David Mitchell teases Ludwig season 2 with character's new role and "brilliant" new cast members
Mitchell was speaking at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026.
One of the biggest breakout series from 2024 was undoubtedly Ludwig, the BBC's comedy-drama detective series starring David Mitchell. Naturally, the series was renewed for a second season, which is set to pick up following the end of season 1, which saw Mitchell's character John becoming an official crime consultant with the police team, after his secret – that he'd been impersonating his missing police officer brother, was uncovered by them, but swept under the rug. As we wait for season 2, Mitchell spoke with RadioTimes.com exclusively at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, where he revealed that John isn't quite out of the woods yet. When asked how his official role on the police team would shake things up in the new episodes, Mitchell said: "When you watch the second series, you realise there's still quite a lot of obfuscation involved in his role, because not everyone in the police force is entirely on side with his appointment. "And of course, he's still got to cover up the fact that for a long time he was solving cases while impersonating a police officer. And if that ever gets out, well, five murderers will walk free, and he won't walk free himself." View Green Video on the source website Ludwig season 2 will also introduce a selection of new characters, including two new members of the police team, played by Ben Ashenden and Rumi Sutton. Mitchell said of these new additions: "They were brilliant, very funny. They're new characters, they're very funny characters. They've got a great dynamic with each other, but overall the situation remains the same." Meanwhile, Mark Bonnar and Sian Clifford are also joining the cast, with the former playing a newspaper editor, Gareth Fisher, and the latter playing local MP Joanne Kemper. Mitchell said that the duo are "both brilliant" and that "Mark Bonnar's sort of hilarious, hapless newspaper editor, which is a terrific role". "And Sian, well, I don't want to reveal too much about Sian's role," he said. "But it's intriguing and it was brilliant to work with her, because I've admired her stuff for years." The synopsis for season 2 says of John in season 2: "No longer having to masquerade as his brother, he’s openly more ‘Ludwig’ than ever – brilliant at solving puzzles but hopeless at everything else. "But John’s identical twin brother, James, is still missing, and now that he’s an official employee of the station, John is forbidden from using any police resources to look for his brother or uncover exactly what he was investigating. "Of course, John won’t stop and neither will Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), John’s sister-in-law and wife of his missing brother James – a puzzle needs solving and a husband and father needs bringing home. One masquerade may have ended, but a new one has just begun." Ludwig season 1 is available to stream on 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 from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Beatles movies first looks see Paul Mescal and co transform into the Fab Four - but how close do they look?
Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan are joining Mescal in Sam Mendes's four-film experience.
We're still more than four years away from The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinema Experience being released, but already excitement is at fever pitch for the star-studded movies. Now, for the first time, we've been given a glimpse of what the central four actors - Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan - will look like as the Fab Four. The first look comes via the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), which was given exclusive postcards promoting the new films and has hidden them around their campus. They have also posted pictures of them on Instagram. The postcards each feature a picture of one of the stars in character, revealing who they are playing. For instance, Mescal's reads "Paul Mescal is Paul McCartney". You can check them out on Lipa's Instagram page right here. The films, all four of which are being directed by Sam Mendes, will come from the perspective of a different Beatle, and are set to be released on the same day - 7th April 2028. Dickinson will be playing John Lennon, Quinn will be playing George Harrison and Keoghan will be playing Ringo Starr. Other actors set to star across them include Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, James Norton as Brian Epstein, Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd, Harry Lloyd as George Martin and David Morrissey as Jim McCartney. Meanwhile, Leanne Best will play Mimi Smith, Bobby Schofield will play Neil Aspinall, Daniel Hoffmann-Gill will play Mal Evans, Arthur Darvill will play Derek Taylor and Adam Pally will play Allen Klein. With every cast member doing their homework on the history of The Beatles before the release of the new films, star McKenna-Bruce recently admitted that, before filming began, she didn't know any of the quartet. "On [Agatha Christie's] Seven Dials, Martin [Freeman] was asking me to name all the Beatles – I didn't know," she explained. She has since filled the gaps in her music knowledge, adding: "Now, I'm like, 'Oh my God, the Beatles are underrated! This is good!' It's music I'd sit and listen to on the train." The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinema Experience is set to release as a quartet of movies in April 2028. 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's Shrinking might be the last sadcom – here's why TV comedy is going through major changes
For years, the so-called 'sadcom' was taking up all the energy in the realm of TV comedy. Now, something's changed.
A day before Apple TV's Shrinking returned to screens for its third season this week, a fourth run of the comedy-drama was announced – a real show of the faith the streamer has in the series. While co-creator Bill Lawrence had long stated that the series was pitched with a three-season arc, it's perhaps unsurprising that it's now going beyond this. Not only has Lawrence already proven his willingness to do so with Ted Lasso's upcoming continuation, but the series has been a monumental success. It's a show that's both remarkably funny and knows how to tug at the heartstrings. It also surely has escaped the notice of few that it's one of two comedies to have been released in recent years specifically centred around the grief of a protagonist following the death of his wife. The first of these was After Life, Ricky Gervais's Netflix hit. In another era, viewers might have balked at the idea that laughs could be found in such a tragic set-up - but not in the era of the 'sadcom'. A sub-genre seemingly birthed in the late 2000s and which dominated the 2010s, the sadcom takes the idea of comedy-drama to extremes. Rather than simply combining moments of pathos and drama with a healthy dose of humour, it specifically centres a story that deals with difficult subject matter, heartache and trauma, and punctuates it with jokes. It's notable that Jason Segel should front a show which as much an example of the form as Shrinking. I would argue that the show which shot him into the fame stratosphere, How I Met Your Mother, was dabbling around in the sadcom waters early. It was never a full-blown sadcom per-se, but with episodes such as Last Words, Symphony of Illumination and The Time Travellers tackling grief, infertility and loneliness, it certainly leaned into the emotion more than most sitcoms that preceded it, and knew how to bring out the waterworks among viewers. And who can forget that divisive final episode, in which the mother the entire series had nominally been about had died prior to the protagonist, Ted, telling his long, protracted story. Since then, sadcoms have been everywhere - series such as The End of the F***ing World, Fleabag, Flowers, This is Going to Hurt, Rain Dogs, Barry, Catastrophe, Undone, Bad Sisters, The Bear, I May Destroy You, Back to Life and my personal favourite, BoJack Horseman, have all tackled difficult, often distressing topics, and hit viewers hard when they're least expecting it, right after a big laugh. In fact, back in 2023, I was close to writing an article on the dominance of the sadcom, how it had displaced the traditional sitcom in a way which felt fairly irreversible. However, even then it felt like something about that diagnosis wasn't quite right, and like a change was just starting to brew. Now, in 2026, I feel confidant to say that that change is here – a trend back towards sitcom and straight comedy seems to be taking place. Shows like The Studio, The Paper and Abbott Elementary are dominating in the US, while British sitcoms like Amandaland and Mandy are riding high. Sadcoms are still around, for sure, but they no longer feel like they're in the ascendancy, while laugh-out-loud comedies are all the rage. All of this means that Shrinking may be one of the last true examples of the sadcom, at least in its dominant era. But why? First, we probably have to look at why sadcoms became so popular and so prevalent in the first place. From a commissioning standpoint, Jon Petrie, Director of BBC Comedy Commissioning, who has now told producers to 'focus on the funny' when pitching, puts it down to the advent of another massive change in the entertainment industry - the arrival of the streaming age. "There was a period where the streamers were in town, and there was lots of talk of co-production," Petrie says, speaking exclusively with Radio Times. "There were lots of co-productions happening. And it was like, 'How can we make our shows feel glossier?' After Fleabag especially, there was a real interest in what was going on in British TV and comedy." So was it a specifically American influence that brought the sadcom to audiences all across the globe, including in the UK? "I think that's definitely got a lot to do with it," Petrie says. "I think also, people always say, 'Write about what you know and talk about those experiences'. And it became this kind of, 'This person on a personal journey and following their experiences with cancer or experiences with adoption' or whatever the story might be, and focus solely on that, rather than a family of characters. "It sort of needed to have a bit more meat to it. And I suppose that's probably the influence of going back all the way to shows like Sopranos and Breaking Bad. "There’s an appetite for comedy drama as globally it’s seen as a safer bet. Sitcom and laugh-out-loud comedy is riskier - it's easier to give a sitcom one star. "You never see a comedy-drama get less that three stars, if you don’t like it you just shrug and switch over. When something announces itself as a sitcom you immediately judge it alongside stuff that has taken a few seasons to establish itself. If you watch a bad comedy you want to throw a brick at the screen!" Comedy-drama is one thing, but sadcoms are often directly attempting to move the audience - to make them think, to make them cry, to switch dramatically from one tone and tempo to another. So why did audiences embrace them so wholeheartedly for a time? For a psychological perspective, I turned to Dr Luke Hodson, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick. "People like to watch sad films," Hodson notes. The research on this goes back decades, actually. There was some work that was done right in the early '90s which they called the 'sad film paradox' of, why do people like to watch things that essentially make them emotional? "Not so long ago, that was investigated again, and the research seems to indicate it's because people like to be moved. So it's not so much the feeling of the emotion. I think that people are certainly attracted to that feeling of, 'I want to feel like I've been moved', and whatever meaning that gives them. So I think when things started to trend towards this mixed media, it's maybe people were craving that." Hodson notes that, particularly in the case of a TV comedy, which often have shorter runtimes than dramas, it's "a nice, controlled way of feeling those things". "If it's in a 30 minute programme where I get to see these things or feel them, it's like a nice parcelled-out way of processing or thinking about those things, and it perhaps stops having to have those bigger questions about how this might be impacting you, he says. "It's quite attractive to have this small block of time that's dedicated to processing these things." So, why might that be changing now? "I think that from a broad level, it seems to reflect the state of the world," Hodson suggests. "So, when things are kind of okay, people are trying to get that sense of movement, and then when the world goes a little bit the opposite way, they don't need that from there anymore - or they're getting that sense of a wider connection to the world from other sources, so they're craving something a bit simpler." This is something Petrie recognises too. While he notes that a big driver of the move away from sadcoms, at least from the BBC's perspective, is that "those days of co-producing feel like they're coming to an end", and that the industry is therefore "returning back to our roots," the mood of the nation, and of the world generally, could be a factor. "Most comedies take two or three years to actually come to fruition from the start of development. I think it's probably fair to say, generally, since the financial crash, and then subsequently, like with Brexit and then Covid, the mood of the national has gradually just got worse, and people generally are feeling less positive with their outlook on life. "I think it's very important for us to carve out a space for laugh out loud, stupid comedy." Of course, even with the built-in delay for development, it doesn't seem that the mood of the nation can account for this move away from sadcoms entirely. Some of the most popular examples of the form, such as Shrinking, were thought up during Covid, one of the most traumatic and disruptive moments in most of our lifetimes. They have also arrived post-then, when the global instability and general social malaise that Hodson and Petrie both mention seems to have particularly taken hold. Petrie suggests that, from an audience perspective, it could just be the case that viewers are becoming skeptical of a phenomenon which has long been the bugbear of those operating in the comedy sector. "Ultimately, I do think audiences get wise to things like The Bear getting nominated and winning the Best Comedy," he says. "I think audiences have started to go, 'Hang on a second. All these things are being called comedies, but they're not funny.' "It always annoys me, personally, as a comedy person. I think comedy is one of the hardest things to do, and people just put comedy on the end of their drama, and then everyone just calls their comedy and tells them they're amazing. I think it sort of degrades how hard it is to make an amazing comedy." Trends in comedy, and in entertainment in general, tend to move with generations. Could there be a generational element towards viewers turning away from the sadcom, particularly the ever-evasive Gen Alpha? Gen Alpha is generally considered to consist of those born in the early to mid 2010s, meaning that all of the global disruption already referenced, and in particular the Covid pandemic, aligned with their most formative years. Could it be that many of them have experienced enough emotional upheaval already, and aren't looking for it in their media? "There's