Why weren't three major Brassic stars in the show's finale?
Brassic has come to an end after seven seasons, but some fan favourite characters didn’t make it to the final episode.
Hit Sky comedy series Brassic has come to an end after seven seasons of mayhem from the Hawley gang of amateur thieves led by Joe Gilgun’s Vinnie O’Neill. The final episode left some questions unanswered, such as who fired the shot in the woods that injured Vinnie, but the biggest mystery for many fans is why fan favourites Carol, Cardi and Erin weren’t in the finale at all. The reason Michelle Keegan, who plays Erin, was absent for much of the season is that she was pregnant during production in late 2024 and early 2025. She filmed some early scenes – in the school reunion episode you can see she is wearing a big coat to hide her pregnancy bump – and then returned after giving birth to daughter Palma to make her final appearance. Erin isn’t in the finale, but in the penultimate episode, she calls Vinnie and has a heartfelt chat with him when she gets stuck in a lift, leaving fans with a long awaited romantic moment between the pair, even if it is over the phone. And while Keegan has other projects in the pipeline, including ITV crime drama The Blame, she doesn’t rule out a return for Erin in the future. “I love this show and for me it’s felt like home,” she said before filming the final episodes of Brassic. “Every year, I’d go off and do other projects and then I’d come back home to Brassic as it was always at the same time every year. "It was the nicest job to do because it was like seeing all your mates again. It’s going to hit me more this year when it’s not coming back, but part of me believes it is still coming back again.” Also absent from the finale are Cardi and Carol (played by Tom Hanson and Bronagh Gallagher) and in fact they barely feature in the final season at all, and don’t reappear for the last episode. It is explained via a video call early on that they are in Ireland, working on their marriage, and the couple aren’t seen again. Part of the reason for their absence is that both Hanson and Gallagher were committed to other projects that clashed with the filming of the final season of Brassic – Hanson was making a new Irish series called These Sacred Vows, while singer and actress Gallagher has filmed How to Get to Heaven from Belfast for Netflix, and has also been performing on tour with her band. Read more: Brassic alternate ending revealed by star as closing scenes sparked big debate Brassic future teased by star Ryan Sampson as series comes to a close In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, their co-star, Ryan Samson, who plays Tommo, revealed what it was like on set without them. “We really missed them,” he said. “I love the pair of them so much, and it was really sad that they weren’t there. But I think they were just like, we've done it for seven years now, so enough's enough. But then, as it turned out, that was last series anyway. It was a bit sad for them not to be in it fully. "And I think that's the thing about it doing something for ages, you can't go on forever, and there has to be a point when you start going, ‘okay, I wanna do something else.’” Of course, many other favourites from the show did return for the final season, including Dominic West, who plays Dr Chris, Vinnie’s highly unethical GP. He joined the series after becoming friends with Joe Gilgun during the filming of the movie Pride in 2014, where he encouraged Joe to write down the stories from his life that would become the inspiration for Brassic. View oEmbed on the source website “Joe is the funniest man I have ever met,” West said. “He is a brilliant actor and performer. I remember seeing him first in the opening scenes of This Is England as the character Woody. It’s one of the greatest scenes of all time. It’s all him, the whole time, he was improvising the whole thing. “Brassic is like an extended version of that, he’s one of the great actors of this country. I would have done a lot better in Pride if I hadn’t been hanging around with him. He was just making me cry with laughter the whole time we filmed. But out of that film came our friendship and then came this!” “I’m going to miss it,” he added. “I can’t quite believe it’s the last series. I’ve enjoyed every second and I hope you [the fans] have. Joe is a genius, and I hope we have shown the world that. The Gilgun genius!” Brassic seasons 1-7 are available to stream now on Sky. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. Add Brassic 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 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.
Brassic alternate ending revealed by star as closing scenes sparked big debate
Tommo star Ryan Sampson talks to RadioTimes.com about the Brassic finale.**CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE BRASSIC FINALE**
**Warning: Major Brassic finale spoilers ahead.** Sky TV’s hugely popular comedy series Brassic has ended with a literal bang, but actor Ryan Sampson, who plays Tommo, has revealed the final scene could have been very different. Episode 6 of Brassic’s final season has Vinnie (Joe Gilgun), Tommo and the gang meeting rival criminals Davey MacDonagh (Neil Ashton) and Joey Kittens (Dylan Baldwin) for lunch at a remote countryside pub in the snow. Before they arrived, Davey removed the staff and placed his own cousins behind the bar. He also shot Joey, and once everyone is settled in for the meal, he holds them all hostage. Trying to save his friends, Vinnie goes with an unhinged (and armed) Davey into the woods, and after the rest of the gang overpower Davey’s cousins, they head off to find him. Unfortunately, Joey’s niece Fay, who also has a rifle, finds her uncle’s body in the snow and blames Vinnie, aiming the gun at him and then at Davey. Vinnie pulls out the vintage gun he found in the pub, and a stand-off follows when Davey refuses to put his gun down. The search party then hear a gunshot echo through the trees, and viewers see Vinnie lying in the snow, with blood by his side. As the camera draws close, we see flashbacks to Vinnie’s life with his friends, and his love for Erin (Michelle Keegan) and their son Tyler, before he sits up and the end credits roll. “There was a lot of debate over what the exact last second should be,” Sampson confessed in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com. “Should he sit up? Should he have the flashbacks? Should someone else? Was it someone else who was going to get shot at one point? It went round in the drafts we had," he explained. "There were so many, and I think they wanted to leave it open, just in case they want to do more Brassic later. So that's why Vinnie opens his eyes and stuff and sits up.” Read more: Brassic future teased by star Ryan Sampson as series comes to a close Farewell to Brassic – one of the funniest and rudest shows on TV “I think at one point he was meant to get shot in the head, and then he didn't and I seem to remember Joe [Gilgun] being like, ‘I don't want to be dying in last scene,’” Sampson added. “So obviously, he's got an idea about maybe we don't want it to end, but to be honest, there's no concrete plan yet. It just feels like it's definitely ended. But now there's a door being left open, you know?” Sampson also noted that Danny Brocklehurst, who co-created the show with Joe Gilgun, may have his own plans for Brassic in the future, which meant that Vinnie had to survive the shooting. “I think there's a sneaky idea that Danny’s mentioned that he'd kind of like to write a film of it at some point. So who knows if that will happen? I don't know, but it's obviously in the back of his head.” View oEmbed on the source website The final episode, entitled The Carvery (the remote pub is chosen as a meeting place because it has a good carvery) is already pretty cinematic. It pays homage to Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 movie The Hateful Eight, which starred Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell and Jennifer Jason Leigh as a group of strangers who seek refuge in a stagecoach inn during a blizzard a few years after the American Civil War. “Episode 6, I think is one of the most cinematic episodes we've done,” Sampson said. “The CGI budget, apparently, is just through the roof with the snow. So I'm really proud of that. I think it looks really amazing. "But also there's all these little Easter eggs in it. The whole episode is meant to be like The Hateful Eight. So Darren [Finch], the costume designer, has snuck in all these little references in the costumes. Kurt Russell wears this huge bear skin coat in the movie, and so I'm wearing this big, like fur number, just to like echo it. I thought it was really clever.” The wintry effects in the episode had to be added using computer imagery as there was no snow when the cast and crew were filming. “The really mad thing is, at the beginning of the series, we had loads of snow and we were fighting to film stuff that didn't have any snow in it,” Sampson said. “For the bit where the second half of the bus is going over the cliff [in the first episode], there was snow all around. So they had to melt all the snow, and then we had to come back when it wasn't there to film. And then when they were doing the snow scenes in the final episode, they had to just put all this snow in. So this is the nonsense of making TV.” Sampson's next project post-Brassic is the third season of the comedy series Mr Bigstuff, which he is currently writing and stars in with Danny Dyer. While both series are known for being rude and adventurous on screen, he said there are big differences behind the scenes between Brassic and Mr Bigstuff. “Every set has got its own different flavour,” he explained. “It's like every workplace you go into, it's got its own sort of set of rules and so on. On Brassic, it's very much led by Joe [Gilgun] so it's raucous and sweary and a bit chaotic sort of thing. Mr Big Stuff is mainly led by Danny, who is like, ‘We're a fucking team’. And it's a big loving sort of thing.” While Sampson doesn’t always enjoy writing the show — “I'm meant to be writing it right now, but I'm enjoying not doing it and talking to you instead, coming up with the outline and getting it all right is just a bloody nightmare” — he loves the series and hopes for more Mr Bigstuff in the future. “In my head, there's an overall story where we're going to in Mr Bigstuff. I would say it is a five-series arc, but we'll see if we get there.” Brassic seasons 1-7 are available to stream now on Sky. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. Add Brassic 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 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.
Brassic future teased by star Ryan Sampson as series comes to a close
The Mr Bigstuff creator and star has played Tommo since 2019. ***Major Brassic finale spoilers ahead***
**Warning: Major Brassic finale spoilers ahead.** After seven seasons of friendship, mad heists, exploding bodies and the bonkers monologues of Farmer Jim, Sky’s hit comedy series Brassic has come to an end. The final episode leaves the fate of Vinnie (Joe Gilgun), Ash (Aaron Heffernan), Tommo (Ryan Sampson) and the rest of the Hawley band of amateur thieves up in the air. All of the main cast survive a trip to a remote pub, despite a few fraught moments and a gunshot heard before the end credits. In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Ryan Sampson told us that while the finale is definitely the end of the series, it may not be the last we see of the Brassic gang. “I would have been a fan of killing us all off, because I just think, if you're gonna do it, do it,” he said. “But I think there's a sneaky idea that Danny’s [writer Danny Brocklehurst] mentioned that he'd kind of like to write a film of it at some point. So who knows if that will happen? I don't know, but it's obviously in the back of his head.” “Would I want it to happen? I can't really add anything, because we've done a lot, you know? I don't think there's any stones that we haven't turned, so I'm kind of happy with it.” However, Sampson doesn’t rule out returning to the role of Rat & Cutter pub manager Tommo, although he wouldn’t want to leave it too long. “Maybe we’ll see Tommo again, but maybe not. I don't know. I think sometimes it's quite good to leave everything when they're quite youthful characters. I can't really see them in their fifties. Tommo with mortgages and gambling debts. Yeah, that might be a bit sad.” The 39-year-old star, who is currently writing the third season of his comedy series Mr Bigstuff, revealed that he’s really going to miss filming the Yorkshire-set series and hanging out with the cast, who have all become close friends during Brassic’s six-year run. “I sort of wish Tommo was real because I'm gonna miss this character that we've made over the years,” he said. “It's weird, and it's sad that I'm not going to see the cast as much. I will see them, but it's really weird that I won't ever see those characters again. Because we improvise a bit in character, and because we hang out for so long, I feel like I know those people [the characters] as well, and I won't ever get to see them again, obviously.” View oEmbed on the source website “Like, I'm gonna miss Carol so much for her insane outfits, her just saying the weirdest things. Bronagh Gallagher's improvisation as Carol is just mad. For one whole series, she was obsessed with mentioning in all her improvs this black fox. And I don't know, it's just funny to think that I'm never gonna see those people again.” Sampson also shared the one thing he won’t miss about filming Brassic now the series is over. “I don't know if you noticed, but Tommo always gets doused in like, oil or s**t or petrol, or whatever it is. Every single episode, there's always something. So I'm really not gonna miss that. "I'm not gonna miss filming in the most stupid locations, spending six months a year up a mountain with it pissing rain. It is always raining when we film it, and you have to just work it in, and it looks great on camera. So we're not gonna miss that.” Brassic seasons 1-7 are available to stream now on Sky. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. Add Brassic 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 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.
Jodie Whittaker gives update on Attack the Block sequel - and whether she would be part of it
Years before she was the Doctor, Whittaker starred in another hit sci-fi project.
Pretty much ever since it was released to rave reviews all the way back in 2011, there have been rumours that Joe Cornish could return to make a sequel to his south London-set sci-fi Attack the Block. Those rumours went up a notch in 2021, when it appeared to be confirmed that John Boyega would be reprising his role as Moses in a follow-up, and then again earlier this year, when the star explained that he had read Cornish's "phenomenal" draft for the sequel (via Happy Sad Confused with Josh Horowitz). So when RadioTimes.com recently spoke to Jodie Whittaker for a Big RT Interview about her new ITV drama Frauds, we couldn't help but ask if she'd heard any more news on a timeline for a new film – and if she would be back in her role as Samantha Adams. "There’s been talk of it for years, and I know no more than last time," was her answer. "Which is, is there going to be one? When is it shooting?" She added: "Absolutely I would do it. I think something like Attack the Block, there's always that chat. So hopefully that continues. I need to organise myself, send a self tape to Joe Cornish. I can definitely pop up again – maybe I should send him an aggressive email!" Speaking more generally about her experience making that first film, she described it as one of her "happiest times". "As a kid, I was hugely influenced by all the '80s creature features, the '90s adventure films," she said. "I was in our version of that, and I adored it." Back in 2023, Boyega told RadioTimes.com that the idea of coming back to London to shoot a sequel and revisit his character "just fills me with joy". He added: "It just feels like a treat, a nice treat for myself. Like honestly, sometimes I like to see actors where they've revisited a story because it's something that they hold dear in their heart. "And it's good to know that we have an audience out there that is waiting for this as well, and a new audience that is going to be exposed to all the madness. And I just can't wait to be a Brit in something again!" More recently he claimed that, with a first draft written, the creative team were now "just cooking it to make it right for everyone". "We obviously need more money for those aliens," he said. "We want it to look real good for that 2026 crowd. "But for us, it's just about developing the story and making sure Moses and the rest of the characters that we have left are fully hashed out before bringing it out and going to shoot. "But I'm very passionate and very willing that we will shoot Attack the Block 2. It will happen. You're going to have to see, but the story is crazy. I've got to get in the gym." In addition to Boyega and Whittaker, Attack the Block starred Nick Frost, Franz Drameh and Alex Ismail and followed a teenage street gang who are forced to defend themselves from alien invaders who arrive in their council estate on Guy Fawkes Night. Frauds is available to stream on ITVX now and Attack the Block is streaming on Prime Video. 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.
Outlander: Blood of my Blood cast tease season 2 – and say fans will "lose their minds"
The first season of Outlander prequel Blood of My Blood may have just come to an end, but the cast, including Harriet Slater (Ellen), Jamie Roy (Brian), Jeremy Irvine (Henry) and Hermione Corfield (Julia) are already back in Scotland and well under way filming the second season of the period fantasy drama. Season 1 ended with Ellen and Brian together at last, on the run from her family (including volatile Mackenzie brothers Dougal and Colum) and the Grants. The show’s other couple, time travelling husband and wife Julia and Henry, meanwhile, were reunited and, with baby William in tow, ended the episode standing at the Craig Na Dun stones, hoping to travel back to the 20th century. While any season 2 plot twists are very carefully guarded secrets, the four stars of the series hinted in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com what fans may expect to happen when the show returns for a second season next year. “I can tell you this, season 2 starts in a place that even I couldn’t figure out how that character had got there,” teased Irvine. Corfield added: “We’re now filming episode seven of season 2, and I could not tell you what is about to happen to Julia. I’ve got no idea myself!” Read more: Outlander: Blood of My Blood showrunner teases potential future spin-offs Outlander: Blood of my Blood cast react to "shocking" season 1 finale: 'Nobody saw that one coming' While Irvine joked that “what I’ve learned from this show is no one is safe — are we going to get killed off?,” he also noted that season 2 promises to be even better than season 1. “What you have with season one is you’re setting up all these characters, so a lot of it is about a person and their bit of backstory. So we really get free rein in season 2. "There are some days on set where I just went, ‘where did they get the budget for this?’ This season, it’s gone up a level, and there’s some wild, wild stuff. And I’ve really enjoyed filming this season. I think it’s going to be very exciting.” For the show’s other couple, Ellen and Brian, the final episode of season 1 did hint at what would happen next — that Brian now faces a hard decision on what to do as the first Jacobite Rising is about to start, symbolised by the crosses that are set on fire on the hills at the end of the episode. “The fiery crosses are lit, and it’s given them [Ellen and Brian] an ultimatum, a crossroads,” explained Roy. “They think they’re safe but does Brian go and do the right thing, which is report back to his Laird for war and get ready for that, or does he choose to stay with Ellen and they run away and become fugitives and leave Scotland forever?” “Ellen must be thinking ‘what have I got myself into? I’ve just left the castle, I had a lovely bed, it was warm, and now I’m in a hole in the ground, and you’re leaving me, potentially.’” Slater added: “She ran away without a change of clothes, and there’s a lot for Ellen to get used to. She’s lived quite a Bougie lifestyle up until now, but he’s worth it.” Having already met beloved Outlander characters such as Colum, Dougal, Ned Gowan, Murtagh and even young Angus and Rupert in the first season of the prequel series, fans are hoping that season two will also introduce other familiar faces — perhaps even Brian and Ellen’s son, Jamie Fraser himself. When asked about the possibility of baby Jamie or his sister Jenny making an appearance, Roy would only offer a teasing response. “Well, everyone has to be born at some point. Take that as you will!” he said, laughing. “There is one [character name] I saw the other day in a script that we just got and I thought, oh people are going to lose their minds over this one!” Outlander: Blood of My Blood is available to stream on MGM+ in the UK. You can buy Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books on Amazon. Add Outlander: Blood of My Blood 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.
