mug of strong tea". The synopsis continues: "The half hour comedy sees Jimmy (Brendan O’Carroll), Harry (Davis), Gavin (Delaney), Cheesy (Danny O’Carroll), Paul (Casey) and Paddy the Liar (Houlihan) set out to build a new bike from recycled parts to try and win the local 'Santa Spin' race. "If they succeed, it’ll be a rare triumph for the lads. And if they don’t, Councillor Orla (Deirde O’Kane) will make sure they hear about it." Houlihan said in a statement: "It’s a privilege to see actors I’ve admired for years bring real depth to characters that began in my imagination. Alongside a crew who’ve poured skill and graft into every frame, they’ve taken what was on the page and lifted it to the screen with humour, honesty, and heart. Watching Shedites come to life has been a surreal experience." Meanwhile, Brendan O’Carroll added: "It’s inspiring and exciting to be filming Shedites. I saw this as a germ of an idea in Paddy’s head. To see it come to fruition is everything his talent deserves." The fifth season of Mrs Brown's Boys aired earlier this year on BBC One and iPlayer, while the long-running show will also soon be back for its annual festive specials. Shedites will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
ITV unveils its Christmas 2025 TV line-up – from Red Eye to The Masked Singer and a hit new US drama
There are also Christmas specials for favourites such as Bullseye, Catchphrase and Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win on the way.
We're now just over a month away from Christmas Day, and you know what that means – the festive TV schedules are on their way. While exact release dates for many programmes are yet to be unveiled, ITV has now unveiled its line-up for this year's holiday season, with big hitters including the highly anticipated second season of Red Eye, starring Jing Lusi and Martin Compston, as well as The Masked Singer's Christmas special and the beginning of its seventh season. When it comes to dramas on the schedule, there are big US shows coming to ITV, including The Hunting Wives, which will arrive on ITVX on 27th December, and Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, which was first released in 2022 and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Uma Thurman, plus Australian series The Family Next Door. Meanwhile, entertainment formats returning for Christmas specials include Bullseye, Catchphrase, Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win, Romesh Ranganathan’s Parents’ Evening, Wheel of Fortune, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, You Bet! and The 1% Club, with the latter also getting a spin-off starting from Monday 8th December, titled The 1% Club Rollover. There are also a number of big royal events and programmes on ITV's line-up, including this year's Royal Carols: Together at Christmas, The Royal Variety Performance 2025 and Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge. Meanwhile, Stephen Mulhern and Ant & Dec are teaming up for a brand new travel format, Accidental Tourist, while a documentary titled Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance will follow the ice skating legends on their last ever tour, and another one-off documentary will take viewers Inside M&S at Christmas. This year's Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball will also be coming to ITV, and Stephen Mulhern returns as host for the annual The Big Soap Quiz - Coronation Street v Emmerdale. If all that wasn't enough, ITV is also hosting a ton of hit movies over the Christmas season, from festive favourites like Love Actually, The Grinch, Red One and It’s a Wonderful Life, to alternative options such as The Batman, Mamma Mia!, Big, Ghostbusters, How To Train Your Dragon and Top Gun. We're sure to hear more from the other broadcasters regarding their festive line-ups in the coming days and weeks, although we already know that the BBC will be bringing us an Amandaland Christmas special and The Night Manager season 2, as Channel 4 hosts a Peep Show special of The Great British Bake Off, and a one-off festive comedy called Dear Father Christmas. Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Beloved '00s Christmas film tipped for sequel following death of iconic star Diane Keaton
A sequel to 2005's The Family Stone could be on the way.
As we head into the festive period, film fans across the land will be returning to their Christmas movie favourites – from The Muppet Christmas Carol to Elf, Love Actually and everything in between. One film which is often a staple on many a watch-list is The Family Stone, the 2005 comedy drama starring the late Diane Keaton alongside an ensemble cast including Craig T Nelson, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams and Tyrone Giordano. Now, it seems another film could get added to those lists, as writer-director Thomas Bezucha has confirmed he is working on a sequel, in order to honour Keaton following her passing in October. The first film ended with the implication that Keaton's character Sybil had died after her breast cancer metastasised, and Bezucha revealed that he was already "haunted by the loss of Sybil" while working on the project before Keaton's death. He told CNN: "I’ve been haunted by the loss of Sybil for months while I worked on it, and so this was a blow on a tender bruise already. Mentally, I’ve been spending time in that house where I’ve been missing her for a while already." Bezucha said he now feels compelled to "do a good job by the rest of the cast," and has a desire to "honour her even more" in the wake of Keaton's death. Bezucha added that he would only be interested in moving forward with the project if the original cast were interested in returning, and said that when he reached out previously about it, he received received unanimously positive responses – even though no one has officially signed on and the film hasn't been formally greenlit yet. The Family Stone the titular family as the eldest son, Everett, brought his girlfriend Meredith home for Christmas, intending to propose to her. However, when she received a hostile reception from the family, she begged her sister Julie to join her. The Family Stone is available to watch on both Netflix and Disney Plus. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £5.99 a month now. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Friends spin-off Joey finally releases eight unaired episodes nearly two decades later