three main reasons, essentially, why humour is part of how humans interact," Hodson says, reflecting on the research surrounding the topic. "The first one is relief – essentially, that we use it to relieve some form of tension, like a steam valve going off. I think from the perspective of, millennial or like Gen Z, maybe humour still has a place there as a relief thing. So kind of intertwining that sadness and happiness or humour and sadness together is to relieve something. "If you're Gen alpha, if you’ve grown up in a world that is very different and very chaotic, and we don't have these periods of calm that we used to have. Maybe they don't need to have that relief anymore, maybe they're seeking it elsewhere? "Another way that we use humour is to process incongruity. We all have an understanding of the way the world should work, and we use humour to make sense of it. There's that old adage of people laughing at a funeral because they don't know how to make sense of it - something has changed, so they use humour to try and make sense of how what they expect from the world is different from what they're getting. "Again, from a Gen Alpha perspective, it seems logical to me that their world isn't as stable. Things have changed so often, so repeatedly, that they don't have that incongruity anymore. They don't need to make sense of it." Of course, Gen Alpha is also made up of true digital natives – they have never experiences a world without social media, and without smart phones and tablets. As TikTok and YouTube vie for individual's attention more and more, that has changed how both they, and indeed we of older generations, have consumed 'content'. "I'm not a developmental psychologist," Hodson notes. "but I keep hearing it in the news, about the TikTok generation, where you're constantly getting this hit of dopamine. And I think that makes sense, at least logically to me, that if you're used to only watching things for 20 seconds, if your attention span’s different, a 30 minute comedy where you need 25 minutes for the laugh to pay off, that's a really different experience, isn't it? So maybe they're not trained for it." It's something Petrie also points to, referring to the 'second screen' phenomenon. It's no secret that broadcasters and streamers are adapting to reflect this behaviour change, which has seen audiences watch a programme while also looking at their phone, laptop or tablet, doing something else. In 2023, writer, director and producer Justine Bateman told The Hollywood Reporter: "I’ve heard from showrunners who are given notes from the streamers that 'This isn’t second screen enough.' Meaning, the viewer’s primary screen is their phone and the laptop and they don’t want anything on your show to distract them from their primary screen because if they get distracted, they might look up, be confused, and go turn it off." Now, Petrie says: "More and more now that we're second screening and we're on devices, and your attention is in demand everywhere you look, I think it's probably harder to keep people's attention with those slower paced comedy-dramas that are sort of dealing with one particular issue. "If you're not really fully focused – sadly, this is the world we live in - if you've got something that's got a high joke rate, then as long as there's a joke coming along every few seconds, you're more likely to probably to stay attuned to it. "I think there’s probably an element where they’re spending a lot more time on YouTube and TikTok, and they're used to swiping the minute they get bored and they want that dopamine hit. "I think another reason it might be swinging back is that when we look at the clips and the shows that do really well for us online, it'll be stuff like Cunk or Amandaland or Motherland or Things You Should Have Done or Smoggie Queens - it's shows where there are just stupid, silly moments that can clip up really well. "Cunk has been an absolutely huge success on TikTok. It hasn't necessarily translated to millions and millions of views on iPlayer, but people just enjoy it in a different way. It's still good for the BBC, and it's still good for BBC comedy and the brand, but I think with a sadcom, you're a bit more limited as to what you can do and where that can go." So if these are all the push factors, explaining why viewers may be turning away from sadcoms, what are some of the pull factors drawing them back to more traditional comedies and sitcoms? In actuality, Petrie notes that the appetite for comedy never really went away, it's just that viewers often need to feel familiar with the characters and the set-up before they really engage with them. This can be difficult to pre-empt when it comes time for renewals, if a show has not performed well in its first outing. "The audience data now is so good and so advanced that you can really get into the weeds of it, and the stuff that people return to again and again are shows like Ghosts and This Country and Amandaland and Motherland, and those shows that you can just watch over and over," he says. "You can watch the same episode again, you can watch your favourite episode, you can dip in and out, and it's just comfort viewing. Obviously, it's the same in the case of Netflix, with the American Office and with Friends and The Big Bang Theory. People return to those shows. We've said for years, that's sort of where we wanted to kind of steer back towards.” Petrie notes that a series like Here We Go, which is approaching its fourth season, needed time to bed in, and is becoming more widely recognised over time. It has always been well-reviewed, but "isn't a must-see show right now at this moment, water cooler type thing". <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/07/here-we-go-cast-2-7baa4cf.jpg" width="3000" height="2000" alt="The cast of Here We Go pose in the kitchen of the Jessop household – they are crowded around the counter and smiling for the camera (L-R) Katherine Parkinson, Jim Howick, Tori Allen-Martin, Tom Basden, Alison Steadman, Mica Ricketts, Freya Parks and Jude Collie" title="here-we-go-cast-2" /> "It's just harder to get those shows press," he says. "And I totally understand why, because from a journalist’s point of view, it's so much easier to write about a story that's led by a particular issue or that sort of feels very pressy. When you're just making a family sitcom, it's hard to know what's the way in, other than talent and someone famous in it. "And that's where we really had to trust that Tom Basden’s a brilliant writer, it has an amazing cast, and that when people find it, and the data backs us up, they keep watching it. When we look at all our audience measurements, we can see what the awareness is within the country and with Here We Go, it just had a very low awareness. So we knew there was plenty of room for it to grow." He also says that from his and the BBC's perspective, they are definitely looking to commission sadcoms less than they were. "That's not to say that we wouldn't ever do one of those sorts of shows, but that would have to sit firmly in the, 'this is to make you laugh more than to make you think' camp," he clarifies. When it comes to harder-hitting, heartbreaking moments, they can still be a beneficial feature, but "you need to earn those moments - they hit hardest when the characters have become loved by the audience and they feel like family". What the BBC are looking for instead is "laugh-out-loud, story of the week, character driven, relatable sitcom", as Petrie believes that people are "craving that sort of comedy where it's people they recognise in worlds they recognise, and just something where you can just switch off and you're not being challenged in any way. "Everything is so grim at the moment that I think our duty is to try and just give people a bit of relief." Interestingly, comedy-drama doesn't seem to have actually gone away at all, but it has changed. As less sadcoms are being produced, more shows which I'm going to uninventively coin drama-comedys have emerged - series which have the format and structure of a drama (one-hour, ongoing storylines), but the lightness of a comedy and a slightly preposterous set-up. Think Ludwig and Death Valley. It's a trend which Petrie is well-aware of, and something he is looking to lean in to more in the coming years. "I think a lot of that is the thinking about the binge-ability," he says of this new trend. "I think basically you want two things. You either want someone to binge watch a whole series and be intrigued by the story and drawn through that, or you want a show with longevity and that quietly goes along, like Here We Go. "We want to make a Ludwig type show or a Death Valley type show, because we believe that the DNA within that means that it can only really come from the comedy side. Because it's a ridiculous premise that if you investigate it too much, it starts to break up, but that's actually not the point of it - the point of it is to serve as a comic vehicle." Where these trends go next, it's hard to say. Petrie believes the next frontier will see comedy commissioners looking more to TikTok and YouTube stars, although only where there is a natural transition to be made to TV. "I think we have to remember what makes us special is that we make television and I think one of the reasons people want to work with us is because they want to make a comedy TV show. "If we are going to move someone across into Telly, it's sort of making sure we do it in a way that feels like we're not just doing it because they're big on YouTube. It’s got to work as a TV show. "I think keeping more of an eye on that, and not abandoning things like the Edinburgh Fringe, but I think it's certainly quite a meritocratic way of finding talent." However, whether sadcom goes away entirely, comes back in force or is reinvented some way is difficult to know. But for now, it seems there are a multitude of reasons why it is somewhat in retreat, whether they be social and contemporaneous, generational, financial or simply an audience losing interest in shedding tears, unless through laughter. Shrinking is set to continue, and long may it do so. But in 2026, the era of the sadcom appears to be coming to a close. Shrinking season 3 will debut on Wednesday 28th January 2026. Seasons 1-2 are available to stream now on Apple TV+. You can sign up to Apple TV+ now. Add Shrinking to your watchlist on the 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.
The Office icon's new comedy series Small Prophets finally confirms release date with exclusive first look trailer
Get ready for Mackenzie Crook's first series since the end of Detectorists.
The Office icon Mackenzie Crook's highly anticipated return to comedy is almost here, with the air date for Small Prophets having been confirmed alongside the release of a first-look trailer. The six-part series, which Crook has created and stars in alongside Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel, Sir Michael Palin, Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing and Paul Kaye, will start airing on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from Monday 9th February, with further episodes arriving each Monday night. The newly released trailer, which you can watch exclusively on RadioTimes.com below, sees Palin's character Brian sharing a recipe with his son, Michael, to create Homunculi - magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future. Michael turns to help from his work mate Kacey, played by Lauren Patel, but the duo have to fend off Willan's nosy neighbour and their manager Gordon, played by Crook. At the end of the trailer, a small hand is seen emerging from a jar - suggesting Brian's recipe has worked. You can watch the trailer right here now. View Green Video on the source website The comedy series is the first to be created by Crook since the end of his hit show Detectorists, and it will incorporate animation elements, as it tells a story of friendships and hope, the magical and the mundane, and where secrets and lies lurk in a suburban cul-de-sac. When the project was first announced, Crook said in a statement: "Like all my best ideas, this one has been percolating for nearly a decade and is finally ready to see the light of day. It’s wonderful to be working again with my friends Gill Isles and Pearce Quigley and to realise a long-term ambition of collaborating with animators Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson." Meanwhile, Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, added: "BBC viewers are in for a treat with BAFTA winner Mackenzie Crook’s Small Prophets. "This magical comedy series brims with wit and wonder - from Mackenzie himself and Sir Michael Palin to Sophie Willan, Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel and Jon Pointing - and is backed by a top-tier creative team and stunning animation. It’s British comedy at its finest." Small Prophets will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Monday nights from 9th February 2026. Add Small Prophets 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.
Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed reveals hope for Nate amid speculation of a return for season 4
"I feel like some demons never fully go away."
With it just having been confirmed that Ted Lasso season 4 will be arriving on Apple TV this summer, fans are excited to reunite with their favourite characters such as Jason Sudeikis's Ted and Hannah Waddingham's Rebecca. However, several characters have yet to be confirmed, including Nick Mohammed's Nate. This week, Mohammed attended the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, and didn't let anything slip as to whether his character will be back. When asked exclusively by RadioTimes.com how long he knew that the show would be returning before the recent announcement, he said: "I knew for a while that it was coming back, that Jason was keen to do something focusing on the women's football team, and just delighted, because it's such a nice show. Just lovely people, lovely cast, lovely crew. "It's all speculative as to whether Nate will be back, but this is a show that's focusing on the women's football team. But yes, really exciting it’s back." Mohammed was also asked what he would like to see for Nate if he were to return, to which he said: "I like to think that seasons 1 to 3, he had a nice journey there where he ultimately has a forgiveness arc. And so I'd like to think that he's back to being a little bit more like old Nate, rather than the slightly Darth Vadery Nate that came in season end of season 2, beginning of season 3." On his hopes for the character more generally, Mohammed added: "I feel like Nate is, or was, a troubled soul, and I don't know if that stuff ever really goes away. He obviously did have insecurities. And I'm sort of talking generally now, but with the right support network and so on, people can get through stuff and are able to cope a lot better. "But I feel like some demons never fully go away, maybe. But we’ll have to wait and see if and when the writers write that or not." Other returning cast members who are confirmed to be back for season 4 include Juno Temple, Jeremy Swift, Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt, while newcomers for season 4 include Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education), Jude Mack (Prime Target), Faye Marsay (Andor), Rex Hayes (The Pact), Aisling Sharkey (Jurassic World: Dominion) and Abbie Hern (My Lady Jane). Ted Lasso season 4 is coming soon to Apple TV. Start your seven-day free Apple TV trial at Apple. Add Ted Lasso 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.