Jodie Whittaker reveals new drama Frauds includes moments you never usually see on TV
The actor spoke to RadioTimes.com about the drama's unusual central dynamic.
Frauds star Jodie Whittaker has praised the ITV thriller for including moments that women often don't get to perform in mainstream dramas. The Doctor Who alum plays Sam in the new series, a British expat and retired con artist living in Spain, whose former partner-in-crime is released from prison on compassionate grounds. Sam and Bert (Suranne Jones) haven't spoken in years, partly due to the latter being a tremendously reckless influence; naturally, she's looking to pull off one more epic heist before succumbing to a terminal illness. Frauds explores the volatile relationship between these two women, which at times escalates beyond vicious words to physical violence, such as a swimming pool scrap that Whittaker recalled in a chat with RadioTimes.com. "The idea of them is always more fun than the reality," she said of on-screen fights, "but I suppose that [pool] scene made me want to take the job, in a way, because you don't see that. "You don't see women of that age having that kind of response to each other – that response is as normal as crying and cuddling each other, but we only see the crying and the cuddling." Whittaker recalled that shooting the suspenseful sequence – in which Sam holds Bert's head under the water, causing her to struggle desperately and cough up blood – took several hours, with "a massive amount of choreography". "It feels really satisfying, because it becomes this rhythmical dance between the two of you," she explained. "And once you've got that down, then you can add all the elements of the dramatisation, the tension, and the humour. "That's one thing I love about every scene [in Frauds]. There was always something in it that kind of had that tone, where you sit in what you think it is, and then the tone slightly shifts, and it's something completely different." Previously, Whittaker and co-star Jones reflected on how rare it is to see women leading the typically male-dominated heist genre, with the former particularly relishing showing a "different side" after years spent inhabiting The Doctor. Frauds is available to stream on ITVX. Episodes air Sundays and Mondays at 9pm on ITV1. Add Frauds 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.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood cast react to "shocking" season 1 finale: "Nobody saw that coming"
"I honestly think it is going to split fans."
Warning: contains major spoilers for the Outlander: Blood of My Blood season 1 finale. The first season of Blood of My Blood has come to an end in typically jaw-dropping Outlander fashion, with the prequel series boasting a time-travelling cliffhanger and a shocking death. While most fans expected that the series’ two romantic pairs – 18th century Highlanders Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie, and 20th century English married couple Julia and Henry Beauchamp – would be reunited by the finale (at least for the time being), there was one plot twist that surprised even the cast when they were first given the scripts. In the first season of Outlander, Jamie Fraser told his new wife Claire how his parents, Brian and Ellen, had escaped Castle Leoch, saying: “They slipped out of the castle, right under the noses of three hundred clansmen!” And in the first season finale of Blood of My Blood, viewers finally saw that happen, as Brian came to spirit Ellen away before her wedding to Malcolm Grant could take place. Unfortunately, Malcolm discovered them in a Leoch hallway and refused to let Ellen go without a fight, resulting in a violent and bloody confrontation between Malcolm and Brian that ended in Malcolm’s death. Speaking about the shock scene, Harriet Slater, who plays Ellen, told RadioTimes.com exclusively: “Everything to do with Malcolm was a huge surprise. Nobody saw that coming. So when we all read that, it was like, ‘What? Sweet, sweet Malc!’ “It’s so satisfying because I feel like we’ve waited for it. We’ve waited 10 whole episodes for them to finally be free and have each other, and for Ellen to be free of that betrothal that she never wanted in the first place. I think killing Malcolm was the only way they were ever going to get out of that.” She continued: “They didn’t want to kill him. Brian says a couple of times, ‘Please don’t do this,’ because he knows how it’s going to end. They give him opportunities to back down but he’s hell bent on revenge instilled in him by his nasty uncle. So it was unfortunately the only way out – it was kill or be killed.” “That was unfortunate for old Malcy, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” added Jamie Roy (Brian). “I would imagine fans will be surprised. Because most people know how the story ends, they know we get together, we have children, Jamie Fraser, and all that stuff, but it’s the ‘how’ which is the most fun part. “I don’t think anybody is going to see that coming with Malcolm. I think it is going to be a huge shock. And I know Malcolm is such a likeable guy as well, so I honestly think it is going to split fans.” Read more: Outlander: Blood of My Blood showrunner teases potential future spin-offs Outlander: Blood of My Blood's Jeremy Irvine was initially sceptical about character romance Jeremy Irvine and Hermione Corfield, who play Henry and Julia, were also surprised by Malcolm’s death when they first learned of it. “I think the death is pretty shocking,” said Hermione. “It will be quite shocking to fans.” Jeremy agreed. “I was so gutted about that. Jhon [Lumsden, who plays Malcolm], he’s just such a lovely actor to work with. That hurt, reading that script.” Outlander: Blood of My Blood is available to stream on MGM+ in the UK. You can buy Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books on Amazon. Add Outlander: Blood of My Blood 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.
Jodie Whittaker reveals the iconic TV role she would have shaved her head for
Currently starring in Frauds on ITV, and having had many notable roles in series including Toxic Town, Time, Broadchurch and Doctor Who, there is still one part that Jodie Whittaker has revealed she wished she had gotten to play. Speaking with RadioTimes.com for The Big RT Interview, Whittaker has said that she would have happily shaved her head, if she had been able to play Eleven in the first season of Stranger Things. She said: "I would have loved to have been Eleven in Stranger Things. I would have loved to have been a kid with a shaved head!” "When I saw the first series I thought, 'Oh my God, to be Millie Bobby Brown right now, what a part,'" Whittaker continued. "The first season of that show was incredible. It homages everything I adore, and that part is incredible. If I could have been a child with a skinhead, that would be the role for me, but I don’t think I was in the running." Whittaker laughed as she said: "So, no animosity to Millie Bobby Brown," before suggesting that "Maybe if I had tried a little bit of sellotape to make me look a bit younger?" Stranger Things fans are currently waiting for the show's fifth and final season, which will be released in three parts starting later this year, while Whittaker can currently be seen playing con-woman Sam in ITV's Frauds, opposite Suranne Jones. Explaining what drew her to Frauds, Whittaker previously said: "When I read it, I was just blown away by how different these characters felt [and] this particular relationship, and the world that we were in… but it still felt authentic. I felt like I knew these people. "As extreme as some of the characters are – we're all pretty heightened – but there's some kind of familiarity with it, and within this specific friendship." She also made a return to her role as the Doctor on Doctor Who earlier this year, for a cameo appearance in Ncuti Gatwa's final episode, and has said she "wouldn't hesitate" to come back again in future. "It’s just my absolute happiness, Doctor Who," she told The Times. "If someone said to me in 20 years, ‘I’ve written an episode and the Thirteenth comes back,’ I just wouldn’t hesitate. It’s absolute joy." Frauds is available to stream on ITVX now. Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Add Frauds 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.
Jodie Whittaker on forgiving Suranne Jones, keeping Doctor Who secrets and the role she would have loved to play
Three years on from Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker swaps the TARDIS for Tenerife in ITV’s darkly comic heist drama Frauds, a tale of friendship, betrayal – and a few bruising fight scenes.
In the three years since she retired her sonic screwdriver in Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker has tackled serious roles in gritty Australian drama One Night, Jimmy McGovern’s acclaimed prison series Time and the fact-based miniseries Toxic Town. Jodie’s latest role, however, gives her the chance to mix the dark scenes she often plays with funnier ones as she teams up with Suranne Jones to play Sam and Bert, two old friends and former partners in crime who embark on one last money-making heist together in ITV’s Frauds. Co-created by Jones (who plays Bert) and writer Anne-Marie O’Connor, the project appealed to Jodie, 43, because it was so different from anything she had done before. “I think what is amazing about Frauds is having Suranne as one of the creators and she’s telling stories that she doesn’t feel that she’s been a part of before,” Jodie says, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com. Filmed in Tenerife (doubling for mainland Spain), the series begins with the pair reconnecting when Bert is released from prison after serving time for a crime they were both involved in. While Sam is pleased to see her friend, she is also wary of their relationship (which Jodie describes as “toxic”), especially when Bert uses devious means to convince her to commit a dangerous robbery. “Sam is such a different kind of role for me to play within this dynamic,” Jodie explains. “It was a wonderful challenge to have that kind of repressed rage that she has, and also there’s such a complicated back story between them, and having the moments where it flashes. It’s like someone trying to contain this, and contain Bert, but also themselves. "I’m used to playing a lot of different types of roles, but I would say that a lot of the time I play people where their emotions are quite quick to the surface, and Sam is the opposite of that.” The role of Sam is also quite physical, with Jodie and Suranne’s characters having a play fight in a bull ring in the first episode that involved Suranne wielding a shirt like a bullfighter’s cape close to her co-star’s face. “I think there was many a time we were kicking or accidentally bashing into each other, and there were definitely some close calls, but it’s all fine and I can forgive her instantly,” Jodie laughs. Read more: Jodie Whittaker and Suranne Jones on what makes Frauds "fresh" – and the impact they hope it has Jodie Whittaker on showing a 'different side' in Frauds – and why she hasn't worked with Suranne Jones before Another action scene involved the pair fighting in a swimming pool after Sam discovers that Bert has betrayed her. “That was the scene that made me want to take the job, in a way, because you don’t usually see that. You don’t see women of that age having that kind of response to each other, but that response is as normal as crying and cuddling each other, but we only normally see the crying and cuddling,” she says. “What I loved about Frauds is it explores fear, the relationship between these two women, and it shows the versions that are within all of us but aren’t necessarily shown on television.” “So when we got to film that, I was really super excited. Obviously, once you are four hours in, you’re a bit like, ‘oh, god!’ but they are really fun to do. I love the fact that within a stunt scene there’s always a massive amount of choreography so it feels really satisfying, because it becomes this rhythmical dance between you. And once you’ve got that down, then you can add all the elements, the dramatisation, the tension and the humour. That’s one thing I love about every scene in this. There was always something in it that kind of had that tone, where you sit in what you think it is, and then the tone slightly shifts, and it’s something completely different.” During the making of Frauds, Jodie had to pull off her own secret operation – a quick return to Cardiff to film scenes for the surprise return of her Thirteenth Doctor in the series 15 finale of Doctor Who that was broadcast in May this year and marked Ncuti Gatwa’s final regular appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor. “Suranne and the production team on Frauds didn’t know I was going to shoot it as it was under a complete pseudonym,” she explains. “They knew it was a pick up [the filming of extra footage after a main production has wrapped] on something. Of course, it wasn’t a pick up, it was a brand new day. "It had a whole level of secrecy, because Doctor Who has to have its pool so tight. Wonderfully for me, Frauds released me to film it, I got to get there and no one leaked it.” Jodie admits that her time on Doctor Who has meant she is “brilliant at keeping secrets”. “I think I loved how secretive it was, because I understood the sadness when you’ve spent six to 10 months working on something, and for someone to not even casually, to intentionally leak a spoiler, and you’ve worked so hard on it.” “I’m the least affected, it’s the art department, it’s the writers, it’s all the creatives and also the real fans and the Whovians, the most loyal and wonderful group of fans you could ever encounter. They love Doctor Who because it can go in any direction and be a surprise, so to have the spoilers is just frustrating. So I understood the level of secrecy, and I love a rule! If you say, ‘don’t tell me, don’t tell anyone,’ I won’t tell anyone. I am a vault. I was a good Doctor because I never leaked anything.” Jodie inhabited the role of the Thirteenth Doctor from 2017 until 2022, and it’s clear that playing the Time Lord holds a special place in her heart. “I love Doctor Who more than I can ever describe,” she says. “Our seasons were longer than any other job I’ve ever done and I moved to Wales to film it, so it wasn’t just the job, it was the people, it was the life.” There are other past roles she is particularly fond of, especially trainee nurse Samantha in writer/director Joe Cornish’s cult sci-fi comedy horror movie Attack The Block, where she starred alongside John Boyega, battling aliens invading a south London council estate. “Attack The Block was one of my happiest times,” she remembers. “As a kid, I was hugely influenced by all the 80s creature features, and the 90s adventure films. I was in our version of that, and I adored it.” Fans have been calling for a sequel since the film was released in 2011, and Jodie admits she is one of them. “There’s been talk of a sequel for years and I know no more than last time [it was rumoured]. I would absolutely do it. There’s probably no job I wouldn’t go back to. If someone said ‘do you want to do Black Mirror again?’ I’d say yes. I don’t think I have had an experience I wouldn’t revisit and I think with Attack The Block there is always that chat. So hopefully that continues. Maybe I should be sending a self-tape to Joe Cornish as I could definitely pop up again. I could send him an aggressive email!” West Yorkshire-born Jodie was 29 when she was cast in Attack The Block, and just 23 when she made her big screen debut in the movie Venus, for which her co-star Peter O’Toole was nominated for his eighth Oscar at the age of 74. Looking back, it’s a role she describes as “such a gift” that has shaped her view on acting in the years since. “It was one of the last roles he played in his life and he was at the end of what can only be described as a phenomenal, inspiring career,” she says. “He’s one of the great British or Irish acting legends, and he was a wonderful human who was such a joy to be around. I was fresh out of drama school and it was a master class with people like Vanessa Redgrave, Peter O’Toole, Richard Griffiths, Leslie Phillips and director Roger Michell. "And it goes to show that you can still be doing phenomenal parts in your seventies, and I think what an exciting thing that is.” With a career that has included the aforementioned Black Mirror (the 2011 episode The Entire History of You), acclaimed drama Broadchurch, medical series Trust Me and the upcoming Dear England, as well as stage performances in Antigone and The Duchess, Jodie Whittaker has already played a rich variety of roles, but admits there is one part that she would have loved to have taken on… though sadly she wasn’t quite the right age for it. “I would have loved to have been Eleven in Stranger Things,” she reveals. “I would have loved to have been a kid with a shaved head!” “When I saw the first series I thought, ‘Oh my God, to be Millie Bobby Brown right now, what a part. The first season of that show was incredible. It homages everything I adore, and that part is incredible. If I could have been a child with a skinhead, that would be the role for me, but I don’t think I was in the running. So, no animosity to Millie Bobby Brown,” she laughs. “Maybe if I had tried a little bit of sellotape to make me look a bit younger?” Frauds premieres on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Sunday 5th October. Add Frauds 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.
