Starfield has always been great, but Free Lanes makes it even better
Starfield's latest DLC takes it to a new level.
As Bethesda’s first new IP in over 20 years, Starfield was almost set up to fail. The promise of a vast universe to explore and infinite ways to live out your spacefaring dreams were always doomed by the unstoppable runaway hype train. Was it frustrating every time the game cut to a landing and takeoff animation every time you arrived or left a planet? Sure. Was it tedious traversing the many planets you encountered? Absolutely. Was the map you used to find your way around said planets borderline useless? 100%. Was there enough out there on these thousands of new worlds for you to explore? No, no there wasn’t. Despite this, playing Starfield when it first launched was a magical experience. From the mythic strangeness of the main story to some truly incredible quests (see the Mantis mission for an example of the latter), the game drew me in further and further with each hour I played. After those initial frustrations wore off, I was locked in and with every new piece of loot I acquired or new place I visited, I found myself constantly remembering why I bought an Xbox Series X specifically to play the game when it was announced. View oEmbed on the source website That being said, those issues were enough to put a lot of players off the game shortly after it launched. Reviews were tepid and it famously didn’t pick up any major nominations at The Game Awards. But, three years on from launch, Bethesda hasn’t given up on its space game. With the launch of the huge new Free Lanes update and Terran Armada DLC promising quality of life updates, new quests, weapons and places to explore, Bethesda has issued the perfect reminder that Starfield has always been a great, if flawed, game. For longtime players who loved the game from day one, this update makes an already great game even better, but for players unimpressed with Bethesda’s long-awaited new world, Terran Armada and Free Lanes act as a new on ramp into the world of Starfield. Like Shattered Space back in 2024, Terran Armada is a new story DLC that expands on the world of Starfield. As per Bethesda, "The Terran Armada has risen, marching an army of advanced robots across the Settled Systems to "unite" humanity by force." Your mission is to fight back the invasion and uncover new secrets long hidden. It adds new enemies, weapons, tech and, crucially, a new travelling companion to add to your crew. It’s a fun and important update that adds new content and works to fill out the vast Starfield universe. It’s also, not the best part. An infinite frontier The real gem that makes Starfield the game players were promised back in 2023 is Free Lanes. My biggest complaint about the game as someone who loved it was space travel. From the constant loading screens to tedious journey’s between planets. Free Lanes fixes that by adding a Cruise Mode that lets you travel freely within star systems. You can walk around your ship, make upgrades and modifications inside and fend off incoming attacks, all while travelling between planets. They’ve also added something called X-Tech (not Hextech, sorry Arcane fans). It’s a new resource that allows you to further modify your equipment. "Re-roll legendary modifiers, unlock a new Tier 4 Legendary rank, push weapons and gear into Superior and Exceptional quality tiers, and install new modules to upgrade gear attributes," Bethesda notes. Perhaps the biggest quality of life upgrade that players have been begging for since launch is a better way to manage your inventory. Now, you can use shared containers that allow you to access your inventory anywhere. It also adds a new database that keeps recipients, resources and locations organised. As someone who took literal physical notes when I first played the game, this aspect of Free Lanes is particularly exciting. And that’s just scratching the surface. Free Lanes adds new collectibles, including vintage action figures that make my Star Trek-loving heart sing, a new space station called Anchorpoint, a new land vehicle that promises to literally take off on low gravity planets and, most importantly, a pet Milliwhale for your outpost. No Man’s Starfield There will always be an argument that many of these features should have been baked into the original game at launch. In some cases, I agree. The map, for example, was never really user friendly and there should always have been a vehicle for travelling on planet. In other cases, I think that discovering what players want and iterating with free updates is a welcome solution. Bethesda already has a playbook from which to crib in No Man’s Sky, whose famously disastrous launch has long since been forgotten, buried by an avalanche of free updates that have repaired the game's, and its developer's, image. Starfield wasn’t in the same state as No Man’s Sky when it launched, for one it was surprisingly polished and bug free, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t issues. Hence why Bethesda has gone the No Man’s Sky route, listening to players, making quality of life improvements to the UI and adding content where it was missing. Crucially, they’ve held back on talking about the game until they had something to talk about. This means players are rewarded for their faith in the game with big updates like Free Lanes. New DLC is exciting, sure, but Free Lanes is what really makes now the perfect time to revisit Starfield, especially if you gave up on the game early on. There was always a magic to Starfield beneath its imperfect facade. The music, the NASA-punk aesthetics and the spiritual story of exploration hooked me in the same way that the best of Star Trek or Star Wars can. And now that the facade has been given a glow up with Free Lanes, and Terran Armada has filled out the vast universe even more, there has never been a better time to dive into the world of Starfield. Check out more of our Gaming 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.
Why Firefly's return is exactly what we need right now
With the reveal that an animated Firefly revival is on the way, we explore what makes the show so special (and relevant).
Proving once again that Browncoats never say die, Firefly is coming back. As Mal Reynolds once said, “We’ve done the impossible, and that makes us mighty.” The once unceremoniously cancelled space western, previously revived in the form of a theatrical film, is coming back as an animated series. Having endured for far longer than any cancelled show should, Firefly is about to return to a very different world. It’s a world in desperate need of hope in the face of insurmountable odds, something the crew of the Serenity is all too familiar with. And it’s precisely because of that rag-tag crew of imperfect heroes that makes now the perfect time to bring back Firefly. At its heart, Firefly is the story of a found family. Where most shows cancelled after a short run of episodes are consigned to oblivion on Netflix, Firefly’s eccentric cast of loveable rogues has helped keep its spirit alive for over 20 years. Found families are integral to science fiction. Whether it's the crew of the Millennium Falcon or the Enterprise, different people, from different walks of life finding each other and uniting to take on a common enemy is the heart and soul of many a great space opera. What makes Firefly so special, and important, is the way that the show's main character, Serenity captain Mal Reynolds, rediscovers his revolutionary spirit through his found family. When we first meet Mal, and his partner in crime Zoe, they’re literal losers. The Browncoats, fighting for freedom and independence, lost the war against the Alliance. As Mal says, “War's long done, we’re all just folk now.” At the start of Firefly, he’s rudderless and bereft of that same fighting spirit that powered him through an impossible war. He’s just surviving until the full and complicated crew of the Serenity assembles. That’s what makes the idea of found family so revolutionary. ‘Bless this mess’ has never been more apt. If the Alliance represent a sense of uniformity, the found family of the Serenity, with its messy and complicated people, represents the freedom the Browncoats were fighting for. The crew of the Serenity aren’t perfect. They do bad things, they treat each other poorly. But they also love each other and fight for each other. In other words, they’re human. That’s what makes Firefly’s unique brand of found family so important in today’s world. By banding together with those both similar and different to ourselves to make strange and complicated found families, we can find that same revolutionary spirit that helps us stand up in the face of oppression. View Green Video on the source website These ideas aren’t unique to Firefly, of course, but the show takes its inspirations and develops them in unique and interesting ways to create something quietly different. The Millennium Falcon and her crew were a central inspiration for Firefly, with its found family spirit inherited from Star Wars – whose revolutionaries were always messy and complicated. Mal is a clear analogue for Han Solo, a reluctant hero with a heart of gold who, when the chips are down, will do what he needs to do to fight for the weak and stand up to oppression. In a post-Andor Star Wars universe, finding those small acts of revolution within each other has become even more important. Even when the oppression of the Alliance is overwhelming, there are few shows better at those small acts of rebellion than Firefly. Take the film, Serenity, as an example. A central plot point at the heart of the film focuses on the results of the Alliance’s attempt to placate the population of the planet Miranda and its subsequent cover-up. Their efforts ended up having extreme effects, with a percentage of the population becoming so placid that they simply stopped doing anything and died. The drug then had the opposite effect on the rest of the population, who became the violent Reavers from the show. Realising it is a secret that cannot remain hidden, the Firefly found family bands together to share the truth of the Alliance’s experiment with the universe. Unlike Luke blowing up the Death Star, this isn’t a bombastic act of rebellion. It is a quiet act of resistance, one that the Firefly crew specialises in and one that is ever more important to our modern and turbulent world. It reminds me of Rose Tico’s quote in The Last Jedi: “That's how we're gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love.” That’s the spirit embodied by Firefly. The new animated show is set to bridge the gap between the series and the film, taking place across a roughly eight-month period. Fillion and the rest of the cast have gone to great lengths to explain that this is because they want to unite the whole Firefly family. As pilot and fan-favourite character Wash (Alan Tudyk), and the ship's spiritual centre Shepherd Book (played by the late Ron Glass), both died in Serenity, fitting the new series in before the film keeps that found family united on screen. It shows that this new revival still understands what makes Firefly so special. Without each member of this messy and complicated crew, the revolution cannot be fought. The scrappy, underdog spirit of Firefly, one that embraces the imperfect instead of disregarding it, should continue to be the beating heart of the show going forward. And that same revolutionary spirit that bleeds through the Firefly found family should remind us that our strength exists because we’re weird and complicated and diverse, like any good found family should be. After all, fans, like the crew of the Serenity, are a found family of Browncoats, fighting the television networks and studios to keep the ship flying at all costs. To, again, quote Mal Reynolds, “if you can't run, you walk, and if you can't walk, you crawl, and if you can't do that... you find someone to carry you.” Well, the Browncoats are here and we’re ready to carry this show for as long as we can. Firefly is available to stream on Disney+ UK. Sign-up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month. Add Firefly 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. 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Project Hail Mary book vs film differences: What was changed for the Ryan Gosling film?