Game of Thrones and Bodyguard stars confirmed for all-new legal thriller with "formidable" rivalry
Aidan Gillen, Anjli Mohindra and Shaun Parkes will lead the cast of Saviour.
It has been announced that Game of Thrones legend Aidan Gillen and Bodyguard and The Sarah Jane Adventures star Anjli Mohindra will lead a brand-new legal thriller for ITV. The series, titled Saviour, will also star Death by Lightning's Shaun Parkes, and has been written by criminal barrister, novelist and screenwriter Imran Mahmood. It will be executive produced by Peter Moffat (Your Honour) and Nisha Parti. The synopsis for the six-part series says that it follows Ben, played by Archie Fisher (Steve), who "after borrowing his dad’s police uniform for a costume party, gets into an altercation that results in a man’s death". The synopsis continues: "Called to represent Ben is brilliant criminal defence solicitor Indy Sangar, played by Anjli Mohindra, who has just been promoted to Higher Rights of Audience in the Old Bailey. "In defending Ben from an allegation of murder, Indy is confronted with a world of police corruption, complicated racial politics, fervent press interest, a frustratingly traditional justice system and a defendant who is keeping secrets from her. "But what she doesn’t know is that, whilst fighting tooth and nail for Ben’s freedom, deeply personal secrets of her own are finally coming to the surface and threatening to tear her career and her family apart. "Indy is also up against a formidable adversary in Detective Inspector Jon Creasy, played by Shaun Parkes. Determined to get to the truth, he won’t be swayed by Eddie, played by Aidan Gillen, his colleague and Ben’s father, who is ruthlessly intent on clearing his son’s name and will go to any lengths to protect him. "Saviour asks the question – how far are you prepared to go to protect the ones you love?" The series is shooting across Liverpool now, and will also star Abhin Galeya (Grace), Tobias Jowett (Virdee), Nethra Tilakumara (Tell Me Everything), Angus Wright (Dreaming Whilst Black), Claire Goose (Silverpoint), Adjani Salmon (Doctor Who), Campbell Wallace (Midas Man) and Precious Wuru Alabi (Boiling Point). ITV’s Director of Drama Polly Hill said in a statement: "I’m delighted to be working with Nisha Parti whose work I have long admired, and I’m really proud of the fact this is Imran Mahmood’s first TV drama. "Alongside Nisha, we are lucky to have the brilliant Peter Moffat and the team at Drama Republic bringing this fantastic drama to screen. The casting of Anjli, Shaun and Aidan is exceptional. This is going to be a really exciting new drama that I am confident the audience will love." Meanwhile, Parti added: "I am so thrilled to see this show finally becoming a reality thanks to the brilliant talents of Imran and Peter. I’m grateful to Polly Hill for believing in the script at the very early stages of development, and for Drama Republic coming on board to help steer the ship smoothly. "I’d also like to thank All3Media International and the Liverpool City Region Production Fund as our additional financiers. "Having Anjli, Shaun and Aidan, as well as so many other talented and diverse names working with our two very classy female directors to complete the Saviour family is a dream come true. I cannot wait to share the show with everyone." Saviour will air on ITV1 and ITVX. Add Saviour 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.
The Beauty release schedule: When is episode 5 on Disney Plus?
Ryan Murphy's latest series stars Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Ashton Kutcher, Anthony Ramos and Jeremy Pope.
The fourth episode of Ryan Murphy's latest series, The Beauty, is now available to stream on Disney Plus, bringing us more mystery, horror and gore. The series, which is based on the comic book of the same name, follows FBI Agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall), who are investigating the mysterious deaths of international supermodels. In doing so, they discover the existence of a sexually transmitted virus that transforms ordinary people into visions of physical perfection, but with terrifying consequences. Murphy has previously been behind other chilling series such as American Horror Story and Monster, so fans of his work will no doubt be flocking to this latest series, which is now getting deeper into its 11-episode run. But when will the next episode be released, and what is the full schedule for the rest of the series? Read on for everything you need to know about the release schedule for The Beauty. When will The Beauty episode 5 be released? The first three episodes of The Beauty were released at once on Thursday 22nd January in UK, following which the series has switched to a weekly release schedule until later in the run. This means that episode 5 will be released in the UK on Disney Plus on Thursday 5th February - one day after its release in the US on FX and Hulu. How many episodes will there be of The Beauty? There will be 11 episodes of The Beauty in total. The series is based on the comic book of the same name, written by Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley and published by Image Comics. It is not yet known whether the first season will adapt the full comic, and the show will therefore be one and done, or whether there will be more stories to tell in a potential second season. The Beauty release schedule The Beauty is set to follow an abnormal release schedule. The first three episodes were released at once, following which it is switching to a weekly release date, with new episodes arriving on Wednesdays in the US and Thursdays in the UK. So far, so standard. However, from episode 8 onwards instalments will be released two at a time, meaning episodes 8 and 9 and episodes 10 and 11 will be released in blocks. All this means the season will come to an end on Thursday 5th March in the UK. Here's a full breakdown of the UK release schedule for The Beauty on Disney Plus: The Beauty episode 1 – Beautiful Pilot - Thursday 22nd January 2026 (out now) The Beauty episode 2 – Beautiful Jordan - Thursday 22nd January 2026 (out now) The Beauty episode 3 – Beautiful Christopher Cross - Thursday 22nd January 2026 (out now) The Beauty episode 4 – Beautiful Chimp Face - Thursday 29th January 2026 (out now) The Beauty episode 5 – Beautiful Billionaires - Thursday 5th February 2026 The Beauty episode 6 – Beautiful Patient Zero - Thursday 12th February 2026 The Beauty episode 7 – Beautiful Living Rooms - Thursday 19th February 2026 The Beauty episode 8 – Beautiful Brothers - Thursday 26th February 2026 The Beauty episode 9 – Beautiful Evolution - Thursday 26th February 2026 The Beauty episode 10 – Title TBC - Thursday 5th March 2026 The Beauty episode 11 – Title TBC - Thursday 5th March 2026 The Beauty will continue on Disney Plus on Thursday 5th February 2026 – you can sign up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month now. Add The Beauty 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 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.
Shaun Evans reveals how ITV’s Betrayal most differs from other spy thrillers
Evans spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about the new four-part series.
Endeavour star Shaun Evans is back on ITV, this time starring in four-part spy thriller Betrayal, in which he plays a mid-career MI5 officer. The series follows Evans's character John, as he finds himself under investigation, while also struggling with problems in his personal life, and becoming increasingly convinced that a hardline faction of the Iranian regime are planning an attack. When speaking with RadioTimes.com exclusively about the series, Evans noted that when adding to a genre as well established as the spy thriller, you have to bring "a fresh, new voice" to it. Evans said that the way in for him and the team behind the programme was to make John an "everyman figure", and to look at "the daily life, the reality of what it's actually like to work for the security services". "The idea that you could be dealing with international terrorism at work and coming home and having to bath the kids or put a wash on, for me, seemed very fertile territory if we really wanted to dig into the idea of a midlife crisis," Evans said. He continued: "These are just everyday people doing an extraordinary job. And that is it really - we have a tendency to glamorise and mystify them, but actually…" "I think there needs to be an everyday quality to John," Evans added. "It needs to feel realistic and relatable, but still exciting. And so we tried to incorporate all of those aspects into the show, for it to feel exciting, fresh, current, but also completely real and relatable." As well as Evans, the series also stars Romola Garai as Claire, John's wife, and Zahra Ahmadi as Mehreen Askari-Evans, an intelligence operative who is tasked with taking over John’s duties while he is under investigation. They are joined in the cast by 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) and Waj Ali (Out There). Betrayal will premiere at 9pm on Sunday 8th February on ITV1 and ITVX in 2026. Add Betrayal 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.
BTS of the Radio Times Covers Party 2026 – with stars from The Traitors and EastEnders to Call the Midwife and Strictly
The stars were out in force at this year's event.
The stars were out in force last night (Tuesday 27th January) at the 2026 Radio Times Covers Party - and now you can go behind the scenes with a set of stunning photos from the event. A whole array of celebs are featured in the images, from the stars of the most recent season of The Traitors through to the cast of EastEnders and last year's run of Strictly Come Dancing. Both David Mitchell and Victoria Coren-Mitchell were there, along with Slow Horses' Roddy Ho, Christopher Chung, and author Mick Herron. A trio of Gladiators stars were in attendance at the party, along with the cast of Call the Midwife, Riot Women, Death in Paradise and many other acclaimed and beloved series. You can check out the full gallery of images right here now. View Gallery on the source website Throughout the evening, the stars spoke with RadioTimes.com exclusively about their past and upcoming projects, including The Traitors winner Stephen, who broke down what he was thinking during that nail-biting final roundtable. "That final roundtable was very, very tense," he said. "I mean, they're all very tense, but that one, knowing there was so much on the line, first of all, was really scary. "And also, at that point, I'd started to question whether Rachel had my back or not and so there's so many things running through my mind." Meanwhile, Doctor Who's River Song star Alex Kingston, who was in attendance with the cast of Strictly, gave her thoughts on the latest season of the sci-fi show's cliffhanger, which saw Ncuti Gatwa regenerate into Billie Piper. And Alex Horne previewed the upcoming season of Taskmaster and one particular moment from Kumail Nanjiani that left a big impression on him. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. 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.
Adolescence writer's Lord of the Flies series finally gets release date confirmed with first-look trailer
The eerie trailer introduces us to Ralph, Jack, Piggy and Simon.
Almost three years after it was first announced, the BBC has finally revealed when its four-part adaptation of Lord of the Flies will air on BBC One, while also unveiling a first-look trailer. The series will officially debut on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 8th February, with episodes then also airing on BBC One weekly on Sundays, starting at 9pm that night. The series comes from Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne along with Help director Marc Munden, and will feature an ensemble cast of over 30 boys, many making their professional acting debuts. We are introduced to many of them in the dark, atmospheric trailer, including Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy and Ike Talbut as Simon. You can watch the trailer right here now. View oEmbed on the source website The trailer is soundtracked by an eerie score, with a combination of composer working on the series. Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer (The White Lotus) has provided the score, while Hans Zimmer (Dune) and Kara Talve (Tattooist of Auschwitz) of Bleeding Fingers Music have created the show's main theme and additional music. Based on William Golding's book, the series tells the story of schoolboys stranded on a tropical island with no adults, following a deadly plane crash. "In an attempt to remain civil they organise themselves, led by Ralph and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy," the synopsis says. "But when Jack becomes more interested in hunting and vying for leadership, he soon begins to draw other boys away from the group and, ultimately, from hope to tragedy." Each of the four episodes is titled after a character at the core of the story – Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack – each offering a subtly different perspective on the situation. Other cast members playing key roles in the series include Thomas Connor as Roger, Noah and Cassius Flemming as twins Sam and Eric, Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice and Tom Page-Turner as Bill. Lord of the Flies will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Add Lord of the Flies 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.