While Friends remains one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, its spin-off and follow-up show Joey lasted only two seasons, with the final eight episodes of the second run never even airing in the US after it was cancelled. Now, finally, 19 years after Joey was cancelled in 2006, all of the episodes, including the final eight, are available to stream, with all of them having been made available to watch on the Friends YouTube channel. Originally, the show's broadcaster NBC pulled the show from its Thursday night slot in December 2005, before airing a further episode on a Tuesday in March. After this, the eight remaining episodes went unreleased, although they were broadcast through other networks internationally. The series saw Matt LeBlanc reprise his role as Joey Tribbiani, with the character seen leaving New York and heading to Hollywood, in order to take his acting career to the next level. Other key characters the show introduced included Drea de Matteo as his highly-strung sister Gina, and Paulo Costanzo as his 20-year-old genius nephew Michael. After the show was cancelled, Friends executive producer and director Kevin S Bright explained why he thought the spin-off failed. He told The Age: "On Friends, Joey was a womaniser but we enjoyed his exploits. He was a solid friend, a guy you knew you could count on. "Joey was deconstructed to be a guy who couldn’t get a job, couldn’t ask a girl out. He became a pathetic, mopey character. I felt he was moving in the wrong direction, but I was not heard." Following the end of Joey, LeBlanc went on to have roles in series including Episodes and Man with a Plan, while he was also one of the presenters of Top Gear for four seasons. Friends is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Joey is available to watch on YouTube. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Why won't there be a Jurassic World: Chaos Theory season 5?
The animated series has picked up on the story originally started in Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.
It's been a big year for fans of the Jurassic franchise, as not only has a new big screen adventure, Jurassic World: Rebirth, been released, but two full seasons of animated spin-off Jurassic World: Chaos Theory have also come to Netflix. The most recent season, which has just been added to the platform, follows the Nublar Six as they come together to survive the deadly dinosaur and human threats hidden within Biosyn Valley. But for those who have already made their way through all the episodes, can we expect to see the gang again, or is this the end for the beloved animated show? Read on for everything you need to know about why we're not expecting to see a Jurassic World: Chaos Theory season 5. Why won't there be a Jurassic World: Chaos Theory season 5? <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/JWCTS3Ben-Sammy-Yasmina-Darius-Kenji-78f542d.jpg" width="3060" height="2040" alt="Kausar Mohammed as Yasmina Fadoula, Sean Giambrone as Ben Pincus, Raini Rodriguez as Sammy Gutierrez, Paul-Mikél Williams as Darius Bowman and Darren Barnet as Kenji Kon in Jurassic World: Chaos Theory season 3." title="JWCT_S3_Ben Sammy Yasmina Darius Kenji" /> Sadly, there won't be a fifth season of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, as the show is coming to an end with its fourth run, which has been dubbed an "epic conclusion". Thankfully, it seems the team behind the show have known for some time that the show would be ending at this point, meaning they have had time to plan and bring the story to a close, rather than it being cancelled and left on a cliffhanger. View oEmbed on the source website Season 4, which is once again made up of 10 episodes, is being called the show's "final season", and the cast and creatives have spoken about bringing this journey, which started in preceding series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, to a close. Writer Nick Rodriguez took to X (formerly Twitter) to encourage fans to "celebrate" the release of the "final season", and share how they plan on experiencing "the end of this story". View oEmbed on the source website What has been said about the end of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory? While the team behind the show appear to have had time to prepare for its ending, creator and showrunner Scott Kreamer did say in an interview with CBR that the show's ending was "not up to me". When the interviewer suggested there could be a fifth season, he responded: "I wish!" He then added: "We're really excited and it's an honour to be a part of this franchise. And you feel a responsibility and I'm looking forward to folks seeing season 4, and hopefully we landed the plane." Meanwhile, Kreamer has also noted that fans shouldn't expect this final season of Chaos Theory to catch up with the film series' timeline and Jurassic World: Rebirth. Instead, he has said that it "runs kind of parallel" to 2023 film Jurassic World: Dominion. "Rebirth is still off in the future from Chaos Theory," he told ScreenRant. "We're still going to be revisiting a lot of things from different points of view that you see in Dominion." Will there be more Jurassic World animated series? Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the story of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and Jurassic World: Chaos Theory will be followed up with more series. While it's always possible, and the cast have noted that they also thought they were saying goodbye at the end of Camp Cretaceous, Paul-Mikél Williams said he felt a sense of "closure" this time around. He told ScreenRant: "The finality of it kind of comes from seeing the end of it, rather than recording the end of it, specifically. In doing press and stuff like this, mainly, because this is kind of our little shipping and handling thing before we send it off to the rest of the world, which is probably why we haven't really felt like it's over yet. "At least for me, I feel like, what Kaus said, Darius is probably always going to be a part of my life. I grew up with him. I started playing Darius when I was 12. I'm going on, 20 years old now. So, being able to share a life journey with him, and seeing what Scott, and our writers and everybody else that's worked on our animators, everything brings him to life alongside me growing up. "He's like a parallel to me. I'm inspired by him. I'm inspired by him, despite me playing the character. So, I don't think I'll ever see an end to my relationship with Darius, in that way." Meanwhile, Kausar Mohammed said of recording on the final season: "Oh, that question kind of hurts. [Laughs] I think it was really lovely. We did get to record the last episode together, and that felt really special. "And then, of course, after doing the original record, it was going back and doing some ADRs. I think the team did a good job of bringing us together and having our little toast. So, I feel like Yaz is never going to go away forever. But we did have a moment to kind of say, 'Okay, you know, this is the time.'" On a more optimistic front, Kreamer recently revealed that it wasn't until they were in post-production on the final season of Camp Cretaceous when they had the idea for Chaos Theory. He said: "We've been working fast. You guys can speak to that. I think it was about a week or two after we said, 'Well, Camp Cretaceous is over,' and we all had our cries and everything. And then we called back and said, 'Okay, but we're going to do some more.'" Given this, it's entirely possible that a new idea will form and a third series could come to be. However, for now, it seems we should prepare for this to be goodbye to the Nublar Six for the final time. Jurassic World: Chaos Theory is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Wicked: For Good's early Rotten Tomatoes score revealed as wave of reviews arrive - is it as good as the first?