The acclaimed film is adapted from the novel by Andy Weir, but how faithful is it to its source material?
**Warning: Contains spoilers for Project Hail Mary – both the book and the film.** Project Hail Mary is one of the first major blockbusters of 2026, telling a hopeful story of cooperation and bravery in the face of an existential threat. Adapted from the 2021 book of the same name by Andy Weir, the film has received rave reviews – but how does it compare to its source material? Well, it's worth noting that Weir himself was very involved in the project, to a far greater degree than the list time one of his films was adapted for the big screen: The Martian in 2015. "[The process] was completely different," the author explained to Radio Times in an exclusive interview ahead of the release. "In the Martian, they just gave me money and told me to go away, which absolutely works for me. "But in Project Hail Mary, I was a producer, so I was involved in every step of the process. I approved casting, I helped choose the directors. I was there for the shoot. I watched every cut as it came in, and gave feedback and notes and stuff. So it was a completely different experience. It was awesome. It was great. I loved it!" With that in mind, read on to find out just how faithful the new film is to the book. Project Hail Mary book vs film differences: How similar are they? The film, and novel, tells the story of teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace, who awakes on an interstellar ship called the Hail Mary with no memory of how or why he is there. Through the course of the story, Grace slowly pieces together the nature of his situation and realises that the sun is dying — and that's not the only star. Every star in every neighbouring galaxy seems to have been affected by the Astrophage, a life form that reproduces rapidly and consumes the energy given off by stars. Only one star seems to be unaffected by the Astrophage, so mankind mounts a Hail Mary mission to Tau Ceti to uncover why, sending a reluctant Grace along for the ride. And, he may or may not make a friend along the way. The book marked Andy Weir's return to the hard science fiction/survival narrative that made his first novel, The Martian, such a huge success. Like The Martian, Project Hail Mary is a witty and fast-paced adventure that combines dense and accurate science with a man-vs-nature survival tale that makes for a fun and hopeful exploration of human potential against impossible odds. The film adaptation saw screenwriter Drew Goddard, who was nominated for an Oscar for his script for The Martian, try and wrangle Weir's nearly 500 page novel into a cohesive and entertaining film. At over two and a half hours, Project Hail Mary isn’t a short film, but how accurate is it when compared to the book and how successful is it at capturing the heart of story? Overall, Project Hail Mary is a remarkably faithful adaptation with very few major changes from book to film. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, known for The Lego Movie and Spider-verse films, were keen to remain as faithful as possible to the story and characters of the novel, while Goddard wanted to ensure that the heart of the book remained in tact in his script. Even when compared to The Martian, itself a very faithful adaptation, Project Hail Mary is very accurate to both the events of the book and how they are structured. What changes are made, and we’ll get to those in a moment, were more about streamlining the narrative and ensuring that the film's central focus remained on the friendship between Grace and scene-stealer genius alien engineer Rocky. Simplifying the science The primary trademark of Andy Weir’s books, beyond witty protagonists prone to pop-culture references, is real, thoroughly researched science. Despite science-fiction situations, Weir’s novels go to great lengths to make the science as accurate and real as possible. Even when he’s inventing technology that doesn’t exist or, in the case of Rocky, species that don’t exist, Weir makes sure that everything is grounded in real science. What's truly remarkable about Weir’s writing is how well he manages to weave this, sometimes incredibly complex, science into his stories in an interesting and entertaining way. The problem is, when adapting this science for the screen, there are only so many times you can watch someone look through a microscope. For that reason, much of the more complicated science has been streamlined in the film. Instead of seeing every step of the process, Lord and Miller use montages and Grace's messages to earth as a means of quickly and efficiently conveying just enough science to help us understand the situation. They've preserved the essence of Weir's way of explaining things without needing to adapt everything exactly it is in the novel. A great example of this is the first time Grace meets Rocky. While the broad strokes of first contact are the same between the book and the film, the book shows significantly more of the trial and error inherent in building the tunnel that connects their two ships, and their significantly different atmospheres. The fun of the book is being there in Grace's head as he figures out these problems, something that would never truly translate on screen. The filmmakers chose to instead focus on the core relationship between Grace and Rocky, realising we don’t need to see exactly how many times they failed in the lead up to their first meeting to feel the same sense of fear and curiosity as Grace when he first meets the star of the film (sorry Ryan). Going nuclear Another moment from the book they chose to omit from the film adaptation involves doing something seriously drastic to slow down the planets cooling. After consulting with a climatologist, the leader of the titular Project Hail Mary, Eva Stratt, makes the decision to nuke the polar ice caps to release methane into the atmosphere to warm up the planet. You read that right, as a means of buying time before the planet cools, crops die and people starve, they chose to use nuclear weapons to speed up global warming. It’s a powerful moment in the book that really serves to underscore the sense of desperation felt by humanity and those battling to save it. Why leave it out of the film, then? Simply, it doesn’t advance Ryland Grace’s story in a meaningful way beyond buying him time for his mission. Given that the film places a singular emotional focus on the journey Grace goes on, and his relationship with Rocky (more on that in a moment), there was no space in the story for this scene. While it is impactful in the book, it's not exactly missed when watching the film. Harrowing as it might be to see the world take such drastic measures, placing that focus on Grace and his story serves the film without distracting from his emotional journey. Rocky saves the day Which brings us back to Rocky. Both the book and the film see Grace and Rocky discover that the reason why Tau Ceti isn’t dying is because the Astrophage that’s causing our sun (and Rocky’s) to die is being eaten by newly discovered life on one of Tau Ceti’s planets. They then resolve to gather samples of this new life form in the hopes that they can use it to cull the rampant Astrophage population and save their stars. This, of course, means doing something incredibly dangerous that inevitably leads to near catastrophe. To get close enough to Tau Ceti to gather the samples, they build an incredibly long chain. However, their plan leads to one of the Hail Mary’s engines leaking, which causes the Astrophage they’re using as fuel to send the ship into an uncontrollable spin leading to Grace being knocked unconscious. It’s here where the book and film diverge. In both cases, Rocky saves Grace by entering the human environment before eventually collapsing, but in the book Grace then returns him to the Eridian airlock, experiencing severe burns, but ultimately helping to revive Rocky. In the film, Rocky saves Grace before finding a way back to the Eridian environment on his own. When Grace wakes, Rocky asks him to watch him sleep (a practice established as important to the Eridians) before falling