School Spirits season 3 release schedule: When is episode 4 on Paramount+?
Maddie and her friends are investigating an even deeper, darker mystery this time around.
Hit Paramount+ fantasy teen drama, School Spirits, is back for its third season, which sees Peyton List's Maddie and her friends being plunged into a deeper, darker mystery as the veil between worlds grows dangerously thin. The synopsis for season 3 says: "After clawing her way back to life, Maddie struggles with terrifying visions and the weight of protecting both the living and the dead while Simon – trapped in the afterlife – becomes obsessed with the secrets buried in Split River High’s scars. "Why have so many people died at Split River High? What was Mr Martin warning them about? As they search for answers, new dangers and dark secrets begin to surface." The first three episodes are available to watch now, but when will the rest of the instalments become available, and what is the full release schedule for season 3? Read on for everything you need to know about the release schedule for School Spirits season 3. When will School Spirits season 3 episode 4 be released? School Spirits season 3 began with three episode being released at once on Wednesday 28th January. Since then, it has switched to a weekly release schedule. This means episode 4, titled The Bereftest Club, will be released on Wednesday 4th February on Paramount+. How many episodes will there be in School Spirits season 3? There will be a total of eight episodes in School Spirits season 3. This is also the same number of episodes that were featured in the first and second seasons of the show, which were released in 2023 and 2025 respectively. School Spirits season 3 release schedule The first three episodes of School Spirits season 3 were released on Wednesday 28th January, following which the show has switched to a weekly release schedule on Wednesdays. This means the season will run through until Wednesday 4th March, when the finale will become available on Paramount+. You can find the full release schedule for School Spirits season 3 right here: School Spirits season 3 episode 1 - It's a Wonderful Afterlife - Wednesday 28th January 2025 (out now) School Spirits season 3 episode 2 - Mean Ghouls - Wednesday 28th January 2025 (out now) School Spirits season 3 episode 3 - The Halls Have Eyes - Wednesday 28th January 2025 (out now) School Spirits season 3 episode 4 - The Bereftest Club - Wednesday 4th February 2025 School Spirits season 3 episode 5 - Raiders of the Lost Scar - Wednesday 11th February 2025 School Spirits season 3 episode 6 - Children of the Scorned - Wednesday 18th February 2025 School Spirits season 3 episode 7 - Midsomester - Wednesday 25th February 2025 School Spirits season 3 episode 8 - Dawn of the Deb - Wednesday 4th March 2025 School Spirits is available to stream on Paramount Plus in the UK – you can sign up for Paramount Plus now. Add School Spirits 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 Fantasy 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 Mummy and One Day favourites star in first look at new erotic drama for Netflix based on bestselling novel
Rachel Weisz and Leo Woodall lead the cast of Vladimir.
A set of first-look images have been unveiled for Vladimir, a new erotic drama starring The Mummy's Rachel Weisz and One Day's Leo Woodall. The series, which will be made up of eight episodes, is based on the novel of the same name by Julia May Jonas, and sees Weisz play a "passionate but reckless professor", whose world begins to unravel when she finds herself "dangerously fixated on her magnetic new colleague". The newly released images introduce us not only to Weisz's unnamed protagonist and Woodall's Vladimir, but also to their respective spouses, played by John Slattery and Jessica Henwick. It has also been announced exactly when the series will debut on Netflix - Thursday 5th March 2026. Weisz spoke with Tudum about the new series, saying that there's "definitely comedy and drama" within it. "It’s mischievous and a good tonal cocktail for exploring some very serious subjects and issues," she said. "Her fantasy is about the power of desire — the invigorating, stimulating, inspiring, and revivifying feeling that she gets from her obsession with Vlad. What it’s about is coming back to life in a certain way [after lying] dormant for some time." The central character is very much someone going through a stalling career, while she also no longer feels sexually desired by her husband, with whom she's in an open relationship. Meanwhile, she learns that that the liberal arts college where she’s taught contemporary fiction for decades is bringing a sexual assault case against John, a fellow professor. She then meets Vladimir, a hot-shot young writer who joins the faculty along with his wife, Cynthia, and she quickly becomes obsessed with him. Weisz's character will speak directly to the camera, but she might not be the most reliable source of information. "You have direct access to what the character is thinking and then also what she wants you to think," Weisz told Tudum. "What she wants you to think is a little distant from the total truth." Vladimir will be released on Netflix on 5th March 2026. 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 from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Ryan Murphy's John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette drama series finally confirms its UK release date
The series will star Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon as the titular couple.
Writer and producer Ryan Murphy continues to be one of the busiest people in TV right now, as while his latest series, The Beauty, continues to air new episodes weekly, a release date has been confirmed for his next project beyond that. Murphy's new series Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette, will officially premiere on Friday 13th February 2026 on Disney Plus in the UK. The series is expected to kick off a new Love Story anthology like Murphy's other series American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Monster. The first three episodes will premiere at once, with the remaining six arriving individually each Friday. The series has been inspired by Elizabeth Beller’s book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and will star Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon as the titular couple. Grace Gummer, Naomi Watts, Alessandro Nivola, Leila George, Sydney Lemmon and Constance Zimmer will all also star in key roles. View oEmbed on the source website The synopsis for the series says: "It was a love story that captured the attention of the nation: John F Kennedy Jr was the closest thing to American royalty. The country watched him grow from a boy to a beloved bachelor and media sensation. "Carolyn Bessette was a star in her own right. Fiercely independent and with a singular style, she rose from being a sales assistant to an executive at Calvin Klein, and became a trusted confidante of its eponymous founder. "John and Carolyn’s connection was immediate, electric and undeniable. As their love story unfolded on a national stage, the intense fame and media attention that came along with it threatened to rip them apart." Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette is one of two series currently in development surrounding the Kennedy family. Another, titled Kennedy and starring Michael Fassbender as Joe Kennedy Sr, is coming to Netflix. Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette will premiere on Disney Plus on Friday 13th February 2026 – you can sign up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month now. Add Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette 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.
Shrinking season 3: Release date and latest news
Co-creator Bill Lawrence has teased a three-season arc for the comedy-drama.
Bill Lawrence has a lot on his plate right now. Not only is the writer and producer executive producing a Scrubs reboot, but he is also behind the upcoming fourth season of Ted Lasso. Before either of those, we've got the release of Shrinking, the Apple TV comedy-drama he created with Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel. He has long stated that this season will be about moving forward, and finally fans are about to find out exactly what that means. On this topic, Lawrence recently told TVLine: "We always joke on the set that if this show hit the fourth season and Jimmy was still like, 'I've been thinking about [dating] and I'm still really sad about my wife,' people would be like, 'They gotta come up with something else.' "I hope we've earned people kind of rooting for these [characters] to move forward in their lives, whether that means Jimmy embracing the idea of having a love in his life again or his daughter feeling confident about going off to college. We like to do these themes you can almost attach to every character. "Sean, Luke Tennie's character... I don't think it'd be a victory if that guy lived in the pool house behind his therapist's house his whole life." All of the main cast are returning, including Harrison Ford's Paul and Jessica Williams's Gaby, while there are also a couple of big names joining for the new season, in the form of Jeff Daniels and Michael J Fox. But what else do we know about the new season thus far? Read on for everything you need to know about Shrinking season 3. Will there be a Shrinking season 3? There will! Just one day after the first two episodes of Shrinking season 2 arrived on Apple TV+, the show was officially renewed for a third season. In many ways, the renewal is unsurprising, as ever since the start of the show co-creator Bill Lawrence has said that it was pitched with a three-season arc. However, the speed at which the renewal came through did show a real sign of confidence in the series from Apple. In an interview with Variety in 2023, Lawrence said: "The second year is about forgiveness, and the third year is about moving forward." Ahead of the renewal, speaking with TV Insider, Lawrence also revealed that he and the team were already writing the third season. He said: "I think whenever anybody undergoes a true catastrophic stick in the spokes in their life, like the characters in the show did, what you’re really talking about the first two years is what it means to survive and then kind of bury the hatchet and mend fences. "But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be able to move forward in your life and start over again. I think that’s what people will probably be watching the third year. "And when you say moving forward, even off the top of my head, so it’s not a spoiler, I think people are aware that we’ve intentionally made a young woman who’s a senior in high school. "We’ve potentially gotten some people in serious relationships. We’ve intentionally been looking at Harrison Ford’s character and how much longer can he do this with the condition he has. "And so I think it’s going to be a rich third year too. I say that because we’re already writing it." When will Shrinking season 3 be released? Shrinking season 3 will be released on Wednesday 28th January, with the first episode being a one-hour premiere. Standard-length episodes will then follow on weekly from that point, being released on Wednesdays. The second season took a long time to come to screens, arriving almost two years after season 1. However, season 2 was notably delayed by the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. Season 3 has arrived just over a year after season 2, which debuted in October 2025. Who will return to star in a Shrinking season 3? We know that all of the central cast from Shrinking seasons 1 and 2 are expected to return, led by Jason Segel and Harrison Ford as Jimmy and Paul. Beyond that, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley, Damon Wayans Jr and Brett Goldstein are all also expected to be back. Meanwhile, it seems likely that Damon Wayans Jr will be back as Derrick #2, and that Brett Goldstein will make more appearances as Louis after his key role in season 2. Lawrence previously told Deadline of the need for Goldstein to return, saying: "Yeah, I gotta leverage that dude. I think the ending was satisfying. I hope it was for people. But I think I’ve been public about saying the first year is about grief, the second year was about forgiveness and third year’s about moving forward. "I don’t think you can do this show about moving forward without knowing how that guy’s life moves forward, at least for an episode or two. So now I just got to leverage Brett into doing what I want him to do. He’s a very busy man. It’s very frustrating." He also told TVLine: "I find it annoying that I have to tell Brett how good he was and maybe ask him to do another episode or two. But I think we told a deep enough story that even if it’s not a huge part of the third season, people are going to want to know what moving forward means for that character, and that he’s gonna be OK. "I think it would be fake to imply that at the end of the finale, that dude’s OK. So, yeah, I’m going to strong-arm Brett into showing his face, hopefully, at least a couple more times." Another character returning for season 3 is Cobie Smulders's Sofi, who only appeared in one episode of season 2, but was shown to have a strong chemistry with Jimmy. Additionally, there has been a number of new confirmed castings for season 3, with Jeff Daniels joining the show as Jimmy's father, alongside Sherry Cola, Isabella Gomez, Michael J Fox and Candice Bergen as currently undisclosed characters. Segel told Variety of Daniels's role in the series: "Jimmy has a complicated relationship with his parents. I think you will find out this season why Jimmy projects so much onto Paul, why it is so important that Harrison Ford gives him validation. "It’s not lost on me that [Jeff] is the last version of me — either Jeff Daniels or Judge Reinhold. We’re doing these scenes next to each other, and our mannerisms are kind of the same, and neither of us are doing a bit. We’re making the same choices, so it’s perfect casting." Here are the cast members confirmed for Shrinking season 3: Jason Segel as Jimmy Harrison Ford as Paul Jessica Williams as Gaby Lukita Maxwell as Alice Luke Tennie as Sean Michael Urie as Brian Christa Miller as Liz Ted McGinley as Derek Damon Wayans Jr as Derrick #2 Brett Goldstein as Louis Cobie Smulders as Sofi Jeff Daniels as Jimmy's father Sherry Cola as TBC Isabella Gomez as TBC Michael J Fox as TBC Candice Bergen as TBC Is there a trailer for a Shrinking season 3? There is! You can watch the full-length trailer for season 3 right here. View oEmbed on the source website Shrinking season 3 will debut on Wednesday 28th January 2026. Seasons 1-2 are available to stream now on Apple TV+. You can sign up to Apple TV+ now. Add Shrinking to your watchlist on the 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.