The new film will be out in UK cinemas later this week.
We are now just two days out from Wicked: For Good being released in cinemas. As anticipation reaches boiling point, the first batch of reviews have been released from critics who have already had a chance to see the movie. Now that the first 105 reviews are in, as of Wednesday 19th November, the film is currently sitting at 72 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. The first film achieved a score of 88 per cent, meaning that, while more reviews are still skewing positive than those that are skewing negative, there appears to be more critics who had a negative opinion of Wicked: For Good compared to Wicked. It should be noted that the first Wicked film has 403 reviews logged on the site, so the sequel's rating could still shift dramatically in either direction as more reviews come in. RadioTimes.com gave the film four stars in our review, which poses that, while director Jon M Chu "doesn’t quite generate the same emotional heft as the previous film", For Good will still "surely satisfy Wicked’s extensive army of devotees". Elsewhere, Empire's review states that "all the characters are much less cheerful than they were last time around, and as a result it’s less enjoyable for us to watch", while The Independent calls it an "aimless slog of a sequel". In contrast, the BBC has called For Good "more captivating" than its predecessor, and Variety says that it "fixes flaws in the Broadway show’s second act". In terms of what viewers can expect from the story, Chu recently explained that, despite the new film's events overlapping somewhat with those presented in The Wizard of Oz, it "is still Elphaba and Glinda’s journey", meaning audiences won't actually see Dorothy's face in the new movie. He told People: "I didn’t want to step on who you think Dorothy is in whatever story that you came into this with. She is a pawn in the middle of all of it." Wicked: For Good is scheduled for release in UK cinemas on 21st November 2025. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Boys season 5: Release date speculation and latest news
We're now heading rapidly towards the end of the year and the start of 2026, and for fans of The Boys, that means just one thing – season 5 is finally on its way. Fans have been waiting for the hard-edged superhero show's final season for some time now, and while we don't yet have an exact release date, we do know it will arrive in 2026, with filming having wrapped up earlier this year. When filming came to an end, a number of the show's central cast members took to Instagram to reflect on their journeys with their characters. For instance, Starlight star Erin Moriarty posted: "The tears have begun. The posts are incoming. I said goodbye to most of my work family today and I’ll be ready to smile about it when I’m ready to smile about it." Meanwhile, Homelander actor Antony Starr wrote on Instagram: "I love this show. And I love this character. Truly. I will dearly miss heading to work, knowing what we were aiming for but never knowing where we would find ourselves by the end of the day…only that we would have fun and it would be creatively rewarding in the extreme. "This complicated character allowed the space and range to discover and push boundaries in a way I never expected and I will always be grateful for this experience. "And of course huge gratitude to my co-parent with this twisted gem of a character - @erickripke1 . We created a monster, sir. And I will miss him, and you. Til we roll out the last season. When I’ll see you. But this creative chapter is closed , and I’ll miss it, brother. "And finally - massive thank you to the fans. You are the life blood. Without you, we don’t get to do this. And our fans are second to none. Mad love to you… and deepest respect for your taste. Okidoke people. We cooked for the last time. Can’t wait to show you what we made. Til that day, Homelander, signing off." It's sure to be an emotional (and gruesome, and explosive) ending to the beloved show, but at this point, what do we actually know for certain about season 5? Read on for everything you need to know, but beware – spoilers for seasons 1-4, plus seasons 1-2 of spin-off Gen V, abound. The Boys season 5 release date speculation While we don't have a specific release date for The Boys season 5, it will be released in 2026, as confirmed in an Instagram post by actor Karl Urban. Alongside a picture of co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Urban wrote: "Working with the illustrious @jeffreydeanmorgan was the best part of my day every day. That’s all @theboystv for now folks. See you in …2 years (wish it was sooner) for the final season on @primevideo." A 2026 release date would be consistent with the two-year hiatuses between seasons 2 and 3, and 3 and 4. Filming kicked off on 25th November 2024. Creator Eric Kripke confirmed the filming start date to Collider, this month, adding that it's going to be difficult dealing with the fact that the series is coming to an end. He said: "I’m fortunate, in that I get to maintain my denial for quite a while because I’m so busy right now… "Just the amount of work, it’s so busy that I think somewhere in the middle of the season, it’s gonna hit me, and hit me really emotionally. I’ve been wilfully denying it. It hasn’t totally sunk in. That will be hard." Filming wrapped on 1st July 2025, with Kripke saying in a statement (as reported by Variety): "This is the last time I’ll ever be on this set. It’ll be torn down soon. It’s bittersweet, but my primary feeling is gratitude. We have the best cast, the best crew, the most fun story to write, and something that is impossible