unconscious for a sustained period of time. The film draws out the tension surrounding Rocky’s survival for much longer. In the film, Grace figures out how this new life form from Tau Ceti, named Taumoeba, works and how it can be used to save their respective stars, telling his unconscious friend about his progress as he goes without ever knowing if he’s even still alive. Given how successfully the Rocky character is translated in the film and just how much you grow to care for that strange, spider-like, faceless puppet, this part of Lord and Miller's sci-fi is agonising. Making you feel Grace's anxiety as he waits for his friend to (hopefully) recover, while figuring out how to use their new discovery to save their respective homes, places the emphasis less on the science and more on the emotion — all without fully abandoning the book's geeky sense of the joy of the scientific method. In the book, the section of problem solving that occurs after Rocky recovers also includes the pair using the Hail Mary's probes, named after the four Beatles, to help stop the uncontrolled spin caused by the leaking engine. This sub-plot was cut as a result of the decision to focus on the tension around Rocky’s recovery. The Ending View Green Video on the source website Another small change comes towards the end of the film. After parting ways with Rocky and beginning his return home, Grace discovers a flaw in the containment system used to store the Taumoeba. This meant that the Taumoeba has leaked out and started to consume the Astrophage being used for fuel. He manages to contain it but realises that the problem will eventually kill Rocky due to the nature of his ship. So, he sends the four probes back to earth and heads off to save his best friend. In the book, a big part of Grace’s decision to save Rocky centres around him knowing that he will eventually run out of food. As Eridian food is toxic to humans, saving Rocky presents a new challenge for Grace. Ultimately, when Grace and Rocky arrive at Eridani, the book tells us that Eridian scientists have been able to synthesise human food to sustain him. The film omits the food subplot, with the epilogue only revealing that Rocky and the Eridian scientists have built an earth-like habitat for Grace on Eridani complete with fog and water that’s just a bit too cold. The epilogue also omits the moment that Rocky tells Grace that Sol, the proper name for the sun, has returned to full brightness, suggesting that earth has received the probes and figured out how to use their Taumoeba to save the planet. In the book, it is here that Grace considers returning to earth with his decision ultimately left ambiguous. In the film, however, the emphasis is once more put on the relationship between Grace and Rocky. Rocky says that the Hail Mary has been prepared for the return journey to earth, to which Grace replies that he needs to think about it first, again leaving his final decision ambiguous. The heart of the book's ending is preserved by showing us Eva Stratt and her team beginning the work of figuring out how to use the Taumoeba to save the world. While the book and the film both end with Grace’s decision to leave Rocky ambiguous, the film's slight reframing of events, omitting the reveal that his mission has been a success, wonderfully reinforces the central relationship at the films core. Ultimately, Project Hail Mary is a remarkable adaptation in that it changes very little, while also somehow streamlining the story to suit the big screen. It’s a testament to just how cinematic Weir’s novel is in the first place that the film, at times, translates scenes almost completely as they are written on the page. It’s also a testament to the skill of Lord, Miller, Goddard and crew when the book and film do deviate, as the film never loses sight of the core essence that makes the book so special. Throughout the press tour for the film, Lord, Miller and Godard have repeatedly talked about preserving that emotional core when translating the book to film. The real heart of Project Hail Mary is the relationship between Grace and Rocky. It’s the story of two characters who are from different worlds, figuring out how to communicate and work together in service of a greater purpose. Every change made in adapting the book for the screen is in service of this central relationship, ensuring that the heart and soul is clear in both versions, regardless of any differences in how they tell the same story. Project Hail Mary is now showing in cinemas. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. 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Project Hail Mary ending explained: Does Ryland Grace survive and does he return to earth?
Ryan Gosling’s goes through the ringer in his new sci-fi adventure, but does he make it out alive?
(**WARNING: Contains spoilers for Project Hail Mary**) It’s safe to say you don’t want to be the protagonist in an Andy Weir adaptation. Project Hail Mary continues the writers trend of throwing smart people into an impossible situation and then using science to help them figure out a way to survive. Both the novel and the film versions of Project Hail Mary put their protagonist, Ryland Grace, through the ringer. The film sees genius school teacher Grace, played brilliantly by Ryan Gosling, getting drawn into an international effort to try and save the sun from a strange life form called Astrophage that’s sapping its energy and threatening all life on earth. Gosling helps concoct a plan that will see three scientists head to Tau Ceti on a suicide mission to find out why it seems to be the only solar system nearby to our own that isn’t dimming as a result of the Astrophage. Along the way he meets an alien – and the real star of the film – he names Rocky, who is in Tau Ceti for the same reason. His home planets star is also dying thanks to the Astrophage. Scientific hijinks ensue leading to Grace and Rocky getting launched across the stars on a kaleidoscopic adventure to save their worlds. But how does it end and what does it all mean? Here’s everything you need to know. Project Hail Mary ending explained Around the mid-point of the film, Grace and Rocky realise that the reason Tau Ceti doesn’t appear to be affected by the Astrophage in the same way as their own is because the planet the Astrophage goes to in order to reproduce is also home to microscopic life forms. And those microscopic life forms are then eating the Astrophage, preventing it from reproducing out of control and causing the planets sun to dim. Grace and Rocky set out to capture some of these microscopic life forms from Tau Ceti in order to use them to eat the Astrophage currently killing the stars in their respective solar systems. And so, they concoct a plan that involves building a huge chain to scoop up samples of the Taumoeba, as Grace calls it, without Grace having to bring the Hail Mary ship too close to the planet. Of course, the plan goes awry thanks to a leak in the Hail Mary’s fuel tank, which leads to the ship entering an uncontrolled spin and Grace getting knocked unconscious. Rocky, whose own atmosphere is dramatically different from our own, leaves the safety of his bubble to save Grace and their mission. With a critically injured Rocky now unconscious and potentially dying, Grace sets out to finish their mission by studying the newly acquired samples of Taumoeba. He figures out a way to breed them in a quantity large enough to successfully control the Astrophage population destroying the sun as well as how to make them resistant to the high levels of nitrogen on Venus, where they go to reproduce. He then uses designs created by Rocky and the same xenonite material that makes up Rocky’s ship, and all of his technology, to create containers to store the precious and dangerous Taumoeba ready for his return home. Thankfully, Rocky awakens having recovered from his injury’s and the two celebrate the success of their mission before preparing to part ways for good in one of the films most emotional scenes. It is during this return journey, after Grace and Rocky have said their goodbyes, that Grace realises a critical issue. The Taumoeba can easily