Jodie Whittaker on forgiving Suranne Jones, Doctor Who secrets and the role she wishes she'd played
Add Frauds to your watchlist In the three years since she retired her sonic screwdriver in Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker has tackled serious roles in gritty Australian drama One Night, Jimmy McGovern’s acclaimed prison series Time and the fact-based miniseries Toxic Town. Jodie’s latest role, however, gives her the chance to mix the dark scenes she often plays with funnier ones as she teams up with Suranne Jones to play Sam and Bert, two old friends and former partners in crime who embark on one last money-making heist together in ITV’s Frauds. Co-created by Jones (who plays Bert) and writer Anne-Marie O’Connor, the project appealed to Jodie, 43, because it was so different from anything she had done before. “I think what is amazing about Frauds is having Suranne as one of the creators and she’s telling stories that she doesn’t feel that she’s been a part of before,” Jodie says, speaking exclusively to RT. View Green Video on the source website Filmed in Tenerife (doubling for mainland Spain), the series begins with the pair reconnecting when Bert is released from prison after serving time for a crime they were both involved in. While Sam is pleased to see her friend, she is also wary of their relationship (which Jodie describes as “toxic”), especially when Bert uses devious means to convince her to commit a dangerous robbery. “Sam is such a different kind of role for me to play within this dynamic,” Jodie explains. “It was a wonderful challenge to have that kind of repressed rage that she has, and also there’s such a complicated back story between them, and having the moments where it flashes. It’s like someone trying to contain this, and contain Bert, but also themselves. "I’m used to playing a lot of different types of roles, but I would say that a lot of the time I play people where their emotions are quite quick to the surface, and Sam is the opposite of that.” The role of Sam is also quite physical, with Jodie and Suranne’s characters having a play fight in a bull ring in the first episode that involved Suranne wielding a shirt like a bullfighter’s cape close to her co-star’s face. “I think there was many a time we were kicking or accidentally bashing into each other, and there were definitely some close calls, but it’s all fine and I can forgive her instantly,” Jodie laughs. Another action scene involved the pair fighting in a swimming pool after Sam discovers that Bert has betrayed her. “That was the scene that made me want to take the job, in a way, because you don’t usually see that. You don’t see women of that age having that kind of response to each other, but that response is as normal as crying and cuddling each other, but we only normally see the crying and cuddling,” she says. “What I loved about Frauds is it explores fear, the relationship between these two women, and it shows the versions that are within all of us but aren’t necessarily shown on television.” “So when we got to film that, I was really super excited. Obviously, once you are four hours in, you’re a bit like, ‘oh, god!’ but they are really fun to do. I love the fact that within a stunt scene there’s always a massive amount of choreography so it feels really satisfying, because it becomes this rhythmical dance between you. And once you’ve got that down, then you can add all the elements, the dramatisation, the tension and the humour. That’s one thing I love about every scene in this. There was always something in it that kind of had that tone, where you sit in what you think it is, and then the tone slightly shifts, and it’s something completely different.” During the making of Frauds, Jodie had to pull off her own secret operation – a quick return to Cardiff to film scenes for the surprise return of her Thirteenth Doctor in the series 15 finale of Doctor Who that was broadcast in May this year and marked Ncuti Gatwa’s final regular appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor. “Suranne and the production team on Frauds didn’t know I was going to shoot it as it was under a complete pseudonym,” she explains. “They knew it was a pick up [the filming of extra footage after a main production has wrapped] on something. Of course, it wasn’t a pick up, it was a brand new day. "It had a whole level of secrecy, because Doctor Who has to have its pool so tight. Wonderfully for me, Frauds released me to film it, I got to get there and no one leaked it.” Jodie admits that her time on Doctor Who has meant she is “brilliant at keeping secrets”. “I think I loved how secretive it was, because I understood the sadness when you’ve spent six to 10 months working on something, and for someone to not even casually, to intentionally leak a spoiler, and you’ve worked so hard on it.” “I’m the least affected, it’s the art department, it’s the writers, it’s all the creatives and also the real fans and the Whovians, the most loyal and wonderful group of fans you could ever encounter. They love Doctor Who because it can go in any direction and be a surprise, so to have the spoilers is just frustrating. So I understood the level of secrecy, and I love a rule! If you say, ‘don’t tell me, don’t tell anyone,’ I won’t tell anyone. I am a vault. I was a good Doctor because I never leaked anything.” Jodie inhabited the role of the Thirteenth Doctor from 2017 until 2022, and it’s clear that playing the Time Lord holds a special place in her heart. “I love Doctor Who more than I can ever describe,” she says. “Our seasons were longer than any other job I’ve ever done and I moved to Wales to film it, so it wasn’t just the job, it was the people, it was the life.” There are other past roles she is particularly fond of, especially trainee nurse Samantha in writer/director Joe Cornish’s cult sci-fi comedy horror movie Attack The Block, where she starred alongside John Boyega, battling aliens invading a south London council estate. “Attack The Block was one of my happiest times,” she remembers. “As a kid, I was hugely influenced by all the 80s creature features, and the 90s adventure films. I was in our version of that, and I adored it.” Fans have been calling for a sequel since the film was released in 2011, and Jodie admits she is one of them. “There’s been talk of a sequel for years and I know no more than last time [it was rumoured]. I would absolutely do it. There’s probably no job I wouldn’t go back to. If someone said ‘do you want to do Black Mirror again?’ I’d say yes. I don’t think I have had an experience I wouldn’t revisit and I think with Attack The Block there is always that chat. So hopefully that continues. Maybe I should be sending a self-tape to Joe Cornish as I could definitely pop up again. I could send him an aggressive email!” West Yorkshire-born Jodie was 29 when she was cast in Attack The Block, and just 23 when she made her big screen debut in the movie Venus, for which her co-star Peter O’Toole was nominated for his eighth Oscar at the age of 74. Looking back, it’s a role she describes as “such a gift” that has shaped her view on acting in the years since. “It was one of the last roles he played in his life and he was at the end of what can only be described as a phenomenal, inspiring career,” she says. “He’s one of the great British or Irish acting legends, and he was a wonderful human who was such a joy to be around. I was fresh out of drama school and it was a master class with people like Vanessa Redgrave, Peter O’Toole, Richard Griffiths, Leslie Phillips and director Roger Michell. "And it goes to show that you can still be doing phenomenal parts in your seventies, and I think what an exciting thing that is.” With a career that has included the aforementioned Black Mirror (the 2011 episode The Entire History of You), acclaimed drama Broadchurch, medical series Trust Me and the upcoming Dear England, as well as stage performances in Antigone and The Duchess, Jodie Whittaker has already played a rich variety of roles, but admits there is one part that she would have loved to have taken on… though sadly she wasn’t quite the right age for it. “I would have loved to have been Eleven in Stranger Things,” she reveals. “I would have loved to have been a kid with a shaved head!” “When I saw the first series I thought, ‘Oh my God, to be Millie Bobby Brown right now, what a part. The first season of that show was incredible. It homages everything I adore, and that part is incredible. If I could have been a child with a skinhead, that would be the role for me, but I don’t think I was in the running. So, no animosity to Millie Bobby Brown,” she laughs. “Maybe if I had tried a little bit of sellotape to make me look a bit younger?”
Farewell to Brassic – one of TV's funniest and rudest shows
After seven seasons, the Sky series created by Joe Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst is coming to an end.
Add season seven of Brassic to your watchlist After seven gloriously debauched seasons, it is time to say goodbye to Sky TV’s hit comedy crime series Brassic. Created by Shameless and Fool Me Once writer Danny Brocklehurst and This Is England and Misfits star Joe Gilgun, Brassic has followed the lives of Vinnie O’Neill (Gilgun) and his band of friends/petty thieves who live in the fictional northern town of Hawley where they all scrape together a living by growing weed and stealing everything from a prize Shetland pony to an entire wedding. While their capers – which usually go hilariously wrong – are a highlight of each episode, the heart of the series belongs to the characters themselves, each brought to glorious and sweary life by the show’s stars. There is single mum Erin (Michelle Keegan), whom Vinnie has always adored, Vinnie’s childhood best friend Dylan (Damien Molony, who left in series four to go and be Bergerac), gentle and sweet Cardi (Tom Hanson) and his fiery wife Carol (Bronagh Gallagher), Irish amateur boxer Ash (Aaron Heffernan), mechanic and podcast obsessive JJ (Parth Thakerar), Erin’s best friend Sugar (Joanna Higson), and entrepreneur Tommo (Ryan Sampson), whose various business enterprises have included local nightclub/sex den The Rat & Cutter and a van he converted into an "erotic love bus" that is so iconic to Brassic fans that it’s now available to rent via Airbnb. The core cast are backed up by some cracking supporting players. Steve Evets, who is best known for his lead role in the Ken Loach movie Looking For Eric, turned what started out as a minor role as grumpy Farmer Jim into a shabbily-dressed, foul-mouthed legend of the show, most memorably in a scene where he offensively rants about a rave (“who wants a disco biscuit?” is the only line we can share, but check out season 2 episode 5 and you won’t regret it). There’s also Ramon Tikaram (as Terence McCann), Neil Ashton (as Davey MacDonagh) and Rachid Sabitri (as Manolito), who have all delivered their own quirky slices of menace as the career criminals and drug lords that Vinnie and his friends have fallen foul of over the years. And no praise for Brassic could ever neglect to mention Dominic West, who plays Vinnie’s GP Chris Coxley, a doctor with a love of fine wine and cannabis, and a fixation for women’s knees. (“Knees, shins, thighs, but mainly knees, I had this marriage, she was my soul mate, but I couldn’t stop wanting to see other women’s knees, to kiss them, to lick them, so I tried it on with a couple of her friends, just getting close to their knees at parties,” is not a phrase you would ever imagine the man who played McNulty in The Wire and Prince Charles in The Crown would utter on screen, but it’s utterly marvellous). There’s so much more to Brassic than crime and rude humour, however. There are nods to classic British movies like Trainspotting and The Italian Job, and terrific guest stars including Lee Mack, Greg Davies, Imelda Staunton (as Dr Chris’s aunt in Brassic’s one and only Christmas episode), and Bill Paterson (whose demise in the show is memorably absurd). Even the music is pitch-perfect, from the choice of Barrett Strong’s Money (That’s What I Want) as the theme, to the use of songs from The Black Keys, Tom Petty, Etta James, The Slits, T-Rex and ABBA, among many others. Recognising how important the music is to the show, in 2022, Joe Gilgun and executive producer David Livingstone went so far as to launch ‘Brassic Unsigned,’ choosing an unsigned artist to feature on the soundtrack of the fourth season, with the winning song Narcissist by Anti!i used in a key scene. It’s also smartly written by Brocklehurst and his team, who try interesting ways to handle some of the storylines, such as an episode featuring a monologue about Vinnie’s relationship with his dad being played out by puppets rather than as a flashback, which is more powerful than you’d expect. In fact, the show triumphs in the way it tackles the more poignant or serious plot lines. Over seven seasons, this has included school bullying, abortion, sexual assault and even modern slavery, while some of the most moving moments – yes, Brassic can break your heart as well as make you snort with laughter – have come from Joe Gilgun’s superb portrayal of Vinnie, who struggles with depression and bipolar disorder (“I’m lonely yet I can’t stand being with people,” he tells Dr Chris). Gilgun, who has spoken in interviews about his own bipolar disorder and how the character of Vinnie is semi-autobiographical, has been nominated four times for a BAFTA but has sadly not yet won, something Brocklehurst noted when he spoke to press announcing that season seven would be the final season for Brassic. “When Joe Gilgun and I sat down to create Brassic, we couldn’t have imagined, in our wildest dreams, that we would do seven series and gather such a loyal and loving fan base,” he said. “It’s been a complete joy to create this eccentric world, but all good things must come to an end, and we want to stop while we are still riding high. Maybe they can finally give us that BAFTA!” And if they don’t, we can only hope that Vinnie, Tommo, Ash, JJ, Cardi, Carol, Sugar and Erin’s final adventure has them stealing one.
Farewell to Brassic – one of the funniest and rudest shows on TV
After seven gloriously debauched seasons, it is time to say goodbye to Sky TV’s hit comedy crime series Brassic. Created by Shameless and Fool Me Once writer Danny Brocklehurst and This Is England and Misfits star Joe Gilgun, Brassic has followed the lives of Vinnie O’Neill (Gilgun) and his band of friends/petty thieves who live in the fictional northern town of Hawley where they all scrape together a living by growing weed and stealing everything from a prize Shetland pony to an entire wedding. While their capers – which usually go hilariously wrong – are a highlight of each episode, the heart of the series belongs to the characters themselves, each brought to glorious and sweary life by the show’s stars. There is single mum Erin (Michelle Keegan), whom Vinnie has always adored, Vinnie’s childhood best friend Dylan (Damien Molony, who left in series four to go and be Bergerac), gentle and sweet Cardi (Tom Hanson) and his fiery wife Carol (Bronagh Gallagher), Irish amateur boxer Ash (Aaron Heffernan), mechanic and podcast obsessive JJ (Parth Thakerar), Erin’s best friend Sugar (Joanna Higson), and entrepreneur Tommo (Ryan Sampson), whose various business enterprises have included local nightclub/sex den The Rat & Cutter and a van he converted into an ‘erotic love bus’ that is so iconic to Brassic fans that it’s now available to rent via Airbnb. The core cast are backed up by some cracking supporting players. Steve Evets, who is best known for his lead role in the Ken Loach movie Looking For Eric, turned what started out as a minor role as grumpy Farmer Jim into a shabbily-dressed, foul-mouthed legend of the show, most memorably in a scene where he offensively rants about a rave (“who wants a disco biscuit?” is the only line we can share, but check out season 2 episode 5 and you won’t regret it). There’s also Ramon Tikaram (as Terence McCann), Neil Ashton (as Davey MacDonagh) and Rachid Sabitri (as Manolito), who have all delivered their own quirky slices of menace as the career criminals and drug lords that Vinnie and his friends have fallen foul of over the years. And no praise for Brassic could ever neglect to mention Dominic West, who plays Vinnie’s GP Chris Coxley, a doctor with a love of fine wine and cannabis, and a fixation for women’s knees. (“Knees, shins, thighs, but mainly knees, I had this marriage, she was my soul mate, but I couldn’t stop wanting to see other women’s knees, to kiss them, to lick them, so I tried it on with a couple of her friends, just getting close to their knees at parties,” is not a phrase you would ever imagine the man who played McNulty in The Wire and Prince Charles in The Crown would utter on screen, but it’s utterly marvellous). There’s so much more to Brassic than crime and rude humour, however. There are nods to classic British movies like Trainspotting and The Italian Job, and terrific guest stars including Lee Mack, Greg Davies, Imelda Staunton (as Dr Chris’s aunt in Brassic’s one and only Christmas episode), and Bill Paterson (whose demise in the show is memorably absurd). Even the music is pitch-perfect, from the choice of Barrett Strong’s Money (That’s What I Want) as the theme, to the use of songs from The Black Keys, Tom Petty, Etta James, The Slits, T-Rex and ABBA, among many others. Recognising how important the music is to the show, in 2022, Joe Gilgun and executive producer David Livingstone went so far as to launch ‘Brassic Unsigned,’ choosing an unsigned artist to feature on the soundtrack of the fourth season, with the winning song Narcissist by Anti!i used in a key scene. It’s also smartly written by Brocklehurst and his team, who try interesting ways to handle some of the storylines, such as an episode featuring a monologue about Vinnie’s relationship with his dad being played out by puppets rather than as a flashback, which is more powerful than you’d expect. In fact, the show triumphs in the way it tackles the more poignant or serious plot lines. Over seven seasons, this has included school bullying, abortion, sexual assault and even modern slavery, while some of the most moving moments – yes, Brassic can break your heart as well as make you snort with laughter – have come from Joe Gilgun’s superb portrayal of Vinnie, who struggles with depression and bipolar disorder (“I’m lonely yet I can’t stand being with people,” he tells Dr Chris). Read more: Brassic stars tease ending may leave fans "furious" with "harrowing" finale Brassic’s Michelle Keegan hopes Erin gets happy ending after season 6 cliffhanger Gilgun, who has spoken in interviews about his own bipolar disorder and how the character of Vinnie is semi-autobiographical, has been nominated four times for a BAFTA but has sadly not yet won, something Brocklehurst noted when he spoke to press announcing that season seven would be the final season for Brassic. “When Joe Gilgun and I sat down to create Brassic, we couldn’t have imagined, in our wildest dreams, that we would do seven series and gather such a loyal and loving fan base,” he said. “It’s been a complete joy to create this eccentric world, but all good things must come to an end, and we want to stop while we are still riding high. Maybe they can finally give us that BAFTA!” And if they don’t, we can only hope that Vinnie, Tommo, Ash, JJ, Cardi, Carol, Sugar and Erin’s final adventure has them stealing one. Brassic season 7 launches on Sky and NOW from Wednesday 25th September, with episodes dropping weekly. Seasons 1-6 are available to stream now. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. 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.
Ridley's Adrian Dunbar reveals how a friend's tragedy is at the heart of police drama
The actor spoke to RadioTimes.com as the ITV detective series returns.