to predict: the right timing. "You wait your whole career to have maybe two of those things, if you’re lucky. We got all of them. To [The Boys] family: thank you, I love you all. To the fans: thanks for watching, can’t wait for you to see the grand finale. That’s a wrap." In an Instagram post in October 2025 he also said that the new season would be "COMING (reasonably) SOON" – which could hint at a release date in the first half of 2026. The Boys season 5 cast The following stars have been confirmed to star in The Boys season 5: Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell Karl Urban as Billy Butcher Antony Starr as Homelander Erin Moriarty as Annie/Starlight Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk Jessie T Usher as A-Train Chace Crawford as The Deep Tomer Capone as Serge/Frenchie Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett Cameron Crovetti as Ryan Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy Mason Dye as Bombsight Paul Reiser as The Legend Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau London Thor and Derek Luh as Jordan Li Lizze Broadway as Emma Meyer Maddie Phillips as Cate Dunlap Asa Germann as Sam Riordan Keeya King as Annabeth Moreau Daveed Diggs as TBC Jared Padalecki as TBC Misha Collins as TBC Jensen Ackles will reprise his role as Soldier Boy in The Boys season 5, it has been confirmed. The news was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, in which Ackles made a surprise appearance. Showrunner Eric Kripke said (via Deadline): "We can announce that Soldier Boy will be a regular in season 5. The motherf***er’s back." Kripke had previously said in a 2022 interview: "We’ll all have to wait and see, but I can’t imagine the series ending without Soldier Boy making another appearance." It was also revealed that, once The Boys final season ends, Ackles will appear in a new prequel series called Vought Rising. We're not sure at the moment who else could return, but it seems likely that all of the main stars from The Boys season 4 will be back for season 5. That is, those who managed to survive. While we assumed that meant we wouldn't be seeing Claudia Doumit's Victoria Neuman again due to her death in the season 4 finale, Deadline has listed Doumit as a cast member who's set to return. We also wouldn't expect to see Robin's Grace Mallory again, except in flashback form, after her demise. Either way, fans will have to keep their eyes peeled on who returns in the upcoming season. We also have some new castings to look forward to! Stranger Things star Mason Dye, who played Jason Carver in the series, has been cast as Bombsight. While little is known about the character, Bombsight has actually been mentioned in The Boys before. In season 4, it was mentioned that he starred in the 1950s film The Curse of Fu Manchu from Vought International. Sources claim that Dye will also appear in upcoming spin-off Vought Rising but Prime Video declined to comment on that element of the casting. Dye isn't the only new face we'll see in season 5. Daveed Diggs, star of Hamilton, Snowpiercer, and The Little Mermaid, was recently cast in a mysterious role in the upcoming season. Meanwhile, there will be a reason to rejoice for Supernatural fans who watch The Boys. Jensen Ackles will be joined by his former co-stars Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins in the new season, a Supernatural reunion that nobody saw coming. Who Padalecki and Collins will be playing has yet to be announced. The trio shared the news in a video posted to social media, alongside the tagline "Season 5 just got a bit more supernatural". Padalecki recently teased what fans can expect from his on-screen reunion with his former Supernatural co-stars in the final season of The Boys, telling Business Insider during the 2025 Texas Film Awards. Confirming he will share screen time with Ackles, he continued: "I don’t know a whole lot about it, which is effing terrifying," he said. Meanwhile, Ackles said of welcoming Padalecki and Collins, when speaking with People: "It was weird. It was like inviting my friends over to somebody else’s house for dinner. I was like, 'Listen, guys, don’t make me look bad. I got to stay here.' They were amazing. I can't wait to talk more about it because it was quite an experience." We also know that a number of Gen V stars will be making an appearance, after the season 2 finale of that show saw them joining the official resistance against Homelander's reign, seemingly led by Starlight and A-Train. Those expected to appear include Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau, London Thor and Derek Luh as Jordan Li, Lizze Broadway as Emma Meyer, Maddie Phillips as Cate Dunlap, Asa Germann as Sam Riordan and Keeya King as Annabeth Moreau. The Boys season 5 plot: What could happen? Exact plot details for The Boys season 5 are being kept under wraps, but if creator Kripke's recent comments are anything to go by, fans can expect an epic sendoff. Speaking to LadBible, Kripke previously teased: "You know, I think the finale of season four really shows you that we've been planning five years all along." He added: "There's no way a show goes one more season after the events of that finale. As far as we're concerned, it's our show's version of the apocalypse." Meanwhile, in an interview with ScreenRant, Colby Minifie, known for her role as Ashley Barrett, revealed that the season 5 ending is being kept hidden from the show's cast. She said: "We're still in the middle [of production on season 5], and those writers really know how to do it. They actually haven't given us the last two episodes yet, but it's all building. It's really building in a