Bookish season 2 releases first look at new episodes and starry new cast members - plus a Sherlock reunion
Rupert Graves is heading straight from Baker Street to Archangel Lane.
With fans waiting desperately for news of Bookish season 2, a set of first-look images have now been unveiled, reuniting us with Mark Gatiss's Gabriel Book and the rest of the central cast. Returning cast members seen in the images alongside star and creator Gatiss include Polly Walker as Trottie Book, Connor Finch as Jack Blunt, Elliot Levey as Inspector Bliss, Blake Harrison as Sergeant Morris, Buket Kömür as Nora and Nadia Albina as Dr Calder. Rosie Cavaliero, Gerard Horanand Jonas Nay will also be back in the new season, while they will be joined by a host of beloved guest stars - including Sherlock's Rupert Graves. While Graves will be seen on screen with Gatiss once again, having played Inspector Lestrade to his Mycroft Holmes, others who will be appearing, and who are seen in the images, include Jason Watkins as Harold Sneed, Miranda Richardson as Duchess Alberta, Simon Callow as ‘E’, Claire Skinner as Mrs Calthrop and Youssef Kerkour as Yusuf. The Celebrity Traitors star Ruth Codd has also been newly announced as joining the series, playing a character called India Flynn, who is seen in one image holding a camera. View Gallery on the source website The synopsis for season 2 reads: "Book investigates the world of spiritualism when he’s asked to help solve the mysterious case involving medium, Harold Sneed (Watkins). "Off Savile Row, Bliss asks Book to help in a puzzling murder at a gentleman’s outfitters - the elderly tailor Maxie Kleinmann is keen to confess to the murder, but the evidence doesn’t quite stack up and points to something much more complex and sinister. "And Book and Jack are sent to the seemingly charming German village of Würl by the mysterious 'E' to thwart a thieving Duchess at Christmas time. However, festivities take a deadly turn when Book and Jack uncover secrets of their own, past and present, in an ominous castle brimming with plausible murder suspects. "Book’s close association to the police continues to be not without its personal dangers and his lavender marriage with childhood best friend Trottie, is threatened by debonair Colonel Winters (Graves). Marrying post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life affirming atmosphere of the times, Bookish is a stylish period detective drama with a difference." In December 2025, Gatiss revealed in a post on Instagram that filming had officially wrapped on the six-episode season 2, after it went into production in September of the same year. Bookish airs on U&Alibi. The series is available to stream on demand on Sky, Virgin, BT and TalkTalk. Add Bookish to your watchlist on the 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 from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who icon Tom Baker confirmed to play Sherlock Holmes once again – and reunite with beloved former TV companion
Baker will star opposite John Leeson in Sir Sherlock: The Red Letter Day.
The worlds of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes continue to collide, with Fourth Doctor star Tom Baker set to play Holmes in a new audio drama. The audio drama, titled Sir Sherlock: The Red Letter Day, will be released in March 2026, and will see the former consulting detective finally accept a knighthood in 1924. "Having lived the quiet life on the Sussex Downs, Holmes is drawn back to London, where, joined by his friend Doctor John Watson, they are both embroiled in a new murder investigation," the synopsis says. This will actually be the third time Baker will play the iconic detective, having previously done so in the BBC's on-screen adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and on stage in 1985’s The Mask of Moriarty. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/e6f9447d-f946-4030-9af1-39d23faac95a-5482471.jpg" width="1696" height="1131" alt="Tom Baker and John Leeson for Sir Sherlock: The Red Letter Day. They are drawn in front of a red background, wearing period dress. There is a row of fire in front of them and Leeson is holding a gun." title="e6f9447d-f946-4030-9af1-39d23faac95a" /> Baker said in a statement: "Thanks to AUK Studios for letting me have another go at inhabiting the super sleuth. Third time lucky! I hope I did his pipe proud this time. Enjoy my return to Baker Street – very aptly named, I think." A CD and novelisation of Sir Sherlock: The Red Letter Day are available to pre-order now via the production’s official Kickstarter page, and there is an additional bonus for Doctor Who fans. That's because Baker will be acting alongside his former Doctor Who co-star John Leeson, who appeared as the voice of K9. He will play Doctor John Watson, and said in a statement: "It was a delight to work with Tom again and - at last – this time I was playing the Doctor!" Other stars set to feature include Nicholas Rowe (Red Eye), who himself has portrayed Holmes in both Young Sherlock Holmes and Mr Holmes, as well as Katy Ashworth (CBeebies), the late Norman Eshley (New Tricks), Conrad Westmaas (Secret Diary of a Call Girl), Wink Taylor (Unsinkable), Barnaby Eaton-Jones (Carry On) and Ian Kubiak (Doctor Who - The Monthly Adventures). Baker, who was made an MBE in the 2025 New Year Honours, starred in Doctor Who between 1974 and 1981. Sir Sherlock: The Red Letter Day is available to pre-order now, with CDs and official novelisations available via Kickstarter. Check out more of our Audio 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.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner reveals why there’s no concern about star Dexter Sol Ansell ageing as Egg
Egg star Dexter Sol Ansell was nine years old when he began acting in the first season of the Game of Thrones spin-off.
Given how long it can take to film a season of TV, let along multiple seasons, there's always one big potential problem with long-running series that star child actors. They grow up. This was certainly the case with Stranger Things, with the show taking 10 years to film and release, despite taking place over four years. The central child characters went from being 12 to 16, while the actors playing them were in their early 20s come the final season. Now, some are concerned that the same situation will affect A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the new Game of Thrones prequel/spin-off series, which stars worried as one half of the central duo, Egg. However, showrunner Ira Parker isn't among them. Parker spoke to Variety, and was asked whether he was worried about Ansell, who was nine when he filmed in season 1, ageing out of the role of Egg. He said: "Dexter is going to have whatever career he decides that he wants. He’s so talented. He’s come in season 2 like an old pro. He’s so confident, calm, and he can give you different versions now. He’s really come into himself. I think he’s the best child actor on Earth, there’s no doubt about it." Parker continued: "The planned books that George has take Dunk and Egg through their whole lives. I’ve joked about this with HBO, to which I’ve definitely got some eye rolls, but I would love to do three, four or five seasons with Egg the boy and then come back in five or 10 years and do a few more with Egg the prince. "Then come back in five or 10 years from then and do him at the end of his life — Linklater method. They go off, do whatever they want to do in between, they can have lives, then we come back and get the crew back together and we tell a little bit more of the story because I think it would be really interesting. "The idea of taking two people on a journey through their lives, I haven’t seen a lot of that. But I embrace the oldening of Dexter and Egg. He’ll grow older with the character; he’s supposed to get older. Hopefully, it’s not all based on him having a cute, high voice. "We understand how important that is right now, but hopefully he will develop and the characters will develop, and it will still be a lot of fun." Ansell recently revealed an interaction he had with George RR Martin, the author behind the A Song of Ice and Fire and the Dunk and Egg books. Ansell said that Martin was full of praise for his portrayal, with the author having said: "Wow, you're so good, and you look and you act like you've really just jumped out the books". "And that's amazing to hear from the creator of my character," Ansell said. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms continues on Sky and NOW on Mondays – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. Add A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Emma Stone and Timothée Chalamet break Oscar records held by Hollywood legends with 2026 nominations
The duo were nominated in the Best Actress and Best Actor categories respectively.
The Oscar nominations for 2026 have now been announced, and it turns out to have been a big record-breaking year - and not just for Sinners. While that film notably broke the record for the number of nominations for a single film, with 16 nods in total, Emma Stone and Timothée Chalamet have also broken records, as they picked up nominations for their work in Bugonia and Marty Supreme, respectively. In being nominated in the Best Actress category, Stone, at the age of 37, has become the second-youngest person, and the youngest woman, to accumulate seven nominations. Walt Disney reached that number of nominations at the age of 34, but up till this point, Meryl Streep held that record for women, achieving it at the age of 38. As Stone was a named producer on Bugonia, and the film was nominated for Best Picture, she has also became the first woman to be nominated twice for producing and acting in a single film. She also did so for her work on Poor Things, while Frances McDormand was the first woman to do it once, for 2021’s Nomadland. View Green Video on the source website Meanwhile, at the age of 30 Chalamet has become the youngest male actor to earn three acting nominations, having done so for his roles in Call Me by Your Name, A Complete Unknown and now Marty Supreme. He is also a named producer on Marty Supreme, which is nominated for Best Picture, and thus becomes the youngest person ever to be double-nominated for producing and acting in the same year. The previous record holder was Warren Beatty, who was also 30 but a number of months older. He held the record for 58 years, having secured it with 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. View Green Video on the source website In the Best Actress race, Stone will be going up against Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue and Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value. Meanwhile, Chalamet will be going up against Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Michael B Jordan for Sinners and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent in the Best Actor race. Both Stone and Chalamet's films, Bugonia and Marty Supreme, are among the 10 nominees for Best Picture, with the other films being F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners and Train Dreams. The 98th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday 15th March. 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.
Murder, She Wrote reboot with Hollywood A-lister finally confirms beloved director
Jamie Lee Curtis's new film will be helmed by the director of Pitch Perfect.
Developments on the new Murder, She Wrote movie are coming on nicely, with a director having now been found to helm the reboot. The film, which will star Jamie Lee Curtis in the role made famous by Angela Lansbury, Jessica Fletcher, will be directed by Jason Moore, previously best known for the movie Pitch Perfect. Moore has also directed the films Sisters and Shotgun Wedding, as well as episodes of Dawson's Creek, Everwood and the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel show, Elle. While he didn't return to direct the sequel films in the Pitch Perfect franchise, he did act as an executive producer on the second and third films. Moore will direct from a script being written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, while Amy Pascal, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will act as producers. Curtis previously spoke about taking on the role Lansbury originated, saying: "Obviously, there is nothing... no one is gonna touch Angela. There's just no one that's gonna touch her, but I will bring my own curiosity." She also told Entertainment Tonight that she was "very excited" about the project, although she was "I’m tamping down my enthusiasm until we start shooting". "I have a couple of other things to hustle, but then I’ll get to enjoy that work," She said. The original Murder, She Wrote series ran for 12 seasons and four TV movies between 1984 and 1996, and followed Jessica Fletcher, a mystery writer and amateur detective who helped to solve murders in her fictional town of Cabot Cove, as well as elsewhere. Moore's new series, Elle, will be released on 1st July, and has already been renewed for a second season. It will follow Elle Woods, the character originated by Reese Witherspoon but played by Lexi Minetree as a teenager, and will show us the experiences that shaped her into the woman we saw in the 2001 comedy film. Check out more of our Film and Drama 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.
Nigella Lawson tipped to replace Prue Leith on The Great British Bake Off after judge quits
Lawson is reportedly in the "final stages" of contract discussions.