Adrian Dunbar is back on our screens as a no-nonsense policeman, but this time he’s not playing Line of Duty’s iconic Ted Hastings. Instead, Dunbar has returned to the role of retired detective turned police consultant (and jazz club owner and singer) Alex Ridley in four new feature-length episodes of ITV’s north of England-set crime drama Ridley. Set two years after the original 2022 season, the new episodes follow Alex as he works with his former protégée DI Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh), while still coping with his grief following the death of his wife and adult daughter four years before — a grief that causes him to imagine his daughter is still alive when he sees a woman who looks similar to her. That heartbreaking scene in the first episode is directly inspired by one of Dunbar’s friends. "I remembered there was someone I knew, whose daughter had died tragically in a car crash, and he never quite got over it," Dunbar said in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com. "He never got over it to the extent that he didn’t quite believe that she was dead, and that somehow he would turn a corner and she'd be there. It’s a kind of strange reluctance of the mind to accept something. "So I thought, when a young girl shows up at the start [of the first episode], why don't we try and let Ridley immediately project onto her? Because I know this person did this, he would meet a young woman who was so close to the attributes of his daughter and it was almost like she had shown up." "These things can be disturbing. So I thought, let’s use that element. I didn’t want to leave his grief behind," explained Dunbar. "The first series was set two years beyond that moment [when his wife and daughter died], and then at the start of the second series it is another two years along, but that particular incident of losing his wife and daughter, that is the noise in the background for the rest of his life, and so it’s never going to leave him. "At the same time, I think it’s important for audiences that there is an element of being able to move on from grief, because we have to, as humans. But I’m trying to do it in a gradual way. And if we get another series, we’ll be able to move him on further." As well as revealing his hopes for a third season of Ridley, Dunbar shares that a new seventh season of Line of Duty with Martin Compston and Vicky McClure is definitely on the way in 2026, though no date has yet been set for filming to begin. "I wish I could give you a definite date we're starting, you know, like January 18th. I wish I could tell you that, but I don't know," he said. "I do know that Jed [Mercurio, creator] has written lots of stuff. I do know that the three of us have been contacted, and we've all said yes, and then it's down to our friends at the BBC to make the announcement as to when we're going to start filming. "But I think it's more or less on the cards that next year we will be working back in Belfast. Fantastic, yes, hopefully solving another few cases." Despite his singing in jazz club scenes in Ridley and having taken to the musical stage earlier this year as the lead in Kiss Me Kate, Dunbar doesn’t think his vocal talents will be put to use in the next Line of Duty run, however. "You can't imagine Ted Hastings really getting up and grabbing the mic, can you?" he laughed. "I think he'd have to have a few glasses of whiskey first. I do think a Line of Duty musical episode would be good, but I can't see Jed writing it. "Might have to hand the writing over of it to someone else — I don't think Jed has got the kind of humorous chops to deal with that. If he wrote it, 'Leave That Dead Girl Alone' would be one of the songs!" Ridley returns to ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 10th August 2025. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Add Ridley 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.
How TV classic Poldark paved the way for Bridgerton and Rivals
The Aidan Turner-led series is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Ten years ago, a new adaptation of Winston Graham’s historical Poldark novels arrived on our screens. The books had previously been made into a beloved TV series in the 1970s, but the new version offered more than just dreamy images of the Cornish coastline and the twisting tale of a British army captain who returns home from the American Revolutionary War to find the woman he loves is to marry his cousin, and his father has left the family estate in ruins. As tousle-haired star Aidan Turner skinny-dipped in the second episode and waved around his manly scythe while bare-chested in episode 3, it was clear that the BBC had finally discovered that prime time period dramas didn’t have to be prim and proper literature adaptations — they could be sexy, and just a little bit trashy too. While some viewers’ hearts may have skipped a beat when Colin Firth emerged from a lake in a wet shirt a decade before in 1995’s Pride & Prejudice, prior to Poldark most mainstream period dramas on terrestrial TV were stuffy adaptations in which the only chests on display were the ones spilling out of the heroine’s corsets. (Sorry, Downton Abbey fans - that show, which debuted in 2010, is utterly lovely, but it will never, ever be sexy.) Poldark changed all that. It doesn’t actually have explicit sex scenes — the show was on BBC One on Sunday evenings, and we wouldn’t want granny to pass out from shock in front of the TV — but it does have sexiness at every turn. It’s most obvious in the budding romance between Turner’s Ross Poldark and his kitchen maid Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson), and also in the smouldering looks between Ross and his former love Elizabeth (Heida Reed), but flirtatious plots involving villainous George Warleggan (Jack Farthing), Dr Dwight Enys (Luke Norris) and Caroline Penvenen (Gabriella Wilde) all contribute to the general feeling that the county of Cornwall is far steamier than any travel show would have you believe. Of course, the BBC’s delicious historical romp was made at a time when non-UK TV producers and streaming services had already realised that period dramas could be erotic and irreverent and didn’t have to be based on the classic works of literature you’re made to read for your English GCSE. The Borgias, The Tudors (both very loosely based on historical figures) and the infamously explicit Outlander (based on Diana Gabaldon’s steamy novels) already existed, but the huge success of the British-made Poldark paved the way for even more period dramas that mixed sexiness and silliness with history, including Harlots, The Great and, of course, Bridgerton, based on Julia Quinn’s series of romance novels. (Indeed, Entertainment Weekly’s review of Bridgerton described it as "a wonderful diversion for those who love Pride & Prejudice but wish it had more stairway sex".) Bridgerton’s brooding leading men - from Jonathan Bailey’s Anthony and Rege-Jean Page’s Simon to Luke Newton’s Colin and Luke Thompson’s Benedict - also all owe a debt to Aidan Turner’s Poldark, a fully realised character with flaws, humour and even simmering anger, not just a tanned and muscular man who looks good with his shirt off. It can be argued that last year’s Disney+ hit Rivals should give thanks to Poldark, too. Based on Jilly Cooper’s 1988 ‘bonkbuster’ novel, the raunchy Rivals was promoted as a period drama because it is set in the 1980s, and it also features all the elements that made Poldark such a hit back in 2015 – it’s sexy, it’s got an interesting villain, a flawed hero (Alex Hassell’s Rupert) and plot twists aplenty. (Yes, it does have shirtless men as well.) And let’s not forget that it has another, extra special ingredient borrowed straight from our favourite Cornish drama — Aidan Turner himself. He brings his likeable charm to the role of TV journalist Declan O’Hara in Rivals and, along with Danny Dyer, is one of the high points of the series. Turner described the show to RadioTimes.com last year by saying: "It’s bold and it’s naughty and it’s a lot of fun." A phrase that could describe Poldark, too. Poldark is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Add Poldark 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">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.
Call the Midwife isn't ending yet – but should it end soon?
Creator Heidi Thomas has no plans to stop anytime soon, but is that the right call?
At the end of last month, Call the Midwife fans were hit with the upsetting news that the 15th season, due in early 2026, could be the last full run of the beloved period drama, which has been a mainstay of the BBC schedule since 2012. The broadcaster was quick to dispel the rumours, however, confirming that viewers could look forward to "two Christmas specials, a new series, a film and prequel series, before a 16th series in due course. Call the Midwife isn’t going anywhere". That’s great news, of course, but with the 15th instalment being set in 1971 and the spin-off film following some of the characters on an overseas break from Poplar in 1972, the nostalgic nursing drama is already a long way from its late 1950s origins. During its impressive 13-year run, the show has already had to adapt to explore advances in NHS care and changes in attitudes to parenthood, relationships and the roles of nuns and midwives across the various decades, but if the show wades further into the 1970s, there will more sizeable developments on the cards, which could alter the tone of the show and subsequently turn it into something else entirely. So — as much as we love Call the Midwife — would it be better for the original series to come to an end sooner rather than later, before it becomes too modern? Should the now-confirmed 16th season, which will presumably be set in 1972 or 1973, be the final goodbye to the midwives at Nonnatus House? For those who loved the historic charm of the earlier seasons, the answer is yes. If the series carries on (and on), future storylines could include maternity breakthroughs such as IVF (the first test tube baby was born in 1978), the rise of doulas and the routine use of ultrasound tests in pregnancy. And as it moves towards later decades, when many more audience members would have been alive, it may feel less like a warm period drama and more like Casualty, which confusingly now has ex-Call the Midwife star Olly Rix among its cast. Moving further into the 1970s and 1980s would also mean that the heart of the show — the Nonnatus House midwives and nuns — could be lost, as in the real world during this time period. More births moved to hospitals, and home births and newer approaches such as water births tended to be overseen by midwives based at big institutions, rather than cosy local practices. There is also the cast to consider. Midwives have come and gone over the years, and the show has survived the departure of beloved characters such as Jenny Lee (Jessica Raine), Miranda Hart’s Chummy and Patsy Mount (Emerald Fennell) by introducing new and interesting replacements (although one of those, Megan Cusack’s Nancy, has also now departed). But there are core characters, including Jenny Agutter’s adored Sister Julienne, Stephen McGann’s Patrick Turner, Helen George’s Trixie and Laura Main’s Shelagh, who are as much of the Poplar landscape as Fred and Violet’s shop, but who can’t be expected to remain in their medical jobs forever. Dr Patrick Turner must surely be ready for retirement soon, though we suppose his son Tim could become the new Doctor Turner in a few years, with his dad providing sage advice and rambling old war stories from his comfy armchair. And while nuns are nuns for life, Sister Julienne would probably love to hang up her forceps, put her accounting book away, and finally step down as midwife and sister-in-charge at Nonnatus House. Call us sentimental, but the series wouldn’t be the same without her in charge, dispensing wise words over a cup of tea and a nice piece of cake, and it’s hard to imagine tuning in to watch anyone else leading the midwives in future series. Read more: Call the Midwife favourite reveals look behind the scenes filming in scorching heatwave Call the Midwife reveals young star's return for season 15 in BTS pic In the end, though, the decision about when to call time on Call the Midwife lies with the BBC and creator Heidi Thomas, who said that there could be much more to come when the spin-off film and World War II-set prequel series were both announced. "I have never run out of stories for our midwives, and I never will," she promised. But while there is no shortage of viewers desperate for the show to continue for many more seasons, the BBC and Thomas owe it to Call the Midwife to stop sooner rather than later. Call the Midwife seasons 1-14 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Add Call the Midwife 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.
Why Selwyn's Death in Paradise departure isn't as disappointing as it initially appeared
Commissioner Selwyn Patterson quietly left Saint Marie in the season finale, but that's exactly how it should have been.
Detective inspectors may come and go in Saint Marie, but if there was one constant Death in Paradise viewers could count on, it was the larger-than-life presence of the island’s Commissioner Selwyn Patterson. His wise words, sly moments and grumpy demeanour, superbly brought to life by actor Don Warrington, have been one of the true joys of the murder mystery series since it first began airing in 2011. So, when it was rumoured that Selwyn would be departing the island this year, presumably moving somewhere with fewer murders, it was naturally assumed that the character would get a big on-screen send-off. However, Selwyn's departure in the season 14 finale didn’t involve a party, a big speech, or even a goodbye cake. There were no former detective inspectors returning to bid him a fond farewell either, as much as we may have wanted to see Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon and Ralf Little together on-screen with newbie Don Gilet (sorry, Ben Miller, but one downside to your character being killed off is you don’t get to pop up at Saint Marie reunions). Instead, it was all surprisingly low-key. Selwyn, whose Commissioner position has been hanging in the balance all season, finally got his job back... and then decided not to take it. He also kept his big decision pretty quiet, only telling Catherine of his plans to leave Saint Marie when he turned up at her bar for one last chat while everyone else was off celebrating solving another case. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/03/death-in-paradise-selwyn-patterson-don-warrington-97c8076.jpg" width="1605" height="1070" alt="Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, wearing a bright blue shirt with orange foliage design. There are palm trees in the background and he is looking at the camera scowling." title="Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson in Death in Paradise" /> After she asked why he had decided to turn down his boss's offer, he told her: “I don’t know, but it felt wrong to say yes. Too much has happened and right now, I can’t see a way to get back to how things were.” But aside from spending time with his daughter Andrina, he told Catherine that he had no future plans – and even agreed to say “Au revoir” to her rather than a final goodbye. He then climbed into a black taxi – that old EastEnders chestnut – and headed off to who knows where, in a way that initially seemed far less momentous than we have come to expect when a DI departs the island. Previously, Richard Poole was murdered (sorry again, Ben Miller), Humphrey Goodman moved to England to be with Martha (and solve crimes in Beyond Paradise), Jack Mooney returned to London for his daughter, and Neville Parker sailed off into the sunset with true love Florence. Selwyn, by contrast, didn’t get anything quite so romantic, sweet or even deadly. But instead, he may have got something far better. In the final scene of the season, he popped by Mervin’s place to drop one final bombshell: that the man leaving flowers at his mother’s grave was actually Mervin's brother. In that one moment, as his taxi idled by the roadside, Selwyn made a huge impact on Mervin and the series itself, prompting the detective inspector, who was about to head back to London, to change his plans and stay on to solve his latest family mystery. Once again, Selwyn has had a God-like hand in his detective inspector's decision-making, which could be considered a fitting goodbye. But it was also a clever move from the writers. It may have been a grand departing gesture for him to help Mervin, but since he didn’t actually tell his DI that he was leaving Saint Marie for good, it may not actually mean Selwyn’s departure after all. In fact, the door has been left so wide open that it’s hard to definitively state that Selwyn has actually gone. The loveable ex-Commissioner could just need a few months away before he returns, refreshed and ready for season 15, or he could come back in a year or two, perhaps if his successor meets an untimely end, or if Mervin runs out of family members to uncover and needs further incentive to stay on Saint Marie. Or, heaven forbid, Selwyn could have just slipped away, never to return. Whatever the writers and Warrington choose to do, for the moment Selwyn’s future has become Death in Paradise’s biggest mystery. And for our unforgettable Commissioner, that’s the most fitting exit storyline of all. Death in Paradise seasons 1-14 are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. 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.
Blue Bloods season 14: Release date, cast and latest news
Everything you need to know about the long-running police drama.
It's a bittersweet time for fans of Blue Bloods - while new episodes have been airing weekly on both sides of the pond, the show is coming to an end, with the series finale about to arrive in the US. UK fans have a couple more weeks to prepare themselves for the series's climax on Sky Witness and NOW, but it's a major moment, as it brings the show to a close after 14 years on air. The long-running procedural stars Tom Selleck as a police commissioner and patriarch of the Reagan family, who have a long history of working in the police force, while other stars include Bridget Moynahan and Donnie Wahlberg. The cast and crew have teased an emotional send-off (and have made clear that they're not entirely happy with the series being brought to an end by broadcaster CBS. But how will it all turn out for the Reagans and what do we know about the show's final episodes? Read on for everything you need to know about Blue Bloods season 14. Will Blue Bloods season 14 be the show's final season? Sadly, it will. It has already been announced that the 14th season of the long-running series will be its last. Tom Selleck said: "For the past 13 years it has been an honour and a privilege to work on a show that not only celebrates the men and women who protect and serve in New York City, but also displayed the importance of family. "Working alongside these incredible actors, writers, producers, directors and crew has been a dream come true and I'm grateful to have been a part of this extraordinary group for over 275 episodes. "Thank you to CBS Studios and CBS Network for their steadfast support, and we offer heartfelt gratitude to the fans who gathered with us for dinner every Friday night." Selleck later went on to admit he was "kind of frustrated" by CBS's decision to end the series, saying: "My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go. So how do I feel? It’s going to take a long time to sort all of this out. "I remember after the weekend [of the final episode’s shoot], I said, ‘I’ve got to get to bed early tonight because I have to do my dialogue for Monday.’ Well, there was no Monday. It’s just going to take a while." Meanwhile, Selleck's co-star Abigail Hawk has said she's still hoping the show could be revived at the last minute, and return for season 15 - although there has been no official word to suggest that will happen. When will Blue Bloods season 14 air? Blue Bloods season 14 part 2 premiered on CBS on Friday 18th October 2024 at 10pm ET/PT. Episodes are also available to stream on Paramount Plus. The first batch of 10 episodes aired in the US back in February, with American viewers having only eight more left before they say goodbye to the show for good. Here in the UK, we're a bit further behind! Blue Bloods season 14 finally premiered over here on Sky Witness at 9pm on Wednesday 4th September. The new episodes are also available to stream on NOW. Filming on Blue Bloods officially wrapped in July, with star Donnie Wahlberg (who plays Danny Reagan) marking the momentous occasion with a reflective post on Instagram. He said: "Last day of Blue Bloods. Not sure I have the words to describe how I feel about today, or the last 14 years on this special Blue Bloods journey, but I do know how incredibly thankful I am for every moment of it. "To the cast, the crew, the guest cast, every background actor, writer, producer and every member of every single dept — thank you. To the people of New York, in every neighbourhood and borough, thank you for always showing your love. "To the NYPD, thank you for your support and sacrifice, I hope we did you proud." Blue Bloods season 14 cast: Who’s returning? TV legend Tom Selleck stars as Frank, the patriarch of the Reagan family, and returned for season 14 along with: Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Bridget Moynahan as Erin Will Estes as Jamie Len Cariou as Henry Marisa Ramirez as Maria Baez Vanessa Ray as Eddie Janko-Reagan Meanwhile, Edward James Olmos is set to guest star in the series finale. Blue Bloods season 14 plot: What will happen in the finale? When it comes to the series finale, showrunner Kevin Wade told TVLine that the episode would largely be business as usual, explaining he wanted to make a "great show" which then had a little pivot to explain it was the finale. He said: "I rewatched the series finales of great shows, going back to M*A*S*H and Cheers and even Mary Tyler Moore, certainly The Sopranos, Deadwood. I watched a lot of them for what they might have in common, and what they basically had in common, it seemed to me, if I boiled it down, is they did a great show. "And in the last few minutes, they did some little pivot towards, 'This is also the last show'.” He added that he hoped the fans would be "pleased and satisfied" by the episode, explaining: "We tried to do all we could do, which is to put on the very best Blue Bloods episode that we can make, while knowing, obviously, that it’s the last one. We’re tipping our hat to 14 years of storytelling with these same characters and these same actors playing them." Meanwhile, star Bridget Moynahan has said the finale will leave fans "wanting more", calling it "bittersweet". The episode will be called End of Tour, and according to the synopsis it will see "all hands on deck for the Reagan family, as they race to stop deadly mayhem in the city when the gangs of New York unite together to demand amnesty for the release of their imprisoned members and those awaiting trial". Is there a Blue Bloods season 14 trailer? You can watch a promo for the Blue Bloods series finale right here but if you're watching in the UK, beware - we're still a few episodes behind, so you might get some spoilers. View oEmbed on the source website Blue Bloods airs on Sky and NOW in the UK. You can also watch it on Paramount Plus – get a seven-day free trial of Paramount Plus on Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The long-running police drama is packed with recognisable faces.