get out of the xenonite containers Rocky constructed to hold it. And when it escapes it heads straight for its favourite food source: Astrophage. Astrophage isn’t just dimming the sun. It’s also the fuel source that powers the Hail Mary. As it feeds, the Astrophage creates an enormous amount of energy which it then releases allowing it to propel the ship forward through space. It ‘toots and scoots’ as one character puts it. Needless to say, the Taumoeba eating all of the fuel on the Hail Mary would be bad news. Luckily, Grace manages to contain the leak quickly on the Hail Mary. However, he realises that Rocky’s ship is made entirely of xenonite, meaning there will be no way for him to prevent the Taumoeba from escaping leaving Rocky stranded and vulnerable to the high levels of radiation. Grace has enough fuel to return home with the Taumoeba samples or he can send the samples back to earth in the four probes, named for each of the Beatles, and then use his remaining fuel to save Rocky. Of course, he chooses the latter. View Green Video on the source website Grace catches up to Rocky just before its too late, reconnecting with his old pal in enough time to save him. The two head off to Eridani, Rocky’s home planet, to save his sun, while the four Beatles make their way back to earth to save our own. Throughout the film, as Grace pieces back together his memory following the amnesia caused by the coma, one crucial piece of information eludes him. Why he ended up as part of the Hail Mary crew. The crew of three, one pilot, one engineer and one scientist, were all specially selected and all understood that it was a one way mission. Only, an accident killed both the science officer and his back-up leaving Grace as the only person with enough knowledge to successfully complete the mission. The problem is, he said no. But no wasn’t an option for mission leader Eva Stratt, who drugged him and stowed him aboard the Hail Mary under the premise that he was humanity’s last and only hope. Only now, as he sacrifices his own return to earth to save Rocky, does he realise she was right. Meanwhile, Stratt and her team of international scientists collect the four probes sent by Grace and set about using the Taumeoba to save the sun. We see her on route to a remote base where the samples are being held, watching one of Grace’s final logs where he admits she was right about him being the best person for the mission. Does Ryland Grace survive and does he return to earth? The film’s epilogue picks up 16 years later and sees Grace living in a huge habitat engineered by Rocky to allow him to survive on Eridani. The habitat creates an artificial climate, controls the temperate of sea water and even causes fog to develop, all allowing Grace to live comfortably on Rocky’s homeworld. Rocky tells Grace that the Hail Mary is ready for his return to earth. Grace considers it for a moment, before telling Rocky he’ll think about it. Grace then makes the short journey to a makeshift classroom on his beach habitat, where he finds a room full of baby-Rocky’s ready and eager to learn from their strange new teacher. It’s a full circle moment, we see Grace back in his element as a teacher after going on this incredible journey across the universe. He finds a friend along the way, one he is willing to be brave for. And it is in this friendship at the heart of the film that the solution to saving the world is found. Though Grace’s return to earth is left ambiguous, the film ends on an optimistic and hopeful note. One that suggests the bond between Grace and Rocky is not the end of the journey but the beginning. Project Hail Mary is now showing in cinemas. 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.
British acting legend Lesley Manville stars in exclusive sweet moment from her heartbreaking new film
The new film sees Manville paired with actor Ciarán Hinds as they head to Amsterdam for a poignant exploration of faith, love and memory.
In a clip from her upcoming film, Midwinter Break, exclusively shared with Radio Times, Lesley Manville and co-star Ciarán Hinds' characters share a tender moment in an Amsterdam bar. The clip – which you can watch above – shows Manville and Hinds as they each drink jenever, a Dutch gin that is traditionally preceded by a beer. Hinds watches on as his wife handily polishes off both the beer and the gin before holding his face and kissing him in a heartwarming moment that is tinged with a sense of sadness, hinting at the larger themes of love, faith and memory the film will go on to explore. Midwinter Break is based on the 2017 novel by Bernard MacLaverty and sees Manville and Hinds playing Stella and Gerry, a married couple who travel to Amsterdam to rekindle the passion that seems to have all but disappeared from their increasingly comfortable relationship. The couple fled their home of Belfast during the Troubles after Stella had a traumatic experience that the film slowly reveals across its 90-minute runtime. They eventually settled in Glasgow, where they slid into the familiar routines of married life. To help rediscover their love for each other, Stella and Gerry head to Amsterdam where they are forced to reckon with the past, their relationship and what the future might hold for each of them. The film marks the directorial debut of Olivier Award-winning theatre director Polly Findlay, known for her work with the National Theatre. Nick Payne, writer of the Andrew Garfield/Florence Pugh drama We Live in Time, co-wrote the script alongside MacLaverty. Watch the full trailer for Midwinter Break: View Green Video on the source website Midwinter Break initially premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival on 26 February and will be released in the UK on 20 March. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Wheel of Time icon Rosamund Pike believes a video game movie adaptation almost killed her career
The popular actor has been speaking candidly about one of her previous roles, calling it "one of the worst films ever made."
Bad video game movies are a dime a dozen, but actress Rosamund Pike believes one adaptation in particular nearly killed her career. In a recent interview on Elizabeth Day’s podcast How to Fail, Pike talked about her early foray into the action genre when she starred as Sam Grimm in the 2005 film Doom. Given today’s hit shows like The Last of Us and Fallout, it can be hard to remember a time when a film being a video game adaptation almost always meant it would turn out poorly. Doom is just one of many desiccated husks that litter the video game-to-screen graveyards found hidden away on Netflix and beyond. Based (very loosely) off of the Doom series by id Software, the futuristic sci-fi horror flick told the story of a group of soldiers sent to investigate a research facility on Mars which had been experiencing some mysterious phenomenon. Starring alongside the likes of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Karl Urban, Pike, in one of her first major movie roles, noted how the film made her appreciate "how utterly ill-equipped I am to be an action star." "I was just out of my comfort zone, out of my league, my depth, and the film was an absolute bomb," Pike added, calling Doom, "one of the worst films ever made." "I probably could’ve ended my career," she added. "I don’t read the reviews, but you get the sense you’re lucky to have survived that one." View Green Video on the source website Thankfully for us, Pike’s brief jaunt to battle demons on Mars didn’t put an unceremonious end to her career and she’s gone on to star in hit films like Gone Girl, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. She’s even returned to the action genre with The Wheel of Time, the Amazon adaptation of Robert Jordan’s beloved fantasy series, which was cancelled after three seasons. We can’t help but wonder if a good Doom movie will ever get made, but, if it does, we doubt Rosamund Pike would volunteer for another outing. 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.
How to watch Mr Nobody Against Putin – is it streaming?
The powerful documentary took home the Oscar for best documentary at the 2026 ceremony.