way where I'm like, "Oh my God, what's going to happen next?!" I can't wait to read those episodes. She continued: "It's crazy, man. It's been seven years working on that character, and it's crazy being in that headspace for so long. What's great about The Boys is that it allows us to comment on what's happening in our society in real-time. And it's palatable because it's within a genre that is fantasy." What we do know about The Boys season 5, plot-wise, is that there's going to be plenty of characters that aren't going to make it out alive. In an interview with Deadline, creator Eric Kripke has teased “there will probably be lots of deaths " and “there’s no guarantee of who’s gonna survive” the final season. Considering The Boys started as a comic and has its own ending, some fans may feel like they at least have an idea of who will survive. But according to cast member Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir) there are going to be some things in season 5 that fans aren't "going to have in [their] bingo card." What this means is anyone's guess, but we feel safe assuming that everyone is fair game. In June 2025, just before filming wrapped, Jack Quaid said that fans can expect "a great finale", as he praised Kripke for pulling it off and called it "a hard thing to do in TV". "I’m happy that [creator] Eric Kripke got to make the ending he intended, and he did a great job," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "So I’m excited for you guys to see it." Why will The Boys season 5 be the final season? Showrunner Eric Kripke has explained his reasoning for ending The Boys with its fifth season, saying it was always his plan and he just had to convince Prime Video. He told TVLine that Prime Video pushed back "lovingly", adding: "There was no, like, 'You have to keep this show going.' It was more of like a very friendly and respectful, like, 'Are you sure season 5 is the last season? Are you sure you don’t want to do more?'" He continued: "But we were already, like, barreling towards this. The truth is we knew that it was going to be a five-season story for years now. I mean, probably since writing the beginning of season 3, we knew, and so we were already laying down track that was always heading in this direction. "Honestly, they’ve been great about letting us end it on our own terms. I’m really grateful." However, fans don't need to worry that the fifth season will be a full-stop on the world of The Boys. Gen V could be renewed for season 3, and another Mexico-set spin-off in development, it seems there is plenty of potential for the universe to run and run. Kripke told Entertainment Weekly: "This story of The Boys will not continue on. With any luck, Gen V will continue on, there will be hopefully a couple others in development that we're talking about that can continue on, but The Boys story ends in season 5." Is there a trailer for The Boys season 5? There isn't a trailer available for The Boys season 5 yet. We will add any new footage from season 5 in here as and when it is released, but in the meantime you can rewatch the season 4 trailer below. View oEmbed on the source website The Boys seasons 1-4 are available to stream now on Prime Video – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Simpsons kills off memorable character in surprising new season 37 episode
The character has been a fixture on the show since season 2.
**Warning – contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 37 episode 7, which will debut in the UK on Monday 24th November** The latest episode of The Simpsons brought with it a shocking twist, as fans witnessed the death of a character who has been a mainstay on the show since almost its very beginning. The episode in question – called Sashes to Sashes – saw Alice Glick, the organist at Springfield's church, die as a sermon was being given, with a memorial service later being held at Springfield Elementary. While some character deaths in the show's history haven't turned out to be permanent, executive producer Tim Long told People that Alice is indeed gone for good. He said: "In a sense, Alice the organist will live forever, through the beautiful music she made. But in another, more important sense, yep, she’s dead as a doornail." Alice first appeared in the season 2 episode Three Men and a Comic Book, which aired in 1991. She was at that time voiced by Cloris Leachman, but following Leachman's passing in 2021, Tress MacNeille took over the role. Earlier this year, fans worried that the show had also killed off Mr Largo, Lisa's music teacher, as referenced in an offhand comment by Springfield Elementary student Devin. However, this turned out not to be the case, with executive producer and writer Jessica Conrad telling TVLine that she didn't expect anyone could "actually believe that we would kill him off off-camera". Other characters to have been killed off over the years include Frank Grimes, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Maude Flanders, Mona Simpson, Hyman Krustofsky and Larry Dalrymple. The finale of the previous season also featured the death of Marge Simpson in a flash-forward – however, executive producer Matt Selman responded to a public outcry by saying that "The Simpsons doesn’t even have canon", and that "the only place Marge is dead is in one future episode". New episodes of The Simpsons season 37 arrive on Disney+ on Mondays in the UK – you can sign up to Disney Plus from £5.99 a month now. Add The Simpsons to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Miss Scarlet and The Duke season 4 finally has free-to-air release date confirmed
Season 4 was the last run to star Stuart Martin as The Duke.