Blue Bloods season 14 has finally landed in the UK, following a seven-month wait for the final chapter in the Reagan family's story. Indeed, the long-running crime drama kicked off its concluding run back in February in the US, with fans – and star Tom Selleck – still reeling over the shock decision to end the show at this moment. The moustachioed Friends and Magnum PI actor has made several public statements about the future of Blue Bloods, including that he hopes broadcaster CBS "come to their senses" over their decision to end it while ratings remain strong. "We’re the third-highest scripted show in all of broadcast," he told CBS News in May. "We’re winning the night. All the cast wants to come back. And I can tell you this: we aren’t sliding off down a cliff. "We’re doing good shows, and still holding our place. So, I don’t know. You tell me!" Alas, the network held firm on their decision and it looks as if Blue Bloods will indeed be bowing out after these final 18 episodes, with co-star Donnie Wahlberg paying tribute to his "special" journey with the show via Instagram in July. So, who are the key players heading into season 14? Read on for everything you need to know about the current cast and characters of Blue Bloods. Who's in the cast of Blue Bloods? Tom Selleck plays Frank Reagan Who is Frank? New York City police commissioner Frank is patriarch of the American Irish Catholic Reagan family – many of whom work in law enforcement. What else has Tom Selleck been in? Remembered (and adored) for his role as Monica’s older ophthalmologist boyfriend Richard Burke in '90s sitcom Friends, Selleck won his first major acting role back in 1980 as the lead in Hawaii-set detective series Magnum PI. That part won him an Emmy – and also cost him the lead in Raiders of the Lost Ark, because he couldn’t be released from his Magnum contract – and led to roles in the hit movies Three Men and a Baby (alongside Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg) and In & Out. Bridget Moynahan plays Erin Reagan Who is Erin? Frank’s daughter Erin is an assistant district attorney. Divorced and a single mother to Nicky, she has experienced her fair share of life-threatening situations, including being taken hostage and shot at in the court house. What else has Bridget Moynahan been in? Former model Moynahan made her film debut in Coyote Ugly, and also appeared in the movies Serendipity, I, Robot and as John’s late wife Helen in the first two John Wick movies. Her TV career includes the role of Big’s first wife Natasha in Sex and the City, which she reprised in one episode of the first season of sequel And Just Like That. Will Estes plays Jamie Reagan Who is Jamie? Jamie is Frank’s youngest son and a sergeant in the NYPD. He’s married to his former partner, officer Eddie Janko. What else has Will Estes been in? Estes's first major TV role came about when he was just 11 years old, starring as dog Lassie’s young owner in The New Lassie, a reboot of the classic kids series. Later, he starred in the music video for Bon Jovi’s hit It’s My Life, and featured in the '60s-set drama series American Dreams. Donnie Wahlberg plays Danny Reagan Who is Danny? The eldest son of Frank, Danny is an ex-marine who is now a police detective. A widower like his father, following his wife’s death in a helicopter crash, Danny has two sons. His current police partner is Maria Baez. What else has Donnie Wahlberg been in? A founding member of pop band New Kids On The Block – and brother to actor Mark – Wahlberg is best known for his memorable performance as the disturbed patient at the start of The Sixth Sense, and as Detective Eric Matthews in horror movie Saw II (and sequels Saw III and IV). Len Cariou plays Henry Reagan Who is Henry? Father to Frank and grandfather to Erin, Jamie, Danny and their late brother Joe, Henry was a marine during the Second World War and the Korean War. He’s a former police commissioner. What else has Len Cariou been in? Tony award-winning actor Len Cariou is known for numerous movies, including Academy Award winner Spotlight, Thirteen Days and Bumblebee. On TV, he had a recurring role as Irish man of mystery Michael Hagarty in Murder, She Wrote, and also appeared in the acclaimed miniseries When They See Us. Len is only six years older than Tom Selleck, who plays his son, so wears prosthetics in the series to appear older. Marisa Ramirez plays Maria Baez Who is Maria? Maria has been Danny’s police partner since 2013. At the end of season 12, she adopted a newborn baby girl, whose mother was assassinated by a man she was testifying against. What else has Marisa Ramirez been in? Before Blue Bloods, Ramirez appeared in more than 100 episodes of US daytime soap General Hospital, and also had a leading role in The Young and the Restless and miniseries Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, the prequel to the TV series Spartacus. Vanessa Ray plays Eddie Janko-Reagan Who is Eddie? Marie "Eddie" Janko is Jamie’s former police partner, and now his wife. She is a uniformed patrol officer What else has Vanessa Ray been in? Ray is best known for her role as CeCe Drake in the TV series Pretty Little Liars. She also had guest roles in The Mentalist, Suits, Damages and Nurse Jackie before joining Blue Bloods in season 4. View Green Video on the source website Blue Bloods is available to watch on Sky Witness. Check out more of our Drama coverage Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who with a special issue of Radio Times. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Chicago Med season 9: Release date, cast and latest news
Everything you need to know about the medical drama.
After a long delay, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD and Chicago Med, the three shows set in the 'One Chicago' universe, are all coming back to UK screens. The new season of Chicago Med will consist of 13 episodes, and like the Chicago-set hospital dramas ER and Chicago Hope that came before it, it mixes often nail-biting medical cases with the behind the scenes relationships between the doctors and nurses. All of that takes place under the watchful eye of the hospital’s chief administrator, Sharon Goodwin (S Epatha Merkerson), but there have been some major cast changes since the season first launched in 2015, with Dr Will Halstead, Dr Natalie Manning, Dr Sarah Reese and Dr Connor Rhodes among the key characters who have hung up their scrubs and moved on to pastures new. There have also been notable new arrivals to the team, with Blindspot's Luke Mitchell joining the season 9 cast in a recurring role as Dr Mitch Ripley. We don't yet know how long he will be sticking around, but we do know that the show itself will be remaining on our screens for a while longer, with it having already been renewed for season 10. Read on for everything you need to know about Chicago Med season 9. When will Chicago Med season 9 air? Like the other One Chicago dramas from executive producer Dick Wolf – Chicago PD and Chicago Fire – production on the new season of Chicago Med was delayed by the actors’ and writers’ strikes in the US last year. Chicago Med season 9 then premiered on Wednesday 17th January 2024 at 8pm ET and 7pm Central Time in the US on NBC, with episodes streaming the next day on Peacock. For UK viewers, Chicago Med season 9 is finally debuting on Friday 5th April 2024 at 8pm, and will be available to watch on Sky Witness and NOW. Chicago Med season 9 cast: Who’s returning? It’s probably easiest to start with who isn’t returning, as a few fan favourites unfortunately won’t be back for the next season. Dr Will Halstead’s story came to an end when he left for Seattle at the end of season 8, so actor Nick Gehlfuss, who played him, is not expected to return. Three other cast members – Guy Lockard (who played Dr Dylan Scott), Brian Tee (who played Dr Ethan Choi) and Yaya DaCosta (who played April) are also not expected to be back for season 9. As for who will be joining the cast, Luke Mitchell will be starring in a recurring role, making his debut as Dr Ripley in the season premiere, titled Row Row Row Your Boat on a Rocky Sea. The Chicago Med cast starring in season 9 are as follows: S Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin Oliver Platt as Dr Daniel Charles Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Lockwood Dominic Rains as Dr Crockett Marcel Steven Weber as Dr Dean Archer Jessy Schram as Dr Hannah Asher Luke Mitchell as Dr Mitch Ripley View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Chicago Med season 9 plot: What will happen? The first episode of Chicago Med season 9 sees the ED being flooded with patients from a crash, and the entire team being pulled in to help. Meanwhile, Archer is seen having second thoughts on the eve of his kidney transplant. View Green Video on the source website Chicago Med season 9 trailer: When can I watch it? You can watch the exciting trailer for Chicago Wednesday on NBC, which marked the return of Chicago Med, Fire and PD, right here now. View oEmbed on the source website Chicago Med is available to watch on Sky Witness and NOW in the UK. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Chicago PD season 11: Release date, cast and latest news
Everything you need to know about the Windy City-set police drama.
The Dick Wolf 'One Chicago' universe returned in the US for new seasons of all three series – PD, Med and Fire – earlier this year, but now UK fans are getting the chance to catch up, with the new seasons finally arriving on Sky Witness and NOW. The 11th season of Chicago PD, the police drama in the One Chicago universe, will see the departure of one of its main stars, Tracy Spiridakos, but she will still be featured in the season's earlier episodes as Detective Hailey Upton Halstead. Her departure comes after former her co-star Jesse Lee Soffer, who played Hailey's husband Detective Jay Halstead, bid farewell to the series back in October 2022. Chicago PD has been running since 2014 and has proven popular ever since, following the officers in the Intelligence Unit of the 21st District of the Chicago police department. It seems that's not about to change either, as the series has already been renewed for a 12th season. Read on for everything you need to know about Chicago PD season 11. When will Chicago PD season 11 air? Chicago PD was renewed for an 11th season back in April 2023, but filming was delayed due to the actors’ and writers’ strikes. Chicago PD then premiered in the US on Wednesday 17th January 2024, at 10pm Eastern Time Zone on NBC, while it is just now debuting in the UK on Sky Witness and NOW, with the first episode airing at 10pm on Friday 5th April 2024. Chicago PD season 11 cast: Who’s returning? Of course, the big news going into season 11 is that Tracy Spiridakos will be exiting the series as Hailey Upton Halstead, but there's been no word yet as to when exactly that departure will come in the series. Upton will be struggling with the departure of her husband Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) who resigned from the force in season 10 to return to the army, so it is unlikely he’ll also be seen in the new season. One character's life that hangs in the balance going into the new season is also Patrick Flueger's Adam Ruzek, after that shock season 10 finale saw his fate hanging in the balance. The cast of Chicago PD that we'd expect to be returning for season 11 is as follows: Jason Beghe as Detective Sergeant Hank Voight LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater Marina Squerciati as Kim Burgess Benjamin Levy Aguilar as Dante Torres Amy Morton as Trudy Platt Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek Tracy Spiridakos as Hailey Upton Halstead Chicago PD season 11 plot: What will happen? The finale of season 10 continued the investigation into white supremacist Richard Beck, and led to Adam Ruzek – who had been determined to protect Beck’s daughter Sam and grandson Callum – being betrayed and shot by Callum. While we last saw Ruzek being taken to Chicago Med in an unknown condition, photos from the set of Ruzek in a hospital bed – presumably from the next season – would indicate he survives. That’s good news, as one of the other plot lines waiting to be resolved is Ruzek’s relationship with Kim Burgess. They were engaged, then broke up and dated other people, but rekindled their romance in season 10 and could potentially (finally!) walk down the aisle in the new season. However, the Beck storyline could mean more trouble for the couple before they get their happy ending. In the season 10 finale, Richard Beck is killed by the team as they try to capture him, but there’s always the possibility that young grandson Callum, who clearly worshipped his granddad, could seek revenge and be a potential threat in the future. We do know that the new series is set to open with plenty of drama with the premiere episode, entitled Unpacking, seeing Upton tasked with shadowing a crisis prevention team, where she finds her “approach to policing at odds with the team’s mental health clinician,” according to the episode’s synopsis. The case will bring out Upton’s “personal struggles,” with Voight helping her through it. Is there a Chicago PD season 11 trailer? There isn’t a solo Chicago PD season 11 trailer but there is a One Chicago trailer, which gives us a glimpse of a struggling Ruzek post-shooting and some of the other beloved PD characters amid shots of Chicago Fire and Med. You can watch the trailer below. View oEmbed on the source website Chicago PD is available to watch on Sky Witness and NOW in the UK. Sign up for Sky TV here. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Who will replace Ralf Little on Death in Paradise?