All of the documentaries nominated for this year's Oscar for best documentary would have been worthy winners. Each film told extraordinary and powerful stories that leveraged the power of cinema to shine a light on war, injustice and oppression around the world. It’s knowing this that makes the winning film, Mr Nobody Against Putin, all the more remarkable. The documentary tells the story of a Russian teacher who documents how his school is used to spread propaganda supporting the invasion of Ukraine. Filmed and produced secretly, the film offers an unprecedented look at the Russian propaganda machine and extraordinary risk of speaking out against President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war. With that in mind, you’re probably wondering how you can watch the film – read on for everything you need to know. How to watch Mr Nobody Against Putin - is it streaming? Yes, Mr Nobody Against Putin is available for streaming at home via BBC iPlayer. Currently, the documentary isn’t available anywhere else, although in some rare cases Oscar winners get short theatrical re-releases following their wins, so there may still be hope to catch the film on the big screen. What is Mr Nobody Against Putin about? Mr Nobody Against Putin documents the story of how a Russian school changes over time as teachers are forced to hold “patriotic displays” and use an altered curriculum provided by the Russian government to justify the invasion of Ukraine. Filmed by events coordinator Pavel “Pasha” Talankin at Karabash Primary School #1 over two years, the documentary shows the many ways propaganda and war have slowly become part of daily life in Russia. Talankin was able to film the footage without attracting attention thanks to the requirement that teachers film and upload evidence of the “patriotic displays” to prove they were complying with the Russian government. He then made contact with American producer David Borenstein to craft the film using the hours of footage he had gathered. The film has received positive reviews alongside numerous accolades since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025, culminating in its win at the Oscars. Where is Pavel Talankin now? As the production of the film continued, life for Talankin in Russia became more and more difficult. According to an article by Jordan Crucchiola for the Sundance Institute, “as the situation became more dangerous for Talankin – who kept a pro-peace flag on the wall of his office at work – the film team started working on a plan to get him out of Russia and seek asylum in a European country”. Talankin eventually escaped Russia but, as the article highlights, he will never be able to return home to his friends or family until there is “wholesale regime change”. New Russian laws put in place since the invasion of Ukraine, including the traitor law that would have seen Talankin given a life sentence in prison for his involvement in the film, have further curbed the freedoms of Russian people, making documentaries like Mr Nobody Against Putin even more important. Mr Nobody Against Putin trailer Watch the trailer for the film below, which previews the powerful story told by the documentary: View Green Video on the source website 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
Jessie Buckley’s Oscar winning turn in the hugely acclaimed Chloë Zhao film marked the films only win.
In a year of closely fought categories thanks to an incredible clutch of nominees, Jessie Buckley has consistently seemed like a shoo in for best actress. And, despite some amazing performances from her fellow nominees, it all went pretty much as expected as Buckley took home the gold. Jessie Buckley’s magnificent turn in Chloë Zhao’s Hamnet has won near universal acclaim from critics, with the Irish star racking up an impressive number of gongs on her way to winning the Oscar. The emotional film – which is based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel of the same name – emerged as an early frontrunner for best picture but, as awards season has worn on, its chances seemed to fade. Despite eight nominations, Buckley marked the only win for Zhao’s acclaimed film. So, what's all the fuss about? If you've not managed to catch it yet and want to see if it lives up to the hype – and the promise of tears – you can read on for everything you need to know about how to watch the film. How to watch Hamnet – is it streaming? Yes – as of Tuesday 3rd February, Hamnet is available to stream at home. At least, that's if you're willing to part with some cash to rent or buy it on a range of Premium Video on Demand services. It's currently available on Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV and YouTube, with prices sitting at £15.99 for rental and £19.99 for purchase. If that seems a little steep, it's not yet clear when – or if – the film will become available on any streaming subscription services. It tends to be the case that Universal films eventually make their way to NOW and Sky Cinema, but we'd probably be looking at a fair few months before that release date, with the time between cinema release and streaming tending to be around six to seven months. We'll keep this page updated if we hear any information of a streaming release sooner. Of course, there still is one other way to watch the film: by heading to the pictures. One month on from it's UK release date the film is still playing in several cinemas around the country, and this seems likely to remain the case as awards season rumbles on. So just check your local cinema times to see if it's showing near you. What is Hamnet about? As mentioned above, Hamnet is based on the novel of the same name by Maggie O'Farrell, which in turn offers an imagined, fictionalised account of the true story surrounding the death of Hamnet Shakespeare – the son of William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway – and how it may have impacted the playwright's greatest work. The official synopsis reads: "William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, celebrate the birth of their son, Hamnet. However, when tragedy strikes and Hamnet dies at a young age, it inspires Shakespeare to write his timeless masterpiece Hamlet." Hamnet cast: who stars with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal? Of course, the cast is headlined by Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare, but there are plenty of other notable names in the ensemble as well. Child star Jacobi Jupe has won considerable acclaim for his standout turn as the title character, while his older brother Noah Jupe also has a brief but memorable role as the actor playing Hamlet in the first production of the iconic play. Elsewhere there are key roles for the likes of Joe Alwyn and Emily Watson. You can find the main cast list below: Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare (Faith Delaney as young Agnes) Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare Emily Watson as Mary Shakespeare Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew Hathaway (Smylie Bradwell as young Bartholomew) Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet Shakespeare Olivia Lynes as Judith Shakespeare Justine Mitchell as Joan Hathaway David Wilmot as John Shakespeare Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Susanna Shakespeare Freya Hannan-Mills as Eliza Shakespeare James Skinner as Gilbert Shakespeare Elliot Baxter as Richard Shakespeare Dainton Anderson as Edmond Shakespeare Louisa Harland as Rowan Hathaway Noah Jupe as the actor who plays Hamlet in Hamlet Hamnet trailer Still not decided whether it's worth your time? Perhaps the trailer below will convince you one way or another. View Green Video on the source website 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.
How to watch One Battle After Another – is it streaming?
The acclaimed film from Paul Thomas Anderson won a whopping six Oscars – including best picture.
Since making his directorial debut in 1996, at the age of just 26, with the film Hard Eight, Paul Thomas Anderson has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors. Nominated for 14 Academy Awards across an illustrious career, Anderson seemed destined to forever miss out on Oscar gold. Enter One Battle After Another, the directors latest film and, to some, his magnum opus. Across a career that has included films like Magnolia, There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread, PTA has been showered with all sorts of praise and frequently featured in multiple best of the year lists. However, that recognition has never translated to an Oscar until now. At the 2026 Academy Awards, One Battle After Another secured six wins including best picture, dest director, best adapted screenplay, best supporting actor, best casting and best editing. One Battle After Another stands as a staggering achievement, representing a filmmaker at the top of their game. It sits on a mightily impressive score of 97 per cent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with a glut of five-star reviews including our own highly positive write-up, which called it "the best film of the year." With that in mind, you might be wondering how you can see the film – read on for everything you need to know. How to watch One Battle After Another – is it streaming? Yes, One Battle After Another is available for streaming at home and for a reasonable price at that. It can be rented on Apple TV, Sky Store and Prime Video for just £4.99 or bought for £9.99. Even better for those with a NOW subscription, the film will be available on the platform and Sky Cinema from Thursday 26 March. However if you're desperate to see it on the big screen then you might still have a chance – with cinemas around the country likely to put on extra showings now it has won the Oscar. One Battle After Another cast – who stars with Leonardo DiCaprio The film marked the first collaboration between Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio – and the Oscar-winning actor is one of several big names in the cast, with other prominent stars including Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Benicio del Toro. Meanwhile, Chase Infiniti – whose only previous screen credit was the Apple TV remake of Presumed Innocent – makes her film debut in a key role, while there's also a small part for Alana Haim, who starred in Anderson's previous film Licorice Pizza. You can find the full cast list below: Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson Sean Penn as Col Steven J Lockjaw Benicio del Toro as Sensei Sergio Regina Hall as Deandra Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson Alana Haim as Mae West Wood Harris as Laredo Tony Goldwyn as Virgil Throckmorton Shayna McHayle as Junglepussy Starletta DuPois as Grandma Jennie D. W. Moffett as Bill Desmond Paul Grimstad as Howard Sommerville Kevin Tighe as Roy More Jim Downey as Sandy Irvine John Hoogenakker as Tim Smith Eric Schweig as Avanti Jena Malone as the voice of the greeting code One Battle After Another plot – what is it about? The film is very loosely based on Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland, but Anderson has reworked that text into something uniquely his own – including updating the setting from the '80s to the modern day. After a lengthy opening chapter set 16 years before the rest of the film, it follows DiCaprio as paranoid and complacent single father Bob Ferguson – who is forced to rediscover his revolutionary spirit when his old nemesis returns with plans to kidnap his daughter. The official synopsis reads: "Bob is a washed-up revolutionary who lives in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited and self-reliant daughter, Willa. "When his evil nemesis resurfaces and Willa goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her as both father and daughter battle the consequences of their pasts." One Battle After Another trailer You can view the trailer below – which gives you some idea of what to expect from the film, but merely hints at its overall greatness: View Green Video on the source website 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.