Almost two years after the fourth season of Miss Scarlet and The Duke aired on U&Alibi, the episodes are now finally set to arrive on one of UKTV's free-to-air channels, U&Drama. Season 4, which was the last run of the drama to star Stuart Martin alongside continuing lead Kate Phillips, will start airing on U&Drama on Wednesday, 10th December at 8pm – making it an early Christmas present for fans. The following episode will be broadcast the next night in the same slot – Thursday, 11th December at 8pm. Miss Scarlet and the Duke, which has been running since 2020, follows a private investigator in the Victorian era, Eliza Scarlet, who frequently teams up with her childhood friend William Wellington, a detective inspector of Scotland Yard, who is nicknamed 'the Duke'. The first episode of season 4 sees Eliza team up with the Duke to investigate a burglary at a high-end brothel whose clients include important members of the British government. Earlier this year, the show returned for its fifth season of U&Alibi, but in doing so it changed its title to just Miss Scarlet. This was because Stuart Martin, who plays the Duke, left the series, with Tom Durant-Pritchard arriving as the new male lead, a detective inspector called Alexander Blake. The series will also be back for a sixth season, with the new episodes starting to air next month on PBS Masterpiece in the US, before coming to U&Alibi in the UK in 2026. Season 6 will see Eliza and Blake’s once-fraught relationship beginning to evolve, leading them to find that working together may be a tricky prospect. Meanwhile, newlyweds Ivy and Potts adjust to married life, a new detective settles in at Scotland Yard, and Nash causes chaos, even from across the globe. Alongside the leads, season 6 will also star Cathy Belton as Ivy, Paul Bazely as Clarence, Simon Ludders as Mr Potts, Tim Chipping as Detective Phelps, Felix Scott as Nash and Ansu Kabia as Moses. Miss Scarlet and The Duke season 4 will begin airing on U&Drama on Wednesday 10th December at 8pm. The series will return for season 6 on U&Alibi in 2026. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
There are plenty more of Stephen Booth's novels left to adapt.
New 5 crime drama Cooper & Fry, which stars Doctor Who's Mandip Gill and Downton Abbey's Robert James-Collier, has only just started airing, but already viewers are loving the dynamic between the two mismatched detectives. The show is based on a long-running series of novels by Stephen Booth, and with only four having been adapted for the first season, there are plenty of opportunities for it to continue in future seasons. But will that be the case? Will Gill and James-Collier be back to solve further mysteries? And if so, when would any new episodes likely be released? Read on for everything you need to know about the potential for a Cooper & Fry season 2 on 5. Will there be a Cooper & Fry season 2? We don't yet know whether there will be a Cooper & Fry season 2, as season 1 has only just started airing on 5. It will likely be a few more weeks or months until we hear more regarding the future of the show. However, it certainly seems to be the case that the team behind the drama want to make more, and there are certainly more of Stephen Booth's novels to adapt – 14 of them, in fact. Speaking ahead of the series airing, Cooper star Robert James-Collier said: "Hopefully, if the audience laps up the series, we have more avenues to explore." Meanwhile, director Ryan Tohill said: "If the audience engages with Rob and Mandip as a partnership, and become invested in them, the show will have legs. We can then have even more fun with the plots and turn even darker in another series." We will keep this page updated with any new information regarding the future of Cooper & Fry as and when we get it. When would a potential Cooper & Fry season 2 be released? If Cooper & Fry were to be renewed, then we'd imagine a second season could be turned around fairly quickly. Procedural detective dramas such as this are usually able to air annually, meaning a late 2026 date certainly seems possible. However, at this point this is purely speculation, as without an official renewal, we of course also don't yet have an official release date. We will update this page with any further information as we get it. Who would return to star in a potential Cooper & Fry season 2? Depending on how the first season of Cooper & Fry shapes out, we'd imagine that all of the central cast would be back for a potential season 2, with Robert James-Collier and Mandip Gill almost certain to return as the titular duo. You can find a full list of the season 1 cast here, any of whom could potential be back for a second season. Robert James-Collier as DC Ben Cooper Mandip Gill as DC Diane Fry Charlotte Bradley as Isobel Cooper Lorcan Cranitch as DI Paul Hitchens Barry O'Connor as DS Todd Eland Niamh McCann as Tracey Garnett Clara Simpson as Dr Juliana Taylor Is there a trailer for Cooper & Fry season 2? There isn't a trailer for Cooper & Fry season 2 yet, as not only has it not yet started filming, it hasn't even been confirmed at this point. However, we will make sure to add one in here if and when it is released, and for now you can rewatch the season 1 trailer below. View oEmbed on the source website Cooper & Fry continues on Tuesday 25th November at 8pm on 5. Add Cooper & Fry to your watchlist when it arrives on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The series sees a city police officer transferring to the countryside, and being teamed up with a local.