As Ralf Little sails off into the sunset, we look at his possible replacements…
The 13th season of family favourite crime drama Death in Paradise has come to a close, and so has Ralf Little's tenure as DI Neville Parker, who left the Caribbean to pursue a romance with fellow detective Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert). Of course, it's not the first time the show has waved goodbye to its British-copper-in-residence. The original detective inspector on the island was Richard Poole (Ben Miller), who solved murders for two seasons before being murdered himself at the start of season 3. He was replaced by fan favourite Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), who departed in season 6 to live in London with his girlfriend Martha (and to later move to the Devon coast in spin-off Beyond Paradise). Jack Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon) then arrived on the scene, before eventually making way for Neville in season 9. Now, 38 episodes and five years after he first stepped foot onto the sandy beaches of Saint Marie (or more precisely Guadeloupe, where Death In Paradise is filmed), Neville has departed. As soon as Little confirmed that Neville isn't coming back – the ending of the episode saw him sail away with Florence, but it could have feasibly been for a holiday rather than a permanent departure – speculation began as to who could head to the Caribbean and join Shantol Jackson, Don Warrington, Ginny Holder and Danny John-Jules, who recently returned to the show. It's likely Little's replacement will be confirmed pretty soon because Death in Paradise usually films during the summer months, as executive producer Tim Key explained in an interview with Radio Times to celebrate the 100th episode earlier this year. "We start filming in April, and then we go right the way through until the end of October," he explained. "It's a big commitment. Some of the crew, they are out in Guadeloupe from March to November, and it's a very, very long time for them to be away. And the lead actors, they can't be doing other auditions, they can't be doing other work, and by the time you get back home, it's nearly Christmas when the industry is kind of closing down a bit. So it's a big ask. "And it needs a very kind of specific person and personality to be able to commit to it and enjoy it, and exploit it to its maximum." While we await the big announcement, let's take a look at some of the actors who have been rumoured as possible replacements for Ralf Little in season 14. Simon Bird Best known for his roles as Will in The Inbetweeners and Adam in Friday Night Dinner, comic actor Bird is currently the bookies' favourite to join the Death ion Paradise team (even his Wikipedia page hints he's been cast). The 39-year-old would be the youngest actor to take on the role to date – Little was 40 when he was cast – but the big question is whether a move to the Caribbean would be feasible for Bird, as a husband and father of two? Channel 4 sitcom Everyone Else Burns, in which he stars, has also been renewed for a second season, and he has also won acclaim as the director of movie Days Of Bagnold Summer and 2023's Such Brave Girls for the BBC – will he be happy to put that aspect of his career on hold for DIP? Can we see Simon Bird solving crime in Saint Marie? He certainly ticks all the same boxes as previous leads – skilled at comic acting as well as drama, being recognisable without being too linked to any previous roles – so it's no surprise he is the popular, if somewhat predictable, choice as he would fit right in as the awkward Englishman on the island. Diane Morgan It's not written in stone that the British detective in Saint Marie has to be a man, and the actress hotly tipped to be the first woman to take on the role is actress-comedian-writer Diane Morgan – known to millions of fans as dim-witted interviewer Philomena Cunk. Morgan, 48, has also won praise for her roles as Kath in the Ricky Gervais series After Life and as Liz in BBC comedy Motherland, as well as for the series Mandy (the third season of which airs on the BBC this week), which she also writes and directs. Can we see Diane Morgan solving crime in Saint Marie? Morgan is one of our favourite comic actresses, but could she be too snarky and sarcastic for the residents of Saint Marie? We can’t help but wonder whether it would be hard to get used to her intelligently questioning criminals when we are so used to her playing our beloved but useless interrogator Philomena… Mathew Horne <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2019/12/19317117-low_res-gavin-and-stacey-23977d5.jpg" width="2000" height="1335" alt="WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 07/12/2019 - Programme Name: Gavin and Stacey - TX: n/a - Episode: Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special 2019 (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: Gavin Shipman (MATHEW HORNE) - (C) GS TV Productions Ltd - Photographer: Tom Jackson" title="Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special 2019" /> Another comic actor whose name is in the mix is Mathew Horne, star of the hugely successful Gavin & Stacey and Bad Education. While there have been rumours that the beloved 2007-2010 sitcom would return for another Christmas special this year, which could rule Horne out of the running for DIP, nothing has been confirmed, with writer and co-star Ruth Jones telling RTE Radio 1 in February that it was "sadly a rumour" and that "if there was something to say on that front, James [Corden] and I would happily announce it". Can we see Mathew Horne solving crime in Saint Marie? While Horne has appeared in numerous shows, if you're of a certain age he will always be Gavin in your heart. And Gavin isn’t quite who we imagine solving murders – unless, of course, he brought along his smarter half, Stacey (Joanna Page). Given the recent streaming success of 1980s cop/romantic series Dempsey & Makepeace, maybe now is the time for Gavin & Stacey to leave Barry behind and take their romance to the Caribbean. Jaye Griffiths Jaye Griffiths, 60, has already appeared in one episode of Death in Paradise as DI Karen Flitcroft, who popped up in season 12's Sins of the Detective, Part 2 to investigate Neville's involvement in the murder of criminologist David Cartwright. It would certainly be an interesting twist to change the 'British policeman moves to the island' formula of the show and instead promote a returning character, and Griffiths' performance has already made her a fan favourite. If she looks familiar beyond her appearance in the crime drama, Jaye has also starred as Elle Gardner in Casualty, Sally Johnson in The Bill and Professor Janet Mander in Silent Witness. Can we see Jaye Griffiths solving crime in Saint Marie? Griffiths already knows the lay of the land thanks to her season 12 appearance, so she'd easily slot back in to the Saint Marie police force – and we can just see her sparring with Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, too. Jodie Whittaker Jodie Whittaker, 41, has also been mentioned as a possible replacement for Little, and she's certainly no stranger to committing to a long-running series, having played the lead in Doctor Who for five years. The Yorkshire-born actress has also won acclaim for her roles in Broadchurch, Black Mirror, Trust Me and more recently, the prison-set series Time, and will next be seen in the Netflix series Toxic Town that filmed at the end of 2023. Can we see Jodie Whittaker solving crime in Saint Marie? We're sure that a no-nonsense police woman from Whittaker's native Yorkshire would know how to deal with Selwyn and Dwayne, while the more loveable, Doctor Who side of Whittaker would become best friends with Naomi and Darlene, making the former Doctor a terrific fit. Romesh Ranganathan It's possible that Romesh Ranganathan's name has been added to the list of possible replacements simply because he seems to be in just about every other TV show that's on at the moment, so why not Death in Paradise? The 45-year-old comedian, presenter and actor from Crawley is host of The Weakest Link, co-host of the BAFTA TV Awards (with Rob Beckett), star of The Misinvestigations of Romesh Ranganathan (season 2 coming soon) and The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, co-creator, co-writer and star of BBC comedy drama Avoidance, and a regular guest on shows including Have I Got News For You and A League Of Their Own. He's probably far too busy to head over to the Caribbean anytime soon, especially as he also presents the Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2, having taken over from Claudia Winkleman, and has an upcoming stage tour, Hustle, which is running from April to June this year. Can we see Romesh Ranganathan solving crime in Saint Marie? He's used to asking the questions on The Weakest Link, so he certainly has the interrogation skills, but we think Ranganathan's TV personality is just too big for Saint Marie – or, indeed, for the whole of the Caribbean. All 13 seasons of Death in Paradise are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Call the Midwife's Trixie and Matthew saga should never have happened
Season 13's threat to their marriage arrived far too quickly.
Call the Midwife – the usually warm-hearted staple of a winter Sunday night – has certainly put central character Trixie (Helen George) through the emotional wringer over the years, but never has her storyline been as frustrating as in the current season. The sparky, outspoken midwife – who, if you remember, previously battled alcoholism, recovered from a broken engagement and has dealt with more than her fair share of complex (and sometimes fatal) maternity cases during her time at Nonnatus House – finally looked like she was getting a happy ending when she married dashing Matthew Aylward (Olly Rix) at the end of season 12. We may have expected at least a season or two of marital bliss before they encountered any problems, but oh no, the Call the Midwife writers callously decided that poor old Trixie wasn’t allowed to have even one year of loved-up happiness with her husband, who has deserted his new bride and moved to New York with his toddler son Jonty. While their storyline has been left open-ended, with the possibility of a reunion for the couple (more on that later), the clumsy way that their marriage has been handled is infuriating for fans of the newlyweds (and fans of happily-ever-afters in general). Barely eight months after their wedding (good grief, even a marriage on EastEnders lasts a few weeks longer than that), this season's mean-spirited storyline revealed that there are already severe cracks in the Aylwards' relationship. Matthew has been hiding financial problems from his wife and expecting her to prioritise being a housewife and stepmother to Jonty over her own career, while Trixie has found his demands for her attention distracting (to the extent that she endangered a patient during a home birth in episode 4), and has been spending their money on expensive sofas and eyeing up a new sports car, unaware that they don't have the riches they once did. Of course, you can argue that back in 1969, when the series is set, many husbands didn't share their work with their wives, but Matthew is married to a modern woman who earns her own wage, so you would think that he'd be a bit more progressive about sharing the news that he has, to put it bluntly, completely annihilated the Aylward family finances. You could also argue that the Aylward board of directors should have stepped in a lot sooner when they learned about Matthew's questionable investments following his father’s death, rather than waiting until they had to take the drastic measure of cutting him off completely – but why use logic when you can add some marriage-straining drama where it wasn't needed? Matthew did finally tell Trixie what was going on in episode 6, and is grateful when she rallied to his side, but by episode 7 he was back to being a macho idiot, declaring that he was off to New York with Jonty for a few months to explore a potential investment opportunity. That was particuarly cruel to viewers, especially as it was dealt with so brusquely over the final two episodes. First, Matthew made the decision to leave rather swiftly without really considering what such a move would mean to Trixie – whether or not she decided to go with him. (He doesn't seem so dashing now, does he?) After all, if she did go, she'd be leaving behind Nonnatus House, her friends and the life she had built. And if she stayed, she'd lose both her husband and her stepson. Matthew also didn't seem to stop and contemplate what a move to New York could mean for his own son, either. How would it affect cute little Jonty, moving to another country and being torn from Trixie, the only mother he has ever known? Don't ask Matthew, as he doesn't seem to even stop to think about that. (And neither do the writers, who spend very little time on the matter.) In the season finale, Matthew was already ensconced in a Manhattan office (presumably Jonty is in an apartment somewhere, being looked after by a nanny), while poor Trixie tried to hold it together back in Poplar. It's only after Trixie's brother gave her a stern talking to (following a fiery accident that occurs courtesy of Trixie's new reliance on pills to get her through the day) that she realised that in order to save her marriage, she needed to go to New York and stand by her financially incompetent and emotionally insensitive husband (have we gone off Matthew a bit this season? You betcha). So we are left, at the end of the latest instalment, with Trixie promising to follow her man to America while a considerable number of viewers shout "What the hell?" at their TVs. Of course, their relationship cliffhanger (will she really go?) means that there are a few possibilities for fans to mull over before the 2024 Christmas special reveals what happens next. With rumours of Olly Rix's potential exit from Call the Midwife still circulating, one possible storyline could be that Trixie changes her mind and doesn't go to New York at all, or she goes and then returns to Poplar, but without her husband and stepson with her. Alternatively, both Rix and George could be absent from the show in season 14 (permanently or temporarily), with their characters remaining out of sight in New York. Or, in the best case scenario, the Aylward family could return to the East End, happily married, financially stable… and exactly where they should have been if the show writers hadn't meddled in their newlywed lives and annoyed us so much during this run. All 13 seasons are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Drama hub for more news and features. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FBI: International season 3 – Release date and latest news
Everything you need to know about the Budapest-set FBI drama series.
FBI: International is back on US screens for its anticipated third season and boy, did the premiere episode deliver. Not only did it follow on from the (literally) explosive season 2 finale, we also saw the last of Heida Reed's Special Agent Jamie Kellett. Fans of the show were surprised to learn that the actress would be departing the series after being a mainstay since the very first episode of the FBI spin-off series. According to Deadline, Reed's departure is a creative decision but confusion remained as to how the character would be written out of the show. Well, in the season 3 premiere, Kellett bid farewell to the fly team and stated that she'd decided to transfer to the Washington DC field office in a bid to deal with the grief of her sister's death. Her send off was marked with a heartfelt farewell at the train station by former flame and colleague Scott (Luke Kleintank). How will the team continue without one of its main agents? Luckily, the new arrival of Christina Wolfe as Special Agent Amanda Tate seems to be well-timed and we can't wait to see how she'll slot into the action. The new series marks another instalment of the already popular FBI franchise from Law & Order producer Dick Wolf. Following on from the original FBI series and FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International follows the elite operatives from the FBI’s "fly team" – Special Agents who neutralise threats against the US from their scenic base in Budapest. The team, led by agent Scott Forrester, have already spent the previous two seasons dealing with worldwide criminal and terrorist threats as well as the bureaucratic red tape that comes with working in foreign countries – which also means they can’t wave their guns around as much as their US-based counterparts. With the new series already underway in the US, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming third season of FBI: International. FBI: International season 3 release date: When will it air? Last year's now-resolved writers’ and actors' strikes put production on the series (and most TV shows in the US) on hold for months, but FBI: International returned to US screens on Tuesday 13th February 2024 on CBS at 9pm. The new series premiered between FBI and FBI: Most Wanted on the same evening, meaning a bumper dose of the FBI franchise. Episodes of FBI: International season 3 now air weekly on CBS. While we do have a US release date, we'll just have to wait and see when UK fans can get their fix as a UK release date is yet to be confirmed. But the series will likely become available to watch via Sky and NOW in the UK. FBI: International season 3 cast - Who's returning? Although season 2 ended with a big cliffhanger that potentially spelled doom for at least one character (more on that in a moment), most of the main cast are returning for season 3. But in what will likely be surprise news for fans, Heida Reed has departed the series, having played the second-in-command since the show's inception. Reed left the series in the season 3 premiere episode, explaining to the team that she's transferring to the Washington DC office. While the team were surprised by the news, Reed explained that after her sister June died, she made a promise to “live my life for the both of us". Feeling as though she was escaping her grief by moving to Budapest, she is moving back to the US. We do know, though, that there's already a new confirmed character joining the series, with Christina Wolfe joining the new season as series regular Special Agent Amanda Tate. The cast members in season 3 are: Luke Kleintank as Special Agent Scott Forrester Vinessa Vidotto as Special Agent Cameron Vo Eva-Jane Willis as Megan ‘Smitty’ Garretson Carter Redwood as Special Agent Andre Raines Christina Wolfe as Special Agent Amanda Tate Fans are hoping for the return of Tank the dog, too, especially as he didn’t make as many appearances in the second season as he did in the first. The Giant Schnauzer, played by a dog called Green, did turn up in the season 2 finale – so here’s hoping he survived the events of that episode and will be back, wagging his fluffy tail in season 3. FBI: International season 3 plot - What will happen? If you're yet to tune into FBI: International season 3, be warned as there are some spoilers ahead. The final episode of season 2 ended with an explosive cliffhanger that meant anything could happen in season 3. After preventing a stolen Russian nuclear missile from being sold on the black market, the team faced an attack at their own office in Budapest – an explosion that took out the building. The only two members of the Fly Team who were definitely outside at the time of the blast were Raines and (phew!) Tank the dog. Raines was running towards the building when the bomb went off so was caught in the force of the blast, with his fate remaining a cliffhanger going into season 3. Well now, we've seen that despite being at a very large risk of needing an amputation on his leg, Raines survived and had some major surgery on his leg. But that means that with needing rehab, the team will be down an agent while Raines is on desk duty for now. The new series will also be the first under the showrunning direction of Matt Olmstead after the departure of FBI: International creator Derek Haas as showrunner. Haas served as showrunner on the series for the first two seasons but departed at the end of season 2 and announcing the news in November 2023, Haas said: “Although I am leaving Wolf Entertainment next year to focus on creating new shows, I’m entirely committed to delivering amazing episodes of Chicago Fire and FBI: International through the end of the current seasons. “I learned everything I know about storytelling, pace, characters, production values, and hiring the best cast, crews, and staffs from Dick Wolf and Peter Jankowski, and as hard as it is to leave a place you love and have called home for over a decade, including incredible support from Universal Television, NBC and CBS, I look forward to building my own brand in entertainment.” Is there a FBI: International season 3 trailer? There's currently no trailer for the new season of FBI: International! Watch this space, as we’ll update this page as soon as one is available. FBI: International seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch on Sky Witness and NOW in the UK – sign up for Sky TV here. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FBI: International cast - Meet the characters
There's set to be a major character departure in the upcoming third season.