The much-loved vampire flick broke the record for the most Oscar nominations, winning four on the night.
Not only did Ryan Coogler’s musical-vampire opus Sinners set the box office on fire on its way to securing the most nominations ever at the Oscars, the film has continued to break new ground after a historic night at the Academy Awards. Sinners stars Michael B Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who return to their Mississippi home from Chicago in the 1930s with the goal of setting up a juke joint – only for its grand opening to be interrupted by some... unfriendly visitors. The vampire flick got a whopping 16 nominations, surpassing All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997) and La La Land (2016), which previously held the title with 14 apiece, winning awards for best actor, best original screenplay, best original score and best cinematography. Jordan beat out Timothée Chalamet for best actor in one of the nights most hotly contested races while Coogler took home the award for original screenplay. The films score also received recognition with composer Ludwig Göransson winning for his work. The real story of the night came when Sinners won best cinematography, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw making history by becoming the first woman to win the award. The director of photography, whose stunning work combined film formats to help bring to life the scale of Coogler’s vision, marked the moment with a powerful speech that highlighted the many women who have paved the way for her win. The wins cap a remarkable year for Coogler and his team, after the film won pretty much unanimous praise from both critics and cinemagoers, with everything from the performances to its soundtrack to its narrative earning major plaudits. If you've not yet seen the film – or are perhaps wanting to know when you can rewatch it from the comfort of your own home – you might be wondering what your options are. Read on for everything you need to know about how to watch Sinners. How to watch Sinners – is it streaming? Sinners is available to watch at home both on a subscription platform as well as being available to rent. It is currently available on streaming site NOW, which requires a subscription of £9.99 a month, or on Sky Cinema if you have the package. Alternatively it can be bought and kept on Apple TV, Sky Store and Prime Video for £9.99. If you're in the US then, as with all Warner Bros titles, the film is streaming on HBO Max, a streaming service which is finally coming to the UK in March. What is Sinners about? Sinners is a supernatural thriller set in 1930s Mississippi and follows war veteran twin brothers, both played by Michael B Jordan, as they return to their home town to open up a juke joint for the local Black community with their younger cousin Sammie (Miles Caton). However their plans are disrupted by a group of travelling musicians passing through town who turn out to be vampires. The official synopsis reads: "Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return home, only to discover an even greater evil waiting to welcome them back." Sinners cast: Who stars alongside Michael B Jordan? The cast is headlined by Michael B Jordan, but there are plenty of other notable names as well as rising stars in the ensemble as well. Wunmi Mosaku and Miles Caton have both already won accolades for their performances, while Michael B Jordan has received a plethora of nominations, including an Academy Award nod. You can find a cast list below: Michael B Jordan as Smoke / Stack Miles Caton as Sammie Moore Hailee Steinfeld as Mary Wunmi Mosaku as Annie Omar Benson Miller as Cornbread Jayme Lawson as Pearline Li Jun Li as Grace Chow Delroy Lindo as Delta Sim Saul Williams as Jedidiah Andrene Ward-Hammond as Ruthie Jack O'Connell as Remmick Tenaj Jackson as Beatrice Dave Maldonado as Hogwood Helena Hu as Lisa Chow Yao as Bo Chow Sam Malone as Terry Sinners trailer If you still haven't made your mind up about whether Sinners is worth the watch, the trailer below might help convince you: View Green Video on the source website If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Star Trek is facing a critical moment in its history – but here's how it can still live long and prosper
Trek has endured for 60 years for a very good reason – but what's next?
With no new shows in active development for the first time in over a decade and Star Trek now old enough to get a bus pass, the franchise is in a strange place. Trek has endured for 60 years for a very good reason: it provides a hopeful and optimistic view of the future that foregrounds diverse characters, diverse voices and a focus on problem-solving through science and cooperation above all else. It shows us a hopeful vision of tomorrow while also overflowing with creative aliens, starships packed with the kind of technology that’s been inspiring scientists and engineers for decades, and beloved characters like Kirk, Spock and Picard that are as popular now as they were when they first debuted. However, in an increasingly unstable world that prioritises self-referential humour over sincerity, it can often feel like Trek is a relic out of time. So the question becomes, what does Star Trek need to do to survive another 60 years in a world where hope is seen as old-fashioned? It begins with that famous maxim, “infinite diversity, infinite combinations.” Diversity is deeply ingrained in the DNA of Star Trek. Whether it’s the revolutionary approach to casting and bold decisions to foreground people of colour and women, or it’s the kinds of stories they’re willing to tell that challenge societal structures like capitalism, racism and bodily autonomy. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/07/GettyImages-475631214-d31f198-e1772617565927.jpg" width="2400" height="1600" alt="Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock (Mr. Spock) and William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk on the bridge of the USS Enterprise on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode Space Seed." title="Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock (Mr. Spock) and William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk on the bridge of the USS Enterprise on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode Space Seed." /> To see Trek into the next 60 years, the series needs to continue to embrace this diversity of voice and story. Recent series have understood this and, despite their narrative failings at times, have continued to craft diverse characters created by a diverse range of talented writers and filmmakers. Pushing this into new directions and being brave enough to take risks like Starfleet Academy, without being afraid of backlash, is what will invite new Trekkies into the Star Trek universe. In a world where diversity on screen is increasingly under threat, Trek’s next 60 years need to continue the franchise's legacy of infinite diversity in spite of what happens elsewhere. This diversity of voice both on screen and behind the scenes also feeds into a need for new ideas and new characters. Revisiting Kirk, Spock and Picard will always be fun for longtime fans, but in order to mint new Trekkies, the universe needs to expand and grow. Strange New Worlds showed that there is still plenty of dramatic material left to mine in these decades old characters and conflicts (see the episode Under the Cloak of War for a great example of revisiting the Klingon/Federation War), but that well only runs so deep. To push forward into another 60 years, Trek has to develop new worlds, new baddies and new ideas. Don’t just take my word for it. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman agrees, exclusively telling Radio Times recently: “There's a perception, I think a lot of the time, that because it's 60 years’ worth of storytelling, it's very difficult to enter into that fresh, and obviously we want to grow Star Trek for future generations. Otherwise it won't be around." Who will be the new Khan? Or the next Borg? What new ideological conflict will the Federation face next? New villains balanced with the classic foes are what will keep Trek feeling fresh and innovative well into the future. Currently, though, short 10-episode seasons that end before they even get going are hampering writers’ abilities to really dive into characters and explore new ideas. During the '90s we were spoilt. We had The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager all on the air at the same time, all airing 20-plus episode seasons and all teeming with big creative swings. View Green Video on the source website Peak TV has given us many things, including spectacle at a scale '90s TV could scarcely even imagine. It’s also cost us those quieter moments thanks to truncated episode orders and series being cancelled due to ballooning budgets. Trek has always worked best not when depicting giant space battles but when debating morality in simple rooms or exercising diplomacy on vibrant alien worlds. The Next Generation episode The Measure of a Man is essentially a courtroom drama that focuses on what it means to be human and it’s every bit as thrilling as any space battle. By having longer seasons with smaller budgets, shows have time to breathe and, crucially, we have longer to spend with these characters. Longer, episodic seasons of TV are where Trek thrives. Give us those morality plays that let great actors act AND large scale two-parters that bring the action all balanced out by that fun, exploratory spirit that makes Trek so special. Trek has always succeeded by showing us what is possible when humanity embraces diversity and hope, and places an emphasis on cooperation, communication and science over isolationism and hierarchy. Given the prevalence of dystopian fiction and stories depicting the end of the world (see Fallout, Silo, Paradise, etc), hopeful visions of the future are in short supply. Star Trek has always been about showing a better future. Not a perfect future, but a better one in which we work together to solve problems and place freedom, identity and the agency of every person above all else. By remembering this and ensuring that infinite diversity and infinite combinations continue to form the bedrock of the next 60 years, whatever stories come next will further the series legacy of boldly going where no TV show has gone before. Star Trek is available to watch on Paramount+. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/offers/?benefitId=paramountplusgb&ref_=DVM_PDS_CHN_UK_mi_C_mkw_sNynrT7ZC-dc_pcrid_637893181401&mrntrk=slid__pgrid_143491579803_pgeo_9045946_x__adext__ptid_kwd-1210995054370&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAs5i8BhDmARIsAGE4xHwTfGgy5aYKkYxNQV68UYUZhVWUr2bVS4o-EfnvpowOvplyXMbKqXAaArmvEALw_wcB&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2191954" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored">Sign up to your seven-day Paramount+ free trial. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Is Hytale worth playing? A lifelong Minecraft fan’s perspective
Minecraft and Zelda combined in this new sandbox RPG. But is it worth playing?