Just one day after Prue Leith announced her departure from The Great British Bake Off after nine years, it appears that another judge may have been found to take her place. The Sun has reported that food writer and TV cook Nigella Lawson is in the final stages of contract discussions to join the show. A source told the publication: "Nigella’s recognised worldwide. She’s got the cheeky banter down to a tee, with all her work laden with the fun innuendos and naughty patter that are synonymous with Bake Off. "Prue has been wonderful but Nigella will be a sure-fire hit. Contract discussions are in the final stages and, all being well, Nigella will be heating up the famous tent soon." RadioTimes.com has approached The Great British Bake Off production company Love Productions. A representative of Lawson declined to comment. Lawson would be just the fourth judge to appear on the mainline show across its 16 year history, joining Paul Hollywood who has been with the series since the start, and following in the footsteps of both Leith and her predecessor Mary Berry. She has fronted numerous cooking programmes over the years, including Nigella: At My Table and The Taste. Her most recent appearance was on a one-off special for the BBC, Nigella's Amsterdam Christmas. When Leith announced her departure from the beloved Channel 4 series, she said in a statement: "Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul, Alison [Hammond] and Noel [Fielding] and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4. "But now feels like the right time to step back (I’m 86 for goodness sake!), there’s so much I’d like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden. Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have. I feel very lucky to have been part of it." The Great British Bake Off returns later this year. Add The Great British Bake Off to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment 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.
Netflix's Being Gordon Ramsay documentary finally gets release date confirmed with first look trailer
The six-part series is arriving next month.
The release date has been confirmed for Netflix's highly anticipated six-part docuseries Being Gordon Ramsay - and there isn't long for subscribers to wait. The series will debut on Wednesday 18th February 2026, with the news being confirmed alongside the release of a first-look trailer. The trailer sees Ramsay embarking on his most ambitious project yet, while he also delves into his history and his childhood, and his wife Tana gives us personal insights into the famous chef and restauranteur. You can watch the full trailer right here now. View oEmbed on the source website The synopsis for the series promises a "new documentary series following one of the world’s most famous chefs in the lead-up to his biggest restaurant ventures to date: the opening of five culinary experiences in one of London’s tallest buildings, 22 Bishopsgate." The synopsis continues: "This is Gordon as we have never seen him before as he opens the doors to his home and businesses. Over a 6 month window, the expansion of his restaurant empire begins to take shape and, with the official launch fast approaching, we see Gordon balance the challenges that come with it with his life as a husband to Tana, and father to their six children." Ramsay's most recent TV project before the documentary was Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service, an American reality series that debuted on Fox in May 2025. Being Gordon Ramsay is the latest in a long-line of documentaries about famous British individuals, with previous titles focusing on David and Victoria Beckham, as well as Robbie Williams, Lewis Capaldi and more. Being Gordon Ramsay will be released on Wednesday 18th February on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Add Being Gordon Ramsay to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Documentaries 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.
For All Mankind season 5 release date confirmed with new first look and The Killing reunion
Mireille Enos is joining Joel Kinnaman in the cast for this season.
Get ready to reach for the stars once more, as Apple TV's alternate history series, For All Mankind, is coming back for season 5. The first trailer for the new season has now been unveiled, along with a new set of images, as the release date has been unveiled for the new batch of 10 episodes. Season 5 will officially debut on Friday 27th March, with episodes arriving weekly. This means the finale will debut on 29th May. The synopsis for this season says that it "picks up in the years since the Goldilocks asteroid heist". "Happy Valley has grown into a thriving colony with thousands of residents and a base for new missions that will take us even further into the solar system," the synopsis continues. "But with the nations of Earth now demanding law and order on the Red Planet, friction continues to build between the people who live on Mars and their former home." You can watch the trailer right here now. View oEmbed on the source website While Joel Kinnaman, Toby Kebbell, Edi Gathegi, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña and Wrenn Schmidt, will all be returning, this season also sees the introduction of some notable series regulars, including Kinnaman's former The Killing co-star Mireille Enos. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. Costa Ronin (The Americans), Sean Kaufman (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Ruby Cruz (Mare of Easttown) and Ines Asserson (Royalteen) are all also joining the cast. For All Mankind fans ares really getting treated this year, as not only is season 5 on the way, but a spin-off, titled Star City, is also coming soon. That show is reportedly set to be led by Rhys Ifans, with the story focusing on the Soviet space programme in For All Mankind's alternate history, taking the timeline right back to the start of the series. For All Mankind season 5 will premiere on Apple TV on Friday 27th March 2026. Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Apple TV, sign up now with a 7-day free trial. Add For All Mankind to your watchlist on the 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.
Prue Leith confirms The Great British Bake Off exit after nearly a decade in judge role
The restauranteur and cookery writer has been with the series ever since it moved to Channel 4 in 2017.
There's a big change a-brewing in the Great British Bake Off tent, as Prue Leith has announced she is stepping down from the show after nine years. Leith first joined the series in 2017 when the baking show moved from the BBC to Channel 4, and has been a fixture on it ever since, acting as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood. The restauranteur and cookery writer stepped down from her role for the programme's Stand Up to Cancer celebrity spin-off back in 2024, with Lady Caroline Waldegrave stepping in. Now, Leith has decided to leave Bake Off entirely, saying in a statement: "Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul, Alison [Hammond] and Noel [Fielding] and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4. "But now feels like the right time to step back (I’m 86 for goodness sake!), there’s so much I’d like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden. Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have. I feel very lucky to have been part of it." During Leith's time on the show, she has seen former presenters Sandi Toksvig and Matt Lucas both depart the series at various junctures. Love Productions, the company behind the series, said: "Huge thanks to Prue who has been a brilliant judge on Bake Off and a much loved presence in the tent for nearly a decade. "From her genuine expertise and encouragement of the bakers to her ability to drop innocent innuendos that reduce the entire tent (and the audience at home) to tears of laughter, Prue will always have a piece of Bake Off’s heart." Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz added: "Prue Leith has been a joyous presence in the tent, pairing absolute culinary authority with great generosity and empathy for the bakers. We are grateful for her passion, her wit, her ineffable style, and all the summers she spent in the tent. "She leaves an indelible mark on the show and all its bakers. We will miss her wry, gentle judgement but look forward to working with her on new projects." While fans will no doubt be sad to see Leith go, they do not need to fear for the future of the series – it has already been confirmed that The Great British Bake Off will return to Channel 4 later this year, with Hollywood, Hammond and Fielding currently all expected to return. This year's season will see the introduction of an Audience Choice week, with the series having already called out for ideas for the challenges from fans. Channel 4 has confirmed that a new judge to take Leith's place will be announced in due course. The Great British Bake Off is available to watch on Channel 4 on catch-up. Add The Great British Bake Off to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment 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.
Riz Ahmed auditions for James Bond 007 role in first look at new comedy - as release date confirmed
Bait will release on Prime Video later this year.
The race to be the next James Bond star is well and truly on, so much so that a new comedy series has been made about exactly that topic. Bait, a new six-part series for Prime Video, stars Riz Ahmed as Shah Latif, a struggling actor who gets a last chance to hit it big when the audition of a lifetime – for the role of Bond – comes his way. The synopsis for the series says that it follows him "over the course of four wild days as his life spirals out of control and his family, ex-lover and the entire world weigh in on whether he is the right man for the job". It has now been confirmed that all six episodes of the series will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 25th March, with a first-look clip having also been unveiled. View oEmbed on the source website The clip sees Shah's family finding a news story revealing his audition for the role, and getting a little bit ahead of themselves about just what this means. Starring alongside Ahmed in the series will be Guz Khan (Stuffed) as Zulfi, Sheeba Chaddha (Hamlet) as Tahira, Sajid Hasan (Hum Sub) as Parvez, Aasiya Shah (Unforgotten) as Q, Weruche Opia (The Jetty) as Felicia and Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) as Yasmin. Ahmed not only stars in the series, but also acts as co-showrunner alongside Ben Karlin who has previously written for shows such as Modern Family, Future Man and Minx. Ahmed will next be seen on our screens taking on a different iconic role to Bond - that of Hamlet, in a new film take on William Shakespeare's masterpiece. The film, which has been reimagined in a contemporary London setting, has been directed by Aneil Karia and also stars Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn, Sheeba Chaddha, Avijit Dutt, Art Malik and Timothy Spall. Bait will premiere on Prime Video on Wednesday 25th March 2026 – 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. Add Bait to your watchlist on the 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.
Outlander and The Crown stars confirmed for key roles in Netflix's epic Kennedy dynasty drama
Laura Donnelly and Ben Miles are joining Michael Fassbender in Netflix's Kennedy.
A host of new cast members have been announced for upcoming Netflix series Kennedy, a drama about the Kennedy dynasty starring Michael Fassbender. While Fassbender's involvement as Joe Kennedy Sr had already been announed, new cast members joining the series include Outlander's Laura Donnelly as his wife, Rose Kennedy, and The Crown's Ben Miles his longtime aide Eddie Moore. Others set to star include Nick Robinson (The Abandons) and Joshuah Melnick (Saint X) as Joe Sr and Rose's sons Joe Kennedy Jr and Jack Kennedy, and Lydia Peckham (Robin Hood) and Saura Lightfoot-Leon (The Agency) as their daughters Rosemary Kennedy and Kick Kennedy. Rounding out the new cast joining the series are Cole Doman (The Savant) as Jack's best friend Lem Billings and Imogen Poots (Hedda) as actress Gloria Swanson, who has an affair with Joe Sr. The official synopsis for Kennedy says: "Kennedy reveals the intimate lives, loves, rivalries, and tragedies that shaped the most iconic dynasty in modern history, and helped create the world we live in today. "Beginning in the 1930s, the first season charts the improbable ascent of Joe and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, including the rebellious second son, Jack, who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden-boy older brother." The series has been inspired by Fredrik Logevall’s book JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956, and comes from showrunner and executive producer Sam Shaw (Masters of Sex). When it was first announced, Shaw told Tudum: "The story of the Kennedys is the closest we have to American mythology — somewhere between Shakespeare and The Bold and the Beautiful. "But Fredrik Logevall’s stunning, nuanced biography pulls a veil on the human strivings and burdens behind the myth, revealing as much about our present moment, how we got here and where we’re going, as about the Kennedys themselves. "I'm thrilled to be able to explore this saga of a family and a world in transition with Eric Roth, Thomas Vinterberg and our incredible band of artists and partners, at a moment when our past feels urgently present." Kennedy will 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 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 director says "something went wrong" with Disney deal: "It wasn't a better show with more money"
Peter Hoar, who directed The Robot Revolution and Lucky Day, was speaking about his new "genre-based" production company.
Peter Hoar, the director behind two of the most recent episodes of Doctor Who, has said that "something went wrong" with the series in its most recent era, when the show was co-produced with Disney. The director, who worked on two season 15 episodes, The Robot Revolution and Lucky Day, was speaking in an interview about his new "genre-based" production company Multitude Productions, which he's founded with executive producer Matthew Bouch and West End producer Jason Haigh-Ellery. Talking to Deadline, Hoar said of the sci-fi's latest iteration: "I don’t think anybody would doubt the skills at the front line of that show but something went wrong. "I think there were lots of areas you could point fingers at but ultimately it wasn’t a better show with more money. And that’s a good thing, because we haven’t got the money anymore, nobody has." Bouch also said that the "well-publicised dropping off of Doctor Who" gives them the sense that there is a gap in the market in the UK for "genre-based British IP", which they are looking to fill – in part – with their new reboot of Blake's 7. View Green Video on the source website Hoar was not only behind The Robot Revolution and Lucky Day, but also directed an episode from the Matt Smith era – season 6's mid-season finale A Good Man Goes to War. Elsewhere he has directed episodes of Daredevil, The Last Kingdom, The Umbrella Academy and The Last of Us. He was behind all five episodes of current Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies's Channel 4 drama It's a Sin, and all three episodes of his ITV show Nolly. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. Doctor Who's Disney deal came to an end with last year's spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea, but the main show will return later this year for a Christmas special. That episode will be written by Davies, but nothing else is currently known about it – including whether it will be produced as part of a new deal with another production and distribution partner, or whether the BBC will go it alone once more. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" 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 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.