The third season of FBI: International is premiering in the US this week, and will once again see the 'Fly Team' tackle a host of different tasks to their US counterparts. As well as the usual catching of bad guys from around the world who are threatening the States, they also have to deal with policing in foreign countries and the international red tape (there are not as many guns as original series FBI). The new season will see the return of Special Agent Scott Forrester, but also marks a big casting change after the announcement of Heida Reed's departure. That means it's farewell to Special Agent Jamie Kellett this season. However, we're also getting a new character, played by Christina Wolfe (The Weekend Away) as an additional agent on the force, so we'll just have to wait and see what she brings to the team! Aside from working in picturesque Budapest, the team also find themselves jet-setting to places like Croatia, Spain, Germany and Italy while on their mission to stop terrorists and other bad guys. Two seasons of the series – a spin-off, of course, from the original FBI – have already aired, and a third is due imminently, which will feature the return of the dedicated international team. Read on for everything you need to know about the current and upcoming cast and characters of FBI: International. FBI: International cast The main cast of FBI: International is set to return for season 3, but Reed will be leaving the series in its early episodes, according to Deadline. The FBI: International cast is as follows, but scroll on to find out more about the characters and where you may have seen them before. Luke Kleintank plays Special Agent Scott Forrester Heida Reed plays Special Agent Jamie Kellett Vinessa Vidotto plays Special Agent Cameron Vo Eva-Jane Willis plays Megan 'Smitty' Garretson Carter Redwood plays Special Agent Andre Raines Christina Wolfe plays Special Agent Amanda Tate Luke Kleintank plays Special Agent Scott Forrester Who is Forrester? Scott Forrester leads the Fly Team with the help of his dog Tank, a retired cadaver he rescued. Scott’s got a complicated past – his mother Angela (played by Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell) worked for the US government and was accused of selling secrets to the Russians, although it has since been revealed she is actually a double agent working for the US who has gone into hiding to protect her son. What else has Luke Kleintank been in? Fans of crime procedurals will recognise Luke as Finn Abernathy, the sweet Jeffersonian Institute intern who dated Cam’s daughter in the David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel-starring series Bones. He also had recurring roles in the original Gossip Girl series, as well as Person of Interest, Pretty Little Liars and The Man in the High Castle. Heida Reed plays Special Agent Jamie Kellett Who is Kellett? Second in command Jamie had an on-off romantic relationship with her boss, Scott Forrester, in the first season, but she moved on with Hungarian Benedek Erdős in season 2. Unfortunately, the relationship foundered after she learned that Ben was involved in a crime the team were investigating. Kellett is set to be written out of the show in season 3 "due to creative decisions", so fans may have to brace themselves for a definitive departure for the character. What else has Heida Reed been in? Reykjavík-born actress Heida starred as Elizabeth, Ross Poldark’s first love, in the BBC period drama series that began in 2015. Based in the UK from the age of 20, Heida also appeared in episodes of Silent Witness, Toast of London and Death in Paradise, before returning to Iceland to star in the crime series Stella Blómkvist in 2017. Vinessa Vidotto plays Special Agent Cameron Vo Who is Vo? A graduate of military school West Point who specialises in interrogation, Vo transferred from the Seattle division to join the international team. Most recently, she has been dating new recruit Damian Powell. What else has Vinessa Vidotto been in? Vinessa made her TV debut as the angel Remiel in the fantasy TV series Lucifer in 2019, and also appeared in an episode of the comedy Hacks before winning the role of Vo in FBI: International. Eva-Jane Willis plays Megan 'Smitty' Garretson Who is Smitty? A former girlfriend of Forrester, Smitty is a Europol agent who liaises with the team, having taken over the job from Katrin Jaeger (Christiane Paul), who was promoted to head of Europol operations at the end of season one. What else has Eva-Jane Willis been in? Born in South Africa and raised in London, Eva-Jane was talent-spotted at drama school and won a role in kids’ TV series Grange Hill. After some brief TV appearances, she appeared as Natalie in Gangs of London in 2020, and as Sister Bianca in the Toni Collette-starring sci-fi thriller series The Power earlier this year. Carter Redwood plays Special Agent Andre Raines Who is Raines? Raines’s experience in accounting comes in handy for the team when they are tracking how criminal enterprises are moving their money. He’s not had an easy time of it so far – his sister and her friends were abducted on a trip to Kosovo in season one, while his girlfriend was held hostage in season two. What else has Carter Redwood been in? Carter appeared in episodes of The Good Wife, Madam Secretary, Blue Bloods, the basketball drama Winning Time and Orange is the New Black before winning the role of Raines in FBI: International. He also made his own YouTube comedy series, Redwood Time, about an actor - based on himself - who is balancing his personal life with his life in the business. Christina Wolfe plays Special Agent Amanda Tate Who is Special Agent Amanda Tate? One of the new special agents joining the Fly Team, not much is currently known about the fresh arrival - but we do know that she will be joining as a series regular in season 3. What else has Christina Wolfe been in? The English actress is known for her roles in The Royals and Batwoman. More recently, Wolfe has starred in Netflix film The Weekend Away, as well as Syfy TV series The Ark. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website FBI: International is available to watch on Sky Witness and NOW in the UK – sign up for Sky TV here. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FBI: Most Wanted season 5 - Release date, plot and latest news
Everything you need to know about the action crime drama's upcoming season.
Fans of FBI: Most Wanted are in luck, as season 5 is being released this week in the US. The original series, FBI, has gone from strength to strength - with Most Wanted focusing on the work of the Fugitive Task Force. The force in question is made up of men and women whose job it is to track down criminals who have gone on the run and are listed on the Bureau’s infamous Most Wanted list. Season 5 will see Dylan McDermott return as Remy Scott, while Roxy Sternberg and Keisha Castle-Hughes are also expected to come back as former NYPD detective Sheryll Barnes and hacker/intelligence analyst Hana, respectively. Unfortunately, not every series regular is set to return. It was confirmed earlier this year that fan favourite character Special Agent Kristin Gaines – as played by Alexa Davalos – will not be back for the fifth season, after being left without a proper ending in the previous instalment. A new face joining the cast for season 5 is Steven Williams (The X-Files), who will be starring as Ray Cannon Sr, the father of Ray Cannon (Edwin Hodge). Shantel VanSanten will also be moving from FBI and taking on the role of Special Agent Nina Chase in FBI: Most Wanted season 5, with her character described as a skilled agent. Read on for everything you need to know about FBI: Most Wanted season 5. FBI: Most Wanted season 5 release date Following the conclusion of the US actors' and writers' strikes, season 5 will premiere on Tuesday 13th February 2024 at 10pm ET on CBS, it has been confirmed. It will also become available to stream on Paramount Plus. As for UK viewers, it's not yet been revealed when we can expect the season to air, but we do know though that FBI: Most Wanted will likely return to its place on Sky Witness and NOW. FBI: Most Wanted season 5 cast - Who’s returning? One of the most surprising points of contention about the cast for FBI: Most Wanted season 5 is the fact that Alexa Davalos, who played Special Agent Kristin Gaines, will not be returning for the new run. Her story was not tied up to account for this noticeable departure, but Deadline reports that the exiting of the actress was "amicable". Team leader Remy Scott (played by Dylan McDermott) is sure to be back, meaning the core group of confirmed cast members for the new season are: Dylan McDermott as Remy Scott Roxy Sternberg as second-in-command Sheryll Barnes Keisha Castle-Hughes as intelligence analyst Hana Gibson Edwin Hodge as sniper Ray Cannon Steven Williams as Ray Cannon Senior Shantel VanSanten as Special Agent Nina Chase VanSanten is a newcomer to the season 5 cast, moving from FBI. The actress, who is also known for her roles in The Boys, For All Mankind and One Tree Hill, joined the franchise in FBI season 4 and appeared throughout season 5. Her character is described as a skilled agent. FBI: Most Wanted season 5 plot - What will happen? Not much is known at this point about the potential plots for season 5, but one story thread from season 4 will no doubt be explored – Remy’s new relationship with his nephew. In the season 4 finale, Remy finally discovered that his brother Mikey had been killed by one of his own friends in Ft Lauderdale 25 years before during spring break – and he also learned that his brother’s girlfriend had been pregnant at the time of Mikey’s death. Remy met Mikey’s now grown-up son Corey for the first time, and it’s likely we’ll see more of their relationship as season 5 progresses. With the arrival of Nina Chase in the team also, there's no doubt that her story will be fleshed out in the new season of FBI: Most Wanted, and we'll see how she'll manage to incorporate with her new peers. FBI: Most Wanted season 5 trailer - When can I watch it? Not yet! Unfortunately, there's not a trailer for season 5 yet, but we will update this page when there is one. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website FBI: Most Wanted is available to watch on Sky Witness and NOW in the UK. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
NCIS: Hawai'i cast - Meet the characters
The NCIS spin-off is getting a new cast member.
The fourth spin-off series in the expansive NCIS franchise, NCIS: Hawai'i is back next week at long last. After experiencing some delays due to last year's strikes, season 3 returns in the US on Monday 12th February. Not only does it signal the return of Vanessa Lachey as lead agent Jane Tennant, but also sees the introduction of LL Cool J in the Hawai'i-based Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Now, NCIS fans know that LL Cool J is certainly no stranger to the franchise, having been at the helm of NCIS: Los Angeles as Sam Hanna for a staggering 14 years since it premiered in 2009. Well, the star made a surprise appearance in NCIS: Hawai'i's season 2 finale and it looks as though Sam Hanna is here to stay. Unlike its other seasons, this NCIS spin-off deals with the gritty crimes as well as cases involving the glorious landscape of Hawai'i. We follow the team of investigators in the Naval Criminal Investigate Service, who solve naval and marine related cases, this time from the Pearl Harbor office in Hawai'i. While the series focuses on Special Agent Jane Tennant, the cast also includes Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills and – for the upcoming season 3 – LL Cool J. Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of NCIS Hawai’i. NCIS: Hawai'i cast – Full list of characters and actors in police drama As with any procedural drama, there will be a whole host of guest stars across the new episodes of season 3. The following cast members make up the main cast of NCIS: Hawai'i and scroll on to find out more about the characters, plus where you've seen the actors before. Vanessa Lachey as Jane Tennant Noah Mills as Jesse Boon Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman Tori Anderson as Kathrine Marie Whistler Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik LL Cool J as Sam Hanna Vanessa Lachey plays Jane Tennant Who is Jane Tennant? Jane holds the distinction of being the first female Special Agent in Charge at the NCIS Pearl Harbor field office. A divorced mum of two (son Alex and daughter Julie), she worked for the CIA before joining NCIS. What else has Vanessa Lachey been in? Lachey began her career appearing in beauty pageants, before hosting TV shows for MTV and Entertainment Tonight, and co-hosting the Netflix series Love Is Blind alongside her husband, singer Nick Lachey. She also acted in episodes of How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, Hawaii Five-O and CSI: NY before winning the role of Jane in NCIS: Hawaii. Alex Tarrant plays Kai Holman Who is Kai Holman? Born in Hawai’i, Kai joined the United States Marine Corps following his mother’s death and only returned to the islands when he learned that his father was ill. What else has Alex Tarrant been in? Fans of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power may recognise New Zealand actor Tarrant as Valandil, one of the Númenórean sailing cadets in the Prime Video series. He also appeared in the Australian drama series SeaChange, and as drug-addicted doctor Lincoln Kimiora in the long-running New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Noah Mills plays Jesse Boone Who is Jesse Boone? Jane Tennant’s second-in-command is a father of three who worked as a police officer in Washington DC. He moved to Hawai’i with his family to take up the job of special agent at Pearl Harbor, and has fallen in love with surfing and hiking since moving to the islands. What else has Noah Mills been in? A former male model, Mills was voted one of the top 10 Male Models of All Time by Vogue in 2014 for his work with Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger and The Gap. As well as appearing in the video for Taylor Swift’s ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’, Mills had a small role as a younger love interest for Kim Cattrall’s Samantha in the second Sex And The City movie, and also popped up in the Marvel TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Yasmine Al-Bustami plays Lucy Tara Who is Lucy Tara? The junior member of the team, Lucy disappointed her Texas parents when she walked away from the family oil business to pursue a career in law enforcement. She is the girlfriend of Kate Whistler. What else has Yasmine Al-Bustami been in? Al-Bustami made her TV debut in The Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals as villain Monique Deveraux, and also starred as Ramah, one of Jesus’s followers, in the Christian historical drama series The Chosen. Jason Antoon plays Ernie Malik Who is Ernie Malik? The cyber intelligence specialist at NCIS, Ernie was raised by his mother after his father left, and worked compiling criminal profiles at the NSA before moving to Hawai’I and joining the NCIS team. What else has Jason Antoon been in? After seeing him in the Broadway play Contact, Steve Spielberg cast Antoon in his sci-fi thriller Minority Report in 2002. Since then, Antoon has appeared in movies including Two Weeks Notice and the musical remake of The Producers, and he has also co-starred in episodes of Fresh Off The Boat, Grey’s Anatomy, New Girl and Modern Family. Tori Anderson plays Kate Whistler Who is Kate Whistler? Kate is a special agent with the FBI who is a liaison between the Feds and NCIS. She is dating Lucy Tara. What else has Tori Anderson been in? Canadian actress Anderson is best known as Blake Crawford, the wealthy socialite who murders a key character in the FBI thriller series Blindspot. She’s also starred in TV movies including the seasonal A Chance For Christmas, Campfire Christmas and Return To Christmas Creek. LL Cool J plays Sam Hanna Who is Sam Hanna? A former US Naval officer and Navy SEAL with an interest in origami, antique cars and collecting vinyl records, Sam worked as a senior NCIS field agent based in Los Angeles. A widow following the murder of his wife Michelle, he has two children and was last seen (in NCIS: Los Angeles) heading to Morocco with Callen (Chris O’Donnell) to rescue missing colleague Hetty (Linda Hunt). Following that mission, he came to the aid of Jane in the season 2 finale of NCIS: Hawai’i. What else has LL Cool J been in? Rapper, songwriter and record producer LL Cool J (real name James Todd Smith) has acted in numerous movies including The Hard Way alongside Michael J Fox, Charlie’s Angels, Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday and the sci-fi action adventure Deep Blue Sea with Samuel L Jackson. On TV, he starred as Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles for 14 years before reprising the role for the season 2 finale of NCIS: Hawai’i (and returning for the upcoming season 3). View Green Video on the source website NCIS: Hawai'i is available to stream on Disney Plus +. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
NCIS: Hawai’i season 3 - Release date, cast and latest news
Everything you need to know about the next season of the crime drama’s tropical island spin-off.
It's no secret that the NCIS franchise is an incredibly successful one, with spin-off series set in Los Angeles, New Orleans an upcoming exciting Origins series, which will explore the backstory of Mark Harmon's Leroy Jethro Gibbs. For now, fans of the crime drama have another spin-off to get excited about as NCIS: Hawai’i is set to air in just a matter of days over in the US on Monday 12th February. Hawai’i is the third spin-off from the NCIS franchise and launched in 2021, becoming the first instalment to be set outside the US mainland and ultimately paving the way for NCIS: Sydney. Hawai’i was also the first NCIS series to feature a female lead. with Vanessa Lachey starring as mother-of-two Jane Tennant, the first female Supervisory Special Agent in NCIS history to be in charge of the Pearl Harbor Field Office. Of course, fans of Lachey's may be more familiar with her current work as co-host of Love Is Blind with her husband Nick but here, she takes the lead as the formidable head of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Her team of Naval criminal investigators solve crimes on the Hawaiian islands and includes the likes of right-hand man Jesse Boone, new recruit Kai and tech whiz Ernie Malik, alongside junior field agent Lucy Tara. And in exciting news for NCIS fans, Los Angeles regular LL Cool J is joining the cast of Hawai’i for season 3 after a surprise appearance in the season 2 finale. Over the course of the first two seasons, the team bonded while catching murderers, hunting escaped exotic animals and even surviving being held hostage by pirates. What could be in store for them in season 3? Read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming NCIS: Hawai’i season 3. Has NCIS: Hawai’i been renewed for season 3? Yes. After two hit seasons in 2021 and 2022, NCIS: Hawai’i was renewed for a third season back in February 2023. NCIS: Hawai'i season 3: When will it air? NCIS: Hawai’i will air in the US on Monday 12th February at 10pm EST, resuming its usual Monday night slot on CBS. However, for UK viewers, there's currently no word on when the new season will be available to watch. We do know, though, that it's highly likely that NCIS: Hawai’i will return to its UK home on Disney Plus, with a release date yet to be confirmed. The first two seasons premiered in September 2021 and September 2022, with season 3 originally being scheduled to start airing in September 2023. However, the US writers’ and actors’ strikes delayed production on the series. NCIS: Hawai'i season 3 cast: Who’s returning? Alongside Vanessa Lachey as team leader Jane, the season 3 cast includes: Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman Noah Mills as Jesse Boone Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik Tori Anderson as Kate Whistler Kian Talan as Alex Tennant LL Cool J as Sam Hanna There will also be a new addition to the cast for season three – NCIS: Los Angeles star LL Cool J. He made a surprise appearance as his NCIS character Sam Hanna in the season 2 finale of NCIS: Hawai’i, and it has been confirmed that he will return as a recurring guest star in season 3. “All of us at NCIS: Hawai’i have been huge fans of LL Cool J for years and couldn’t be more thrilled or honoured to be adding his spectacular talent to our ohana for season 3,” said executive producers Matt Bosack, Jan Nash and Christopher Silber in a statement in May 2023. On the announcement of LL Cool J joining the cast for season 3, Lachey said: “One of the most beautiful things about working on NCIS: Hawai’i is the show’s ability to bring the franchise together. "We have had so much fun spreading the aloha to NCIS and NCIS: LA with the triple crossover. Now, we have the amazing opportunity to bring Sam Hanna to Hawai’i to help the island solve some cases and maybe have a few laughs in the process. Welcome to the ohana, Todd! It’s going to be a fun ride!” NCIS: Hawai'i season 3 plot speculation It is likely that the third season will follow on from the tense events of the season 2 finale. Jane Tennant’s CIA past came back to haunt her when she became the prime suspect in the murder of a former MI6 agent, and she was forced to go to extreme lengths to track down the real killer and prove her innocence. Her former CIA mentor, Maggie Shaw (Julie White), helped Jane in her quest, but by the end of the episode Maggie had become a fugitive, so it is possible that season 3 could focus on Jane tracking her old friend down. View Green Video on the source website And while Jane was off on her solo mission, her second-in-command Jesse Boone took over the reins at work, so it’s likely there may be tension when he has to step back on Jane’s return. Noah Mills, who plays Boone, teased the storyline for season 3 in an interview with ET. “There are some major changes coming to season 3 and it will be a different dynamic, I’ll put it that way, in the beginning of season 3,” he said. He added: "I’m sure there will be some uncomfortable adjustments and some new relationships that we’ll have to explore within season 3, which I think will be really fun and intense.” Is there an NCIS: Hawai'i season 3 trailer? There is! Exclusively revealed by TVLine, the new trailer teases a look at the team in action with them being faced with a very expert-looking team of criminals in masks and wielding machine guns. Head over there to watch it. It looks as though the sense of family is still ever strong with this team as LL Cool J seems to slot nicely into the dynamic too. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website NCIS: Hawai'i seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Disney Plus. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Death in Paradise: The show critics hate and audiences love celebrates 100 episodes
"It's changed a lot, and also kind of not changed at all."