Allow me to tell you a story. The year is 2010, and this humble journalist is a mere 14 years old. In school one day, a friend tells me they’ve found a new game they want us to play. It takes a bit of work to get it running, and it’s only in beta, but he thinks that it might already be one of the greatest games ever made. And so, my friend group and I set out to explore the strange, blocky biomes of Minecraft, and for sixteen years, we haven’t stopped playing. I tell you this so that you know just how important Minecraft is to me. It was the first game I truly fell in love with and the first game to consume my every waking moment. It’s safe to say I yearned for the mines. Like most Minecraft players, I’ve dabbled in mods and custom servers over the years, but I almost always found myself returning to vanilla Minecraft. Mods are as essential to the Minecraft experience for die-hard players as the core gameplay loop itself. While the core game has remained faithful to its initial idea, mods and custom servers have continued to iterate on the game to provide all-new and exciting experiences. In other words, if you like vanilla Minecraft, then you’re covered, and if you want something new or a bit more difficult, then mods or custom servers are the way to go. Every so often, that same friend who got us all into Minecraft would return with a new mod they wanted us to try, and we’d play for a while only to return to the comforting pastures of the classic game. We’d even venture beyond Minecraft itself and try other sandbox games that promise, as many do, to be the ‘next Minecraft’. Of course, those promises are often as empty as your inventory after being taken out by a creeper. This brings me to Hytale, a new sandbox RPG that, on paper, appears to be another such game. Hytale, launched back in 2015 on the Hypixel Minecraft server and became a sensation. Now, over a decade later and after weathering a torturous development cycle that included cancellations, sprawling ambition and eventual acquisitions, Hytale has finally been released to the world as a stand-alone game. As a Minecraft fan, I was keen to see how the new game stacks up against its legacy and if this is the natural evolution of the Minecraft experience we’ve been led to believe. Most importantly, I set out on a quest to answer the question: if you’re a vanilla Minecraft fan, is it worth picking up Hytale? Hytale’s Minecraft roots are immediately evident from the moment you boot up the world. In fact, the game’s vast, procedurally generated world looks incredibly similar to Minecraft. Blocks, textures, day-night cycles and resources all look like those found in Minecraft. Even the mechanics are similar. Walk up to a block, punch it a bunch of times, and, after a while, a block of stone or wood will appear in your inventory. Create a ‘workbench’ to craft tools like a ‘crude pickaxe’, and you’ll be able to graduate from punching rocks to properly mining them. There are some nice improvements over the mining experience found in Minecraft, most notably, cutting down trees is a lot easier and more satisfying. However, the core gameplay loop still echoes the game that serves as its foundation. For the first hour of gameplay, I almost forgot I wasn’t playing Minecraft. Then something happened. I was killed by a grizzly bear in broad daylight. I made my way from my mountain-top dwelling to fell a tree, only to be greeted by a ferocious bear who proceeded to hunt me down with fury in its eyes. The sun was still high in the sky when I met my doom, and there were no zombie groans or rattling skeletons to herald my fall. This was my first brush with danger in the world of Hytale, and it wouldn’t be my last. This is where the other major influence on Hytale becomes apparent. Unlike in Minecraft, where you randomly spawn anywhere in the biome, in Hytale, you spawn inside a strange ancient temple before opening a door onto the beautiful and expansive fantasy world. Walk some distance from your spawn point, and a title card announces that you have arrived on the ‘Drifting Plains’. As an opening to a game, it reminded me less of Minecraft and more of the opening to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I was instantly reminded of awakening as Link at the start of the game before stepping out into the bright, vibrant world of Hyrule. The Zelda franchise influence runs far deeper than just the name. After my third hour in the game, when I’d finally built armour and weapons strong enough to survive my encounters with Hytale’s many aggressive mobs, I was struck by something I haven’t felt since I first played Minecraft all those years ago. I wanted to message my friends and get them to join me on my adventure. The beautiful marriage of fantasy-RPG elements, unique world-building through new creatures and strange ruins and the ever-reliable gameplay mechanics perfected by Minecraft make Hytale feel like a true successor to the best-selling game of all time. And so, I return to my original question. Should fans of Minecraft pick up Hytale? Whether you’ve played Minecraft religiously since it launched, you’re a lapsed player who hasn’t picked up the game in a while, or you’re just looking for a fun new sandbox RPG to dive into, you won’t be disappointed by Hytale. Hytale scratches that Minecraft itch in a way no game has since the original, adding new dimensions thanks to its Zelda-like experience. With the game still in early access, I’m reminded of those scrappy, independent early years of Minecraft. Is it perfect? Of course not. But it’s the exact kind of game that captures the imagination and refuses to let go. I can only hope that somewhere out there, someone is introducing the game to their friendship group and sparking what will become a years-long obsession. I know I will be. Check out more of our Gaming 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.