Doctor Who fan-favourite stories to get new Target novelisations – with series icons reading audiobooks
Three two-parters from the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctor eras are getting novelisations.
A set of three new Target novelisations have been confirmed for beloved Doctor Who two-part stories, which will be released this year. The stories set to be released as novelisations include season 1 story Aliens of London, which aired back in 2005. Introducing Whovians to the Slitheen for the very first time, the two-parter (which concluded with World War Three) starred Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, and was written by Joseph Lidster after being originally scripted by Russell T Davies. Season 2's The Satan Pit, which aired in 2006 along with The Impossible Planet, will also be among the stories, with this novelisation being written by original screenwriter Matt Jones. Debuting the Ood on-screen for the first time, this beloved two-parter starred David Tennant's Doctor alongside Piper, Danny Webb and Shaun Parkes. The third novelisation will be The Time of Angels, which aired in 2010 along with Flesh and Stone. Starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, the episodes brought the much-anticipated return of the Weeping Angels, with Steven Moffat's original scripts being used by Jenny T Colgan for the new novelisation. The novelisations will also be released as Audible audiobooks on 26th March 2026, with some Doctor Who legends lending their voices to the productions. Jackie Tyler star Camille Coduri will read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHP3C4MY/ref=sr_1_6?crid=147C9NS1YS721&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7YajrzRUOPBpCVWvihVuNzjWY4PJuKyA0AFPH337MTc-Kbqnx-2BvjkYk21GoL_6OjKdkEiLSQKqZpaFl5fovfKvqtglAJAKR84J95yrCK-RgpS4yWEycyKnLgdHjrUMH4ocJYVWFRwKZTkQhmkzlNhTidId9aIlUA7gzeerZZj1q-oPUGj05LAVhn4C52N7hyLv9NfuHFIfchqpTEbpSc6ojaoLsXC9y1xtd3Y9MOY.h6qRNYG_BX9bQV1MWNW2n4gO04BpmTW1RxBSuufjF1o&dib_tag=se&keywords=aliens+of+london+doctor+who&qid=1768907245&sprefix=aliens+of+london+doctor+who%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aliens of London, while Claire Rushbrook (Ida Scott), Ronny Jhutti (Danny Bartock) and Silas Carson (Voice of the Ood) will return for The Satan Pit, along with Maureen O'Brien, who played classic companion Vicki. O'Brien will also read The Time of Angels, bringing the terrifying tale to life in audio form. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. The novelisations should hopefully help to fill the Doctor Who-shaped gap for fans, as the series won't be returning until Christmas this year, when a new special will pick up where last season's finale, The Reality War, left off. Speaking with BBC Newsbeat, showrunner Russell T Davies recently said that while he hasn't written the special yet, he has shared plot details with BBC bosses, which left them "with jaws agape, loving it." Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" 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 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.
Harry Potter TV series: Release date speculation, casting & latest news
Everything to know about the new Wizarding World TV series adapting the original seven books.
As filming on HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series continues, some key figures behind the production are starting to give their assessments of how it's going thus far, and what fans can expect. For instance, in December 2025, HBO Max head of original content Sarah Aubrey spoke about the series while on a panel at Content London, as reported by Variety. Aubrey said that she was visiting the set of the series the following day, before adding: "I just keep thinking, it’s such a delightful adaptation of the books. And I think when people watch it, they [will] think, 'These are the books.'" Meanwhile, Warwick Davis, currently the only star to be returning from the Harry Potter movies to play the same part of Filius Flitwick in the series, spoke about the new adaptation on Times Radio, as reported by Deadline. "I’m working on it at the moment, but I can’t really tell you anything other than we’re retelling those wonderful stories but with more depth and detail than has been seen before," he said. "They’re very faithful adaptations of the book. "We’re obviously telling the same story so there are similar moments that we’re experiencing as actors on the set. But it’s weird being back in the same studios again, doing it all again, because Leavesden is where we shot the films." Of course, with filming ongoing, we're still far off from getting a specific release date, but more news is being revealed frequently. Most recently, Hans Zimmer and his collective of composers, named Bleeding Fingers, were tapped to compose the score for the series. Hans Zimmer, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman said in a statement together: "The musical legacy of Harry Potter is a touch point for composers everywhere and we are humbled to join such a remarkable team on a project of this magnitude. The responsibility is something that myself, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman do not take lightly. "Magic is all around us, often just beyond reach, but as in the world of Harry Potter, you simply must look for it. With this score we hope to bring audiences that little bit closer to it whilst honoring what has come before." For more on the Harry Potter series, including the potential release date, more casting news, and the TV show's plot, the rest of this watch guide below has you covered. Harry Potter TV series release date speculation HBO's Harry Potter adaptation is currently expected to premiere in 2027, following comments by CEO & President of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav. Originally reported by TVLine, Zaslav told press back in November 2024: "Oh, it could probably be [2027], something like that." "But don’t hold me to any of that, because we’re just getting started in the writing and casting process." Although an exact release date hasn't been announced yet, we'll update this page as soon as we hear more. A lot has happened since Zaslav's comments, including the casting of the key actors, but logistically it still looks like a 2027 release date for the Harry Potter show is doable. Filming for the new Harry Potter began in July 2025, kickstarting what is intended to be a seven-season adaptation, taking place across the UK in locations like London Zoo, King's Cross Station, and Hertfordshire. One obvious concern is making sure the show stays on track to release one new season per year, so the lead actors don't end up growing too old for their roles. Speaking about HBO's plans to film new seasons as quickly and efficiently as possible, HBO CEO Casey Bloys, explained to Collider’s Steve Weintraub: "From 11 to 13, is a big jump in kids' lives. You can get away with 13 to 15, something like that. So we are going to have to think about scheduling and shooting so that they don’t grow too much between seasons. It is a consideration." "I think an annual schedule would be tough, but it depends on how much is written ahead of time." In November 2025, Bloys confirmed that season 2 was already being written. Bloys told reporters during a press conference, as reported by Deadline: "The plan is to still try and get it — I don’t know if it’s going to be like stop shooting Season 1 on Friday and start Season 2 on Monday. "There’ll be a break in there, but we’re going to do whatever we can to not have a huge gap. For the kids, obviously, but also for viewers. You know, trying to not have massive gaps. It is a big show, lots of special effects, obviously, massive operation, but we’re going to do what we can." Bloys also previously confirmed that author JK Rowling is involved in the project, amid ongoing controversy regarding her views on trans rights, which have turned many former fans away from the franchise. In response to these concerns, an HBO spokesperson said (via Variety): "We are proud to once again tell the story of Harry Potter — the heartwarming books that speak to power of friendship, resolve and acceptance". "JK Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement." This has done little to quell concerns over Rowling's impact as a public figure, and how her income from the Potter franchise may be used to facilitate anti-LGBTQ+ projects. In recent years, the author was notably absent from the 20-year anniversary special of the Harry Potter movies, and the 2023 Hogwarts Legacy spin-off game faced boycotts. Meanwhile, several fan-run organisations have distanced themselves from Rowling, including the international association for real-life Quidditch, which has renamed the sport "quadball." Who will be the cast starring in the Harry Potter TV series? As mentioned above, the lead stars playing Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger have been confirmed. Back in September 2024, there was an open casting call looking for the three kids, with Warner boss Channing Dungey admitting it would be "tricky" to allocate the roles (via Variety). Now we know that, in HBO's Harry Potter series, Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione and Alastair Stout will play Ron. Stanton is known for having previously starred in the West End production of Matilda, as well as the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of Starlight Express. Stout has been seen in TV advertisements, while McLaughlin will be seen in Sky Original comedy Grow. Following the lead actors being announced, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod said in a statement to Variety: "After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione and Ron". "The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there." Meanwhile, HBO previously announced that John Lithgow is set to play Albus Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter show. Lithgow previously said of taking on the role: "It came as a total surprise to me. I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited." Elsewhere, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) will star as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) will star as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) will appear as Rubeus Hagrid. While those four series regulars had previously been rumoured to be joining the project, some other new additions have been more unexpected. The more surprising additions are Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) as Argus Filch, who will appear in guest/recurring roles. Thallon is currently best known in the theatre world and most recently starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2025 Hamlet. In June, a whole load of new additions were also announced to fill out supporting roles. Katherine Parkinson (Rivals) will play Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt (Lord of the Flies) will play Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn (Ripley) will play Lucius Malfoy and Bertie Carvel (The Crown) will play Cornelius Fudge. Meanwhile, Leo Earley will play Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni will play Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah will play Lavender Brown, Bel Powley (Masters of the Air) will play Petunia Dursley and Daniel Rigby (I, Jack Wright) will play Vernon Dursley. Unfortunately, those hoping for returns from the film franchise's stars, such as Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson or Rupert Grint, are out of luck – it's not looking likely. Chatting to ComicBook.com, Radcliffe quashed any speculation about him making an appearance. He said: "My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh, and I'm sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere." He continued: "So I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way… but I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world, and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it." Argus Filch star David Bradley told RadioTimes.com: "I think it’ll be very interesting to see what they will do with the extra time they’ll have to film more of the books than we could. "The Goblet of Fire and the last two, they were quite chunky – how do you condense those into a two and a half hour film? "Of course, you’ve got to sacrifice quite a lot of plot and characters. I’m assuming the reason they’re doing it is they’ll be able to include more of the story because they’ll have more screen time – a lot more than the films had. I’ll be interested. I haven’t had the call yet!" Asked whether it felt strange to see a new adaptation in the works, Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, mused: "It’s no weirder for me than for everybody else who’s seen the films. I happen to be in the films too." View Green Video on the source website He continued: "They make a new Spider-Man every 15 minutes. You know, there was a ton of stuff in the books that we left out. Yeah, it's an odd feeling, but it’s no odder for me than it is anyone else. I can’t wait to see them and see what they do." Behind the camera, we know that His Dark Materials writer Francesca Gardiner will serve as showrunner, while Succession director Mark Mylod is attached to produce and film some episodes. Meanwhile, JK Rowling will executive produce the series, alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts. "Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series," said Rowling. Who is playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter series? The actor who will be playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter HBO series hasn't been revealed just yet, but well-known contenders like Matthew Macfadyen, Matt Smith, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hiddleston are in the running, according to Online Betting Guide. However, known entertainment industry leaker Daniel Richtman recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Harry Potter TV show is "auditioning both men and women for Voldemort", so there is a chance Tom Riddle could be portrayed by a woman. There is no confirmation of either claim yet, but we will be updating this guide as soon as we hear more. What is the Harry Potter TV series about? The series will be based on all seven books in the series, originally published between 1997 and 2007. A statement from the newly branded Max explained: "The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for. "The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years." It continued: "Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally." The Harry Potter series will stream on HBO Max. Check out more of our Fantasy 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 Night Agent season 3: Release date and latest news