New 5 drama Cooper & Fry stars Robert James-Collier and Mandip Gill as the titular mismatched detectives – while Cooper is an affable local copper, Fry is guarded and aloof, having recently transferred from Leeds under somewhat mysterious circumstances. The series is based on the bestselling novels by Stephen Booth, and sees the characters form a unique friendship as their personal lives begin to intertwine and their past scars look to be healed. Beyond the characters and the mysteries they investigate each week, viewers will no doubt also be drawn to the show's remarkable scenery, showing off some beautiful countryside locations. But just where is the series actually set and where was it filmed? Read on for everything you need to know about the filming locations used for Cooper & Fry. Where is Cooper & Fry set? Cooper & Fry is set in the Peak District in Derbyshire, and specifically in the fictional town of Edendale. It follows Ben Cooper, a local police officer who is partnered up with Diane Fry, a new member of the team. She was a successful detective in Leeds, but has to adapt to countryside policing throughout the series. Of his fictional location, Stephen Booth, the author of the Cooper & Fry novels, told Shots Magazine: "My interest in using a strong sense of place in crime fiction goes back a long way. Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles made a deep impression on me as a child – a very dark story, with a wild, remote setting. "In another story, Holmes tells Dr Watson: 'The lowest and vilest alleys of London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside.' So it was perhaps inevitable that I would choose a rural setting for the Cooper and Fry series. And the Peak District was the perfect choice. "The original inspiration for Edendale, my fictional Derbyshire town, came while I was admiring a wonderful panorama of the Hope Valley from a location called Surprise View, above the village of Hathersage. It was the spectacular picture I had in my mind when I began to write Black Dog, the first novel featuring young police detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry. "But that spot also marks the boundary between the Dark Peak and the White Peak, the geologically contrasting halves of the Peak District which provide perfect symbolism for a crime novel, representing the dark and light, good and evil. "Those sudden eruptions of black, twisted rock in the middle of a picturesque landscape constantly remind me of the darkness that lurks beneath the surface." Meanwhile, James-Collier said of the show's setting: "As beautiful as the Peak District is, it’s also foreboding and there are a lot of dark elements in the woods. If you're in a bleak corner of your life, which Diane is, that feeling is projected onto the landscape and fired back at you. "The landscape can be intimidating, too, especially if you’re there alone and realise how a fall or a quick turn of the weather could kill you." Director Ryan Tohill, who helmed episodes 1 and 2, added: "The darkness of the stories drew me in. When I read Black Dog I felt the haunting rural community of Edendale was the detail you could lean into and use to make a different type of detective series. I wanted to make the series as unsettling as I could." Where was Cooper & Fry filmed? Despite being set in the Peak District, the majority of Cooper & Fry actually appears to have been shot elsewhere – in Dublin. Production notes have recorded that the series was filmed in summer 2025 in Dublin, as well as the coastal town of Wicklow. Meanwhile, director Jesse Quinones, who helmed episodes 3 and 4, posted on Instagram after the series was announced: "Can finally let the cat out of the bag, Cooper and Fry will be hitting your screens on @channel5_tv very soon! Been a blast shooting this show in Dublin, the first time I’ve had the chance to work in my mother’s home town. "Big shout out to @clapperboard_st, @failsafefilms, and @channel5_tv, as well as the amazing cast and crew. And of course to the author of the Cooper and Fry books Stephen Booth! "Big shout out to my amazing team @dave_alexander333 at @gershagency @a.h.mills at @revolutiontalentlit and managers Industry Entertainment!!" It has also been reported that some additional filming did take place in the Peak District, although exactly where has not been confirmed. Cooper & Fry begins on Tuesday 18th November at 8pm on 5. Add Cooper & Fry to your watchlist when it arrives on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Cooper & Fry cast: Robert James-Collier and Mandip Gill star
The new 5 detective drama is based on the novels by Stephen Booth.
New crime drama Cooper & Fry is based on the hit novels by Stephen Booth, with Robert James-Collier and Mandip Gill taking on the title roles. The series follows DC Ben Cooper, a member of a rural police force in Derbyshire who is teamed up with DC Diane Fry, a successful detective from Leeds who transfer under mysterious circumstances. While the two initially butt heads, finding that they have very different approaches to policing, they slowly begin to come to an understanding as they work together on a case surrounding a body unearthed on a local farm. Each episode in the four-part series sees the duo take on a different case, but who else stars alongside James-Collier and Gill, who do they all play and where might you have seen them before? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Cooper & Fry. Cooper & Fry cast: Who stars in the 5 crime drama? Here are the main cast members and characters in Cooper & Fry. Read on below for more info about who they are and where you've seen the actors before. Robert James-Collier as DC Ben Cooper Mandip Gill as DC Diane Fry Charlotte Bradley as Isobel Cooper Lorcan Cranitch as DI Paul Hitchens Barry O'Connor as DS Todd Eland Niamh McCann as Tracey Garnett Clara Simpson as Dr Juliana Taylor Robert James-Collier as DC Ben Cooper Who is DC Ben Cooper? Ben is a local Derbyshire police officer who is partnered up with Diane Fry, and must show her the ropes of countryside policing. Where have I seen Robert James-Collier? James-Collier is known for his roles in series including Coronation Street, Downton Abbey, The Level, Ackley Bridge, Fate: The Winx Saga, The Inheritance, The Long Shadow and Generation Z, as well as films such as The Ritual. Mandip Gill as DC Diane Fry Who is DC Diane Fry? Diane is a police officer who transfers from Leeds to Derbyshire under mysterious circumstances. An accomplished detective, she must learn the ropes of a new way of working in a rural setting. Where have I seen Mandip Gill? Gill is best known for her role as Yasmin Khan in Doctor Who, while she has also appeared in series including Hollyoaks, Suspicion, Curfew and Big Lizard. Charlotte Bradley as Isobel Cooper Who is Isobel Cooper? Isobel is Ben's mother. Where have I seen Charlotte Bradley? Bradley has had roles in series including Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog, Proof, Titanic: Blood and Steel, Darklands, The Dry, Borderline and Artic Circle, as well as films such as Love & Rage and The Gift. Lorcan Cranitch as DI Paul Hitchens Who is DI Paul Hitchens? Paul the Detective Inspector at the station and Cooper and Fry's boss. Where have I seen Lorcan Cranitch? Cranitch has had roles in series including Cracker, Ballykissangel, Spooks, The Bill, Rome, The Palace, Penny Dreadful, Fortitude, Atlantis, Death in Paradise, Magpie Murders, Bloodlands, The Crown, Bad Sisters, Silent Witness, Blue Lights, Leonard and Hungry Paul and Trespasses, as well as films such as Love, Rosie and The Dig. Barry O'Connor as DS Todd Eland Who is DS Todd Eland? Todd is a detective sergeant who works alongside Cooper and Fry. Where have I seen Barry O'Connor? O'Connor has had roles in series including Neighbours, Inspector George Gently, Game of Thrones, Red Rock, Dublin Murders, Shetland, Ellis and Outlander, as well as films such as Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. Niamh McCann as Tracey Garnett Who is Tracey Garnett? Tracey is a member of the police team working alongside Cooper and Fry. Where have I seen Niamh McCann? McCann has had roles in series including River City, Little Roy, The House Across the Street, The Teacher, The Listeners and Sherlock & Daughter. Clara Simpson as Dr Juliana Taylor Who is Dr Juliana Taylor? Juliana works in forensics, and often aids Cooper and Fry in their investigations. Where have I seen Clara Simpson? Simpson has had roles in series including Research Unit, The Reunion and Parlement. Cooper & Fry begins on Tuesday 18th November at 8pm on 5. Add Cooper & Fry to your watchlist when it arrives on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
BBC confirms nationwide casting search for new Adrian Mole series – with beloved author revealed to be penning adaptation
David Nicholls is heading up a team of powerhouse writers for the new 10-part series.
Following reports that the BBC was working on a new adaptation of Sue Townsend’s best-selling book The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, the project has now been confirmed, with a 10-part season made up of half-hour episodes officially on the way. No casting has yet been announced for the series, but it has been revealed that a nationwide search is now under way to find a young actor to take on the lead role of Adrian. The casting process is being led by the multi-award winning casting director behind The Crown, Robert Sterne. Meanwhile, a team of incredible writing talent is behind the project, with One Day author David Nicholls acting as the lead writer, while others set to write episodes across the series include Caitlin Moran and Caroline Moran (Raised by Wolves), Dillon Mapletoft and Oliver Taylor (Everyone Else Burns), and Jack Rooke (Big Boys). Nicholls said in a statement: "I happen to be just a little older than Adrian and have adored this book since reading it on publication. It’s a classic piece of comic writing and an incredible piece of ventriloquism on Sue Townsend’s part – how did she know? Adapting Adrian for the screen is an absolute pleasure." The official synopsis for the series, which comes from Ludwig production company Big Talk Studios, says: "It’s New Year’s Day 1981 and Adrian starts his uniquely funny diary about family life and being a teenager before the advent of mobile phones and social media." "With only a multi-coloured ballpoint pen as his guide, Adrian worries about his spots, his parents’ divorce, the torment of first love and the fact he’s never seen a female nipple. "As Adrian's mother Pauline wrestles with her feminist awakening, his father George struggles with being made redundant in an unforgiving economy. Adrian’s wider world is made up of a host of memorable characters like his 'treacle-haired beloved' Pandora, his take-no-prisoners Grandma and his unlikely friend, the foul-mouthed pensioner Bert Baxter. "This vivid portrait of suburban life in Britain shows how much we have changed while staying the same. The result is a timeless family drama that is as warm and funny as it is sad and poignant." Meanwhile, Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added: "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole is one of those rare, seminal stories that has captivated generation after generation. David Nicholls has brilliantly distilled the wit, warmth and quiet poignancy of Sue Townsend’s iconic novel, reminding us why Adrian’s voice remains as sharply relevant today as it was in the 1980s. "Times may have changed, but the anxieties, ambitions and wonderfully awkward truths at the heart of Adrian’s world are utterly timeless. Kenton and the team at Big Talk have brought together an exceptional group of writers who, alongside David, have crafted a series that honours the spirit of the original, while opening the door for a whole new audience to fall in love with Adrian Mole." The series is being directed by Alex Winckler (Somewhere Boy), while the producer is Charlotte Robinson (A Thousand Blows). Townsend's book was previously adapted for TV in 1985, for an ITV series starring Gian Sammarco, Stephen Moore, Julie Walters and Beryl Reid. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.