It was in October 2011 that BBC viewers were first introduced to the inhabitants of sunny Saint Marie when Richard Poole (Ben Miller) arrived on the fictional Caribbean island. He wasn't there to track down a rare species of bat or sample some local cuisine. The Metropolitan Police detective inspector had flown halfway across the globe to solve the murder of a fellow British police officer and lo, Death In Paradise was born. Fast forward 13 years and a series that was once described as "like watching EastEnders from a pedalo" (Daily Telegraph), "borderline patronising" (Metro) and "the TV equivalent of a boring holiday timeshare" (The Guardian) has defied its critics and delighted fans for an impressive 100 episodes. It remains one of the BBC's most-watched series and is broadcast in over 200 territories around the world. The 100th episode, which launches its 13th season, features a nod to those early criticisms when the current Brit-copper-on-the-island Neville (Ralf Little) muses that he would like to start a blog about his adventures in the Caribbean. Despite his enthusiasm, local officer Marlon (Tahj Miles) politely tells his boss that such a subject is a "bit on the boring side". "It's a little in-joke," explains executive producer Tim Key. "Would you be interested in watching a story about a British detective in the Caribbean? The answer, it seems, is lots of people are quite interested in it." As fans know, each episode follows a similar formula – a murder is committed in the opening pre-credits scene, a series of red herrings, clues and suspects are explored by the Saint Marie police team, and then in a flash of genius, our detective figures out the crime and assembles all the suspects to explain whodunit, how and why. Over the years, a variety of murderous methods have been employed to strike down countless individuals, including poisonings (cyanide and puffer fish venom are among the deadly liquids, plus a Seinfeld-style poisoned envelope), being chucked off a cliff, electrocution in a swimming pool, and a stabbing with an ice pick. But despite the high mortality rate, Death in Paradise is still a show the entire family can watch (most of the murders occur off-screen, occasionally signalled by a distant scream), which Key believes is one of the secrets to the series' success. "There aren't many shows that know exactly what they are and set out to unashamedly entertain the audience in such an intriguing and uplifting and warm in every sense and funny but heartfelt way," he says. "I think we've been blessed with some amazing actors playing really interesting characters. There's an escapism, there's a parlour game mystery to play along with, there's just a lot of lovely things that have all come together and created something that feels very, very special. "And that becomes an appointment to view for our audience and something that starts the year off in a nice way when the weather's appalling." While the basic formula of the show remains the same, there have been obvious evolutions over the past 13 years, with the most notable being the role of the British lead detective, which has been recast three times since its debut. Little's Neville Parker is the fourth British detective to move to the island, following on from original officer Poole (who was murdered at the start of season 3), Humphrey Goodman (played by Kris Marshall, whose character has since relocated to Devon in spin-off Beyond Paradise), and Jack Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon, whose character returned to London in season 7). "Kris came in to replace Ben [Miller] and it worked, then it was amazing with each lead actor bringing their own sort of flavour in there," Key says. "But also every time we do it, it is absolutely terrifying, because we're very aware of the affection that the audience has towards that lead character." And it's not just the lead actors that have changed over 100 episodes, as he notes. There have been subtler alterations over the years, too. "I think the challenge with the show all the time is how to change it and not to change it – how to make sure the audience always gets the hits that they expect from Death in Paradise," Key explains, adding that there are some more surprises to watch out for in the current series. "Every episode will still have this mystery puzzle, but we've innovated the way we do those," he says. "We've got some really cool ones this year, where they aren't necessarily done quite as you might expect them to be. "And I think we've done more serial stories with our [regular] characters – we've taken our lead characters increasingly on quite profound journeys. Back in the earlier days of the show, although there was a bit of serial, it was much more heavily about the story of the week. "Now, there's increased focus on the lives of our characters, and I think that's the luxury we have – to be able to surprise people like we did last year by bringing in Selwyn's daughter. You see another side to him, he's suddenly a father, and is coming to terms with that." Key adds: "We've got a great cast and also this luxury of the history that the audience have with the show. Where can we take them? What can we do now? How can we really change the characters? So I do think it has changed a lot, and also kind of not changed at all." Death in Paradise is also famous for the impressive list of guest stars who have popped up on screen over the years, with recognisable faces such as comedian Jason Manford, Line of Duty's Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar, numerous soap stars including Lisa Faulkner and Patsy Kensit, and even a Bond star, Samantha Bond, all having visited the island for an episode (the new series also features screen legend Hayley Mills and singer/actress Kate Robbins, as well as Sean Maguire reprising his role from the first ever episode). "I don't think many of the guest cast need persuading [to come out to Guadeloupe for filming]," laughs Key. "They are very happy to come and join us and they have a good time. They are usually here between a week and a fortnight and we work them quite hard. But obviously there are days when they are less busy and can enjoy the sunshine!" Key has a wish list of actors he would love to feature in future episodes, too. "Robert [Thorogood], who created the series, said to me he really wanted to get an actual Dame in the show, and I don't think we've achieved that yet. So I'm working on that." Surely Dame Joan Collins is a name that's cropped up? "She's been mentioned before," he replies with a smile. And of course, a celebration of 100 episodes of Death in Paradise wouldn't be complete without a mention of the show's most memorable guest star of all, Harry the lizard, who lives at the detective inspector's bungalow and makes regular appearances in the series. "People are very disappointed when they find out Harry is CGI," Key says. "He's the longest living lizard! Maybe someone should make a documentary about him. "And I'm still very proud of that CGI, if it is still fooling people. The team that worked on him at one stage, I think, had also done the Godzilla movie. So I think they learned a lot from that and Harry got more realistic at that point. "Not bigger, though – he didn't start destroying Saint Marie or anything." Death in Paradise season 13 will arrive on Sunday 4th February. Every season of Death in Paradise is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Drama hub for more news and features. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Who is Tyler Cruickshank? Love Island: All Stars contestant and Kaz Kamwi's ex
Tyler returned to the villa and it looks like he wants his girl back!
It's all happening on Love Island: All Stars, and the show have only gone and added another ex to the mix with Tyler Cruickshank making his villa comeback. The 28-year-old returned to the villa on Monday 22nd January and was given the opportunity to steal one girl, leaving a guy single. Despite there being lots of "gorgeous women" in front of him, Tyler decided that there was only one girl he wanted to be in a couple with – his ex Kaz Kamwi. Kaz didn't quite think his speech was a good enough reason, but it meant that they were now in a couple, with Luis Morrison and Demi Jones being dumped from the island. With Tyler now back, could him and Kaz give their relationship a real go this time round? Here’s everything you need to know about the estate agent, who is one of the contestants in the Love Island: All Stars 2024 line-up. Tyler Cruickshank – Key facts Age: 28 Job: Estate agent From: Croydon Season: 7 Instagram: @tylercruickshank_ Who is Tyler Cruickshank? Tyler Cruickshank is best known for taking part in season 7 of Love Island. He joined the show as a bombshell and went straight for Kaz, who was yet to find love on the show. Prior to the show, Tyler worked as an estate agent. Why has Tyler returned to Love Island? View oEmbed on the source website After being single for two years, Tyler is ready to get back in the dating scene. "My last serious relationship was two years ago. It’s amazing to get another opportunity to go back into the Villa. I loved the experience the first time and never thought I’d get the chance to do it again. Hopefully I’ll find the love of my life after being out of the dating game for two years." Speaking of his ex Kaz, he said: "I haven’t seen Kaz for two years, which is a long time. She is a lovely girl and has a heart of gold. "There shouldn’t be any bad blood between us, especially not on my side. Kaz deserves the world. I won’t know how I feel seeing her until I see her." What season of Love Island was Tyler on? Tyler appeared on season 7 of Love Island back in 2021. He left the show in a couple with Kaz Kamwi and they finished in fourth place behind winners Millie Court and Liam Reardon. What happened with Tyler and Kaz? Tyler and Kaz made things official after the show and ended up dating for three months before calling it quits as they adjusted to life in the public eye. While they vowed to stay friends after their split, it seems the duo haven't had much contact, with Tyler revealing on All Stars that they hadn't spoken in two years. For more on what happened with Love Island's Tyler and Kaz, follow the link. How tall is Love Island's Tyler? Tyler is 6ft 6in tall, which has sparked some conversation in the villa. Following his arrival, Toby questioned how tall he is, before asking his type. Tyler also compared his height to Liam Reardon to see who was taller, but it looked like they might be exactly the same height. View Green Video on the source website Love Island All Stars 2024 airs on ITV2 and ITVX on Weekdays and Sundays. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Chicago Fire is back for season 12, with fans excited to see what the next chapter has in store for the show's heroic group of firefighters, paramedics and emergency workers. There is no shortage of familiar faces going into the latest episodes, with both Jesse Spencer and Taylor Kinney back as leading lieutenants Matthew Casey and Kelly Severide respectively. You can also expect to meet some new faces, including Rome Flynn as amateur boxer Jake Gibson, who might just find the chance for a fresh start within the walls of Firehouse 51. Speaking of the season 12 premiere, showrunner Andrea Newman told Variety: "There’s a lot going on and it really jumps out with a bang, literally. It’s quite a rollercoaster ride. "All of these actors who have been waiting to jump back in and just bring it with everything they have, they’ve been at the top of their game. It’s a great episode and lots of emotion." Fans are waiting with bated breath to find out what the episodes have in store – from deaths and farewells to romance and heartbreak – with this page designed to remind you of the key Chicago Fire cast and characters. Chicago Fire: Current list of actors and characters The cast of Chicago Fire is always evolving as characters come and go from the main cast with each action-packed season, to say nothing of the large number of recurring members. Here's a quick overview of the key players in Chicago Fire season 12. Scroll on to find out more about each individual character and the actor who plays them. Jesse Spencer as Lieutenant Matthew Casey Taylor Kinney as Lieutenant Kelly Severide (returning in season 12) David Eigenberg as Senior Firefighter Christopher Herrmann Eamonn Walker as Battalion Chief Wallace Boden Christian Stolte as Senior Firefighter Randall "Mouch" McHolland Joe Minoso as Firefighter Joe Cruz Kara Killmer as Paramedic Sylvie Brett Miranda Rae Mayo as Firefighter Stella Kidd Daniel Kyri as Firefighter Candidate Darren Ritter Hanako Greensmith as Paramedic Violet Mikami Alberto Rosende as Firefighter Candidate Blake Gallo (leaving in season 12) Jesse Spencer plays Lieutenant Matthew Casey Who is Matthew Casey? Matthew is a former leader of Firehouse 51, who stepped down from his position to relocate to Oregon. However, he returned towards the end of season 11 and appears to be sticking around after that proposal to his colleague and longtime love interest, Sylvie. What else has Jesse Spencer been in? Spencer is probably best known for playing Robert Chase on the smash-hit medical drama House and Billy Kennedy on the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Taylor Kinney plays Lieutenant Kelly Severide Who is Kelly Severide? Kelly has been at the centre of Chicago Fire from the very beginning. He is the leader of Rescue Squad 3, who has recently ditched his bachelor lifestyle for a committed relationship with colleague, Stella Kidd, who he married at the end of season 10. After a brief absence (for personal reasons of actor Taylor Kinney), the character is back for season 12. What else has Taylor Kinney been in? Prior to Chicago Fire, Kinney had played Mason Lockwood in The Vampire Diaries and Jared in Zero Dark Thirty. David Eigenberg plays Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann Who is Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann? Husband and father of five Herrmann is one of the senior fire fighters, and a father figure to the team. He part owns – with Gabby and Otis (who died in season 8) – a bar called Molly’s, which is a hangout for local cops, medics and fire fighters. What else has David Eigenberg been in? David is, of course, best known for his role as Miranda’s husband Steve in Sex and the City, a role he reprised in the two SATC movies and the sequel series And Just Like That. He’s also the voice of grey tabby Nermal in Garfield: The Movie, and has appeared in episodes of all of the other One Chicago series. Joe Minoso plays Joe Cruz Who is Joe Cruz? Fire fighter Joe grew up trying to keep his younger brother out of trouble, but now he is more focused on his wife Chloe and their young son. What else has Joe Minoso been in? A former theatre actor from Chicago, Joe had minor roles in Superman movie Man Of Steel and the TV series Prison Break, Get Shorty and Boss before he won the role of Joe in Chicago Fire. Miranda Rae Mayo plays Lieutenant Stella Kidd Who is Stella Kidd? Stella replaced Otis as the main fire truck driver following his death. She began dating Kelly Severide (played by Taylor Kinney) in season 4, and the couple married at the end of season 10. What else has Miranda Rae Mayo been in? A former model, Miranda’s previous TV appearances include supporting roles in the second season of True Detective and Pretty Little Liars. Kara Killmer plays Sylvie Brett Who is Sylvie Brett? Sylvie joined the team as a paramedic in season 3, having run away from her Indiana hometown to avoid getting married. Her previous relationships include Joe, Gabby’s brother Antonio and chaplain Kyle Sheffield. Sylvie later became involved with Captain Matthew Casey before he moved to Oregon, and in the 11th season finale he returned and proposed to her. What else has Kara Killmer been in? Kara began her career in the reality series If I Can Dream, which followed 10 aspiring actors as they tried to make a living in Los Angeles. Chicago Fire’s Sylvie is her first major TV role. Daniel Kyri plays Darren Ritter Who is Darren Ritter? Ritter became a fire fighter in tribute to his uncle, who was a fire fighter in New York on 9/11 and later took his own life. His boyfriend is a travel agent named Eric, and Ritter has a Dalmatian dog named Tuesday that he brings to the firehouse. What else has Daniel Kyri been in? An acclaimed theatre actor in Chicago, Daniel briefly appeared in an episode of Chicago Med before winning the role of Ritter in Chicago Fire. Hanako Greensmith plays Violet Mikami Who is Violet Mikami? A rival of Blake Gallo’s from when they were at the fire academy together, paramedic Violet goes on to have a tempestuous on/off relationship with him. What else has Hanako Greensmith been in? Before Chicago Fire, Hanako appeared in episodes of FBI and Bull. Chicago Fire: New cast members Rome Flynn plays Jake Gibson Who is Jake Gibson? Joining Chicago Fire in season 12, Jake Gibson is an amateur boxer with a dark past, who is considered a possible recruit after the team at Firehouse 51 see him perform an act of heroism. Showrunner Andrea Newman said (via Variety): "He’s phenomenal. He’s an electric presence and a very different energy than a lot of our guys at 51. He’ll be shaking things up. As a character, there are a lot of layers to peel back on Gibson. "He’ll be a fun new element to rock 51 a little bit." What else has Rome Flynn been in? Viewers may recognise Flynn from past roles in How to Get Away with Murder, Dear White People, Raising Dion, With Love and Grey's Anatomy (where he played Wendell Ndugu in season 18). Chicago Fire: Former cast members Alberto Rosende plays Blake Gallo Who is Blake Gallo? One of Firehouse 51’s most recent recruits, Gallo became a fire fighter after his whole family was killed in a horrifying blaze. After becoming a valued part of the team across a four-season arc, he will be bidding farewell in the season 12 premiere. What else has Alberto Rosende been in? Alberto is best known for his role as Simon Lewis in the supernatural drama series Shadowhunters. Chicago Fire is available to watch on Sky and NOW in the UK. Find Sky deals here. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.