*Warning: Contains full spoilers for The Night Agent season 2* It's time for another mission, with Peter Sutherland taking on a brand new case in The Night Agent season 3. The new season, which officially entered production before season 2 even debuted, has now got a confirmed release date, with an explosive first-look trailer also having been unveiled. The new season is set to introduce a whole host of new characters, and will pick up after the major cliffhanger to season 2, which saw Peter and Rose (Luciane Buchanan) bidding farewell once more, and Peter taking up a vital new covert operation. But what could happen in The Night Agent season 3, when might it land and will fan favourite characters such as Rose be back? Read on for everything you need to know. The Night Agent season 3 release date The Night Agent season 3 will officially debut on Thursday 19th February 2026. The season is arriving just over a year after season 2 - far quicker than the gap between seasons 1 and 2, which lasted for almost two years. This is likely because the new run was commissioned and started filming before season 2 had even been released. In a show of confidence in the series, The Night Agent was renewed by Netflix back in October 2024. Filming on season 3 began in Istanbul in 2024, with the shoot continuing in 2025 in New York. Creator Shawn Ryan told Netflix Tudum of the show's renewal: "We’re so excited that our fans will get to watch season 2 of The Night Agent in early 2025, and we’ve been hard at work writing season 3 to deliver more breathless Peter Sutherland Night Action adventures to our rabid audience." Who will be back to star in The Night Agent season 3? As expected Gabriel Basso will be back to lead the cast of The Night Agent season 3, with Amanda Warrenalso returning as Catherine. Other stars we know are returning include Ward Horton as Richard Hagan and Albert Jones as Deputy Director Aiden Mosely, both of whom have been promoted to series regulars, along with season 1 star Fola Evans-Akingbola, who is back in a prominent role after making a cameo at the end of season 2. Louis Herthum is also back as Jacob Monroe, and when it comes to new characters in season 3, we know that Genesis Rodriguez, David Lyons, Jennifer Morrison, Stephen Moyer, Callum Vinson and Suraj Sharma have all joined the show. While Rodriguez is taking on the role of journalist Isabel, Morrison will be playing the first lady. Ryan said of bringing in the new characters: "Even though it’s incredibly difficult to create a new world each season and create all these new characters, there’s something that I think keeps the show fresh, that is a great challenge to us as writers that we love, and that in the same way that you wouldn’t watch season 1 and then expect that Iranian mission storyline in season 2. "I would say there would be some storylines that you wouldn’t expect in season 3 just based on watching season 2." Sadly, there is a key character from seasons 1 and 2 who won't be returning - Lucianne Buchanan's Rose Larkin. Peter and Rose parted ways once more at the end of season 2, and Buchanan confirmed the news of her departure when speaking with Deadline, telling the publication: "I won’t be returning to Season 3 of The Night Agent. "As much as that show has been so amazing, especially for my career — being a lead on a US show from little New Zealand was such a whirlwind — the writers decided that they wanted to follow Peter and his journey based on what happened at the end of Season 2. "And so, we don’t get to see what happens to Rose, but I think it’s a really exciting time for the show, and who knows, it’s not a goodbye forever." Buchanan continued: " They called me not so long after Season 2, and they were like, we’ve been trying to find a way to bring her in, but we want to do her character justice and not make her a sub-character. I totally respected that decision and agreed. I was like, if it makes sense to a story, I’ll do that. If it doesn’t, let’s not force that.” Creator Shawn Ryan also gave a statement to the publication, saying he adores "Luciane as a person and as a performer and I don’t believe that this means we’re done telling the story of Peter and Rose". "I hope circumstances ultimately allow for the return of Rose to our Night Agent universe," he added. Buchanan confirmed she would be up for returning, saying: "If there is an opportunity that makes sense to the story for her to come back, I’m sure they’ll explore that, because they really loved the dynamics of Peter and Rose, and I know a lot of audiences loved that dynamic. So I’m sure Shawn Ryan and his team will find a little way; maybe we’ll make a little cameo along the way." Here's a list of all the characters confirmed to appear in The Night Agent season 3: Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland Amanda Warren as Catherine Weaver Louis Herthum as Jacob Monroe Ward Horton as Richard Hagan Fola Evans-Akingbola as Chelsea Arrington Albert Jones as Deputy Director Aiden Mosely Genesis Rodriguez as Isabel David Lyons as Adam Jennifer Morrison as the First Lady Stephen Moyer as The Father Callum Vinson as TBC Suraj Sharma as TBC The Night Agent plot: What will happen in season 3? The official synopsis for The Night Agent season 3 says: "Coming off the explosive events of season 2, Night Agent Peter Sutherland is called in to track down a young Treasury Agent who fled to Istanbul with sensitive government intel after killing his boss. "This kicks off a sequence of events where Peter investigates a dark money network while avoiding its paid assassins, while putting him on a collision course with a relentless journalist. Working together, they uncover buried secrets and old grudges that threaten to bring the government to its knees - and get them both killed in the process." The treasury agent is being played by Suraj Sharma, while Genesis Rodriguez will play the journalist. The latter seems to be taking on a role similar to the one previously played by Luciane Buchanan's Rose. This season will likely pick up on threads left hanging following the season 2 ending, which saw Catherine let Peter out of jail and recruit him to go undercover, acting as though he is under the control of Jacob Monroe while he will really be feeding her information with regards to his connection to the new president, Hagan, and their plans together. Gabriel Basso told Deadline of where we will pick up with Peter: "I think he’s still technically a night agent. He’s still working for Catherine, but his assignment within Night Action is to do this other job and to be a double agent. But everyone has deniability. "It’s almost like, if he gets busted, Catherine’s not going to pick up the phone and bail him out. So he’s in a very fragile place and alone in a lot of ways. We’ll see where that goes, where that gets him." Meanwhile, creator Shawn Ryan told Deadline: "We’re still crafting season 3, so I’m reluctant to talk too specifically about it. "But what I will say is that Peter, because he is a good, decent person at the end of season 2, he realises that, while he got the desired result of saving Rose, stopping the attack on the UN, that the actions that he took to achieve that had some unintended consequences that could be even bigger, perhaps, than the things he stopped. "That will be a part of season 3, him trying to emotionally and logistically deal with the unintended consequences of his actions in season 2." He also told TVLine that fans should be "very worried" about Hagan's role as the frontrunner in the presidential election, while he told The Hollywood Reporter that he and the team would endeavour to keep the show "realistic and grounded". "We understood that in a movie, Peter and Rose would end up together," he continued, mentioning the fact that the two separated at the end of season 2. "But in an ongoing series, what are the realities that these characters are facing? How different are their lives? "How does Peter’s decision to want to be a Night Agent [affect them], and [what are] the dangers that attach to that? "In many ways, his desire to separate from Rose at the end of season 2 reflects his connection with her. It’s because he cares so much about her that he feels like she needs to be away from him. "Where that goes over the course of the series, I don’t know yet. We always treat each season as a separate season. "So I think it’s unknown to us as writers, and that’s unknown to the audience, exactly what’s going to happen with Peter and Rose, but I think that’s because of the realities of the situation that they’re in. "The last thing we would do is manufacture crisis after crisis season after season that feel artificial to keep them together." We now know that Rose won't be appearing in season 3 - but, of course, that doesn't count her out from returning further down the line. Is there a trailer for The Night Agent season 3? There is! You can watch the first trailer for season 3, which was released on 3rd December 2025, right here now. View oEmbed on the source website The Night Agent season 3 will debut on Netflix on Thursday 19th February. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Add The Night Agent to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" 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. 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Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials ending explained: Who was behind it all?
There were plenty of twists and turns in the show's final episode.
*Warning - contains full spoilers for all three episodes of Agatha Christie's Seven Dials.* Netflix has given Agatha Christie's 1929 novel, The Seven Dials Mystery, the TV treatment. The new three-part series, titled Agatha Christie's Seven Dials, follows Lady Eileen 'Bundle' Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce), a socialite sleuth who attempts to investigate the death of her sweetheart, Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest), who has perished in what appears to be a prank gone wrong. But as fans of the Queen of Crime would expect, the Netflix series features some almighty twists, leading to a dramatic ending in which Bundle eventually uncovers the truth. So, who was the killer? What actually was the importance of the seven alarm clocks? And how did the whole series come to an end? Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of Agatha Christie's Seven Dials. Agatha Christie's Seven Dials ending explained: Who was the killer? In the final episode of Seven Dials, Lorraine made off with Dr Matip's formula, which had been designed to create metal so impervious that "war would no longer have purpose". It could also be a gamechanger in the wrong hands. Bundle came to believe that Lorraine was behind the murders of Gerry and Ronnie, and chased her on to a train along with Jimmy and Bill. When on the train, Bill, who revealed he had a gun, went on ahead to confront Lorraine. Left behind, Jimmy tried to convince Bundle that Bill may have been in cahoots with Lorraine, and part of it all along. However, as a stand-off ensued, Jimmy revealed that he was actually Lorraine's partner in crime. It had all started with Gerry's death - Lorraine had laced his champagne with poison throughout the night of the party, and then left the bottle by his bedside table to make it look like a suicide. Meanwhile, Jimmy had placed the clocks on the mantelpiece to complicate things, because he knew Ronnie and Bill were messing around with them, and he heard Gerry mention the Seven Dials organisation. Later, Jimmy had killed Ronnie after he had worked out too much, and had arranged to talk with him. Finally, Jimmy had faked an attack on himself previously, shooting himself in the arm so he could divert attention away from himself, while also allowing Lorraine time to drug Matip and steal his formula. Jimmy did it all for the money, because he was in serious debt. He offered to cut Bundle in, but she refused, horrified that that was why he did it all. However, he revealed that he was not the brains behind the whole operation, and that Lorraine had been on the train for a reason - to hand over the formula to whoever the mastermind was. As Bill found Lorraine and locked her away in a cupboard onboard the train, Bundle knocked Jimmy out and headed to the front of the train where the handover was taking place. Who was behind it all? As Bundle made her way to the front of the train, she was horrified to learn that it was her own mother, Helena Bonham Carter's Lady Caterham, who was behind it all. Devastated by her son's death, which she blamed on a "deluded, drunken, general", and left penniless after her husband died, she had put the plan together to sell the formula to foreign adversaries. She did this due to a hatred of her own country, and also because she needed the money to pay for her and Bundle's lifestyles. Were they to lose Chimneys, Lady Caterham said they would have nothing left - no home and no status. The party at Chimneys was always designed so Lady Caterham could gather intelligence about the formula, and she recruited Jimmy and Lorraine to help her. In truth, Lady Caterham had never planned to kill Gerry - that was all Lorraine, who believed he had uncovered their plan and took drastic action. Bundle was horrified to discover the truth and held her mother at gunpoint until Superintendent Battle arrived to arrest her. Jimmy and Lorraine were also taken into custody. Who were the Seven Dials Committee and what did Bundle decide? At the end of the series, Bundle was brought into the headquarters of the Seven Dials organisation at gunpoint. Once there, she found six figures wearing cloaks and fencing masks with clock faces on. One of them took off their mask to reveal he was in fact... Superintendent Battle! Battle revealed that the Seven Dials club was in no way responsible for the deaths of Gerry or Ronnie, and was in fact an organisation working to keep the world safe in "turbulent times". All along, Battle had been trying to protect Dr Matip and his formula. Bundle's father had actually been a member of the club, and had been on a mission to meet Matip in Spain when he died. He was killed by the club's enemies, who had discovered their existence and their plans. Lord Caterham's involvement with Seven Dials, and his knowledge of the formula's existence, is how Lady Caterham had found out about it in the first place - she had, in recent years, dined with those who knew him, and who liked to gossip. Having revealed this, Battle then made a proposition to Bundle - he wanted Bundle to join them. He had been assessing her all this time, and deemed that she had the right skills to assist their organisation. Bundle accepted Battle's offer, for a life of espionage, peril and international travel. She put on her new mask, and formally joined the Seven Dials club. Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is available to watch in full on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Add Agatha Christie's Seven Dials to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" 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.