Best gaming advent calendars for kids and adults to buy for Christmas 2025
From Pokémon to Minecraft, there's an gaming advent calendar for every player
The days of getting the same chocolate advent calendar to countdown to Christmas are long gone, with advent calendars increasingly taking more and more exciting forms every year. They're an essential part of Christmas and a great way to give yourself a little gift every day in the run up to the big day. These days, you can find an advent calendar for pretty much any interest, and gamers will be pleased to hear that they've not been forgotten. Whether you're a Minecraft mega-fan (or the parent of one) or you're looking for some fun Pokémon collectables to display on your desk, there's an gaming advent calendar for you. We've broken our list down buy game to help make it easier to find exactly what you're looking for. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Jump to: Minecraft advent calendars Pokémon advent calendars Five Nights at Freddy's advent calendars Mario advent calendars More gaming advent calendars If you're looking for more ways to celebrate Christmas, we've rounded up the best Christmas shows and pantomimes in London. Gaming advent calendars at a glance LEGO Minecraft Advent Calendar | £29.99 Minecraft 24 Days Keepsake Box Advent Calendar | £30 Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar | £54.95 Pokémon Holiday Calendar 2025 | £29.50 Funko Five Nights At Freddy's Advent Calendar | £29.99 Nintendo Super Mario Xmas Advent Calendar | £50.99 EXIT Advent Calendar - The Intergalactic Race | £40 Eight Build Your Own Electronic Games Advent Calendar | £26.99 Best gaming advent calendars to gift someone for Christmas 2025 Minecraft advent calendar LEGO Minecraft Advent Calendar LEGO have come out with the 2025 version of their super popular LEGO Minecraft advent calendar and it's packed with fun details. In the build up to Christmas, Minecraft fans can expect mini-figures of their favourite mobs including zombies, wolves, creepers and drowned as well as accessories like a bed, various weapons and more. Plus you get Steve (with some cool diamond armour), which is always a win. Buy the LEGO Minecraft Advent Calendar for £29.99 at LEGO undefined Minecraft 24 Days Keepsake Box Advent Calendar There are a few different advent calendar options for the Minecraft mega-fan in your life this year, including this fun keepsake box filled with Minecraft merch. The vibrant and festive box will last for many Christmases to come and the included surprises, everything from stickers to fn cards and makes, offer different creative and imaginative activities every day. Buy the Minecraft 24 Days Keepsake Box Advent Calendar for £30 at Menkind undefined Pokémon advent calendar Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar Pokémon trading card collectors will love the latest version of their Holiday Calendar. It includes 8 foil promo cards, 6 TCG booster packs, 7 TCG fun packs and more. Buy the Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar for £54.95 at Magic Madhouse undefined Pokémon Holiday Calendar 2025 If you're looking for some fun Pokémon figures to display in your home then this is the advent calendar for you. It includes 16 2-inch figures as well as unique accessories. There also may or may not be a Christmas-themed Pikachu included. Buy the Pokémon Holiday Calendar 2025 for £29.50 at Amazon undefined Five Nights At Freddy's advent calendar Funko Five Nights At Freddy's Advent Calendar Five Nights At Freddy's super-fans won't be disappointed with this Funko FNAF advent calendar. It includes 24 collectable mini Funko Pop Figures including Christmas themed version's of Freddy, Chica and more. Buy the Funko Five Nights At Freddy's Advent Calendar for £29.99 at Amazon undefined Mario advent calendar Nintendo Super Mario Xmas Advent Calendar Mario fans will love this adorable and super detailed advent calendar. It includes 17 different Super Mario characters including Luigi, Princess Peach and the main man Mario, alongside some fun Christmas themed accessories. Buy the Nintendo Super Mario Xmas Advent Calendar for £50.99 at Amazon undefined More gaming advent calendars EXIT Advent Calendar – The Intergalactic Race Is there a better advent calendar for a gamer than one you can play? The latest advent calendar from EXIT includes riddles, story-driven puzzles and more. This one is great for fans of escape rooms, puzzles or those just looking for something unique to do in the build-up to Christmas. Buy the EXIT Advent Calendar – The Intergalactic Race for £40 at MenKind undefined Eight Build Your Own Electronic Games Advent Calendar Speaking of advent calendars you can play, this particular advent calendar is both a fun building project for the tech obsessed and a great experience for gamers. Each day, you'll open a new game to build and play, making it a unique and interactive experience that's perfect for gamers who want a challenge. Buy the Eight Build Your Own Electronic Games Advent Calendar for £26.99 at Boots undefined Want to celebrate Christmas in style this year? Here's everything you need to know about Christmas at LEGOLAND and Christmas at Alton Towers.
Minecraft Eye of Ender: How to make one and what it does
In Minecraft, an Eye of Ender lets you open End Portals to the Ender Dragon!
If you’re trying to locate strongholds in Minecraft so that you can open End Portals and come face to face with the Ender Dragon, you’ll need to make yourself at least one Eye of Ender in order to get started on that mission. There are two crafting ingredients that you’ll need if you want to make an Eye of Ender - you’ll need one Blaze Powder and one Ender Pearl. It’s worth noting nice and early that you’ll need 12 Eyes of Ender in order to open a portal. If you’re wondering where to find those ingredients, how to turn them into an Eye of Ender, and exactly what an Eye of Ender does, read on for our handy guide! How do you get an Eye of Ender in Minecraft? If you want to make an Eye of Ender, you’ll have to do some crafting - and you’ll need two items in your inventory in order to achieve your goal. First, you’ll need to find some Blaze Powder, which is fairly easy to do - when you kill Blaze mobs, they drop Blaze Rods, which you can turn into Blaze Powder simply by dropping said rods into the middle of the crafting square. Next, you’ll need to get some Ender Pearls - when you kill an Enderman, there’s a good chance they’ll drop an Ender Pearl, so it shouldn’t take you too long to find one. And now that you’ve got those two ingredients, you can move on to the crafting recipe! View Riddle on the source website Minecraft Eye of Ender crafting recipe In your crafting square, drop the Ender Pearl into the middle square and the Blaze Powder in the square to its left. Combine those two items and you’ve made yourself an Eye of Ender! Take a look at the image below if you need some extra help. What can you do with an Eye of Ender in Minecraft? As you traverse the Overworld, your Eye of Ender will help you locate strongholds and the End Portals within them - simply hold your Eye of Ender and press the ‘use’ button, and it will show you the direction in which to travel. Alternatively, you could make an End Portal in Minecraft by following the handy instructions in the video below. Even if you do this, though, you'll still need to have some Eyes of Ender handy! View oEmbed on the source website Once you’ve found an End Portal, you’ll need to insert 12 Eyes of Ender into the End Portal frame in order to activate it - with that in mind, you’ll want to make a few of them before you head off on this particular quest. When the End Portal is activated, it will allow you to travel to The End. In this dark dimension, you’ll come face to face with the Ender Dragon - this hostile boss mob is essentially the final boss of Minecraft, so good luck with that! This article first appeared in MEGA Magazine – pick up the mag to get Minecraft awesomeness every month, and check out their YouTube channel for more! Read more on Minecraft: How to tame a fox in Minecraft | How to make a saddle in Minecraft | Is Minecraft free? | Minecraft cheat codes and commands | Best Minecraft servers | Minecraft Realms | Best Minecraft seeds | Best Minecraft Mods | Best Minecraft shaders | Best Minecraft skins | Best Minecraft texture packs | Minecraft Enchantments | Minecraft house Blueprints | Minecraft How to Train Your Dragon DLC | How to build a house in Minecraft | How to install Minecraft Forge | How to make a Minecraft map | Minecraft Villager jobs explained View Green Video on the source website Subscribe to our free Gaming Newsletter for weekly insights, and visit our Gaming hub for all the latest news. Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide. Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home — subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Is It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Netflix?
Why you should watch it and where you can find it...
If you enjoyed Friends but thought its characters were just a little too nice and the humour was all just a little too clean, then you’ll love It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The show centres around brother and sister Dennis and Dee Reynolds and their friends Charlie and Mac who all co-own the bar Paddy’s Pub in Philadelphia. Together, along with Frank Reynolds, played by a brilliant Danny DeVito, they form a gang of the worst people in America. View oEmbed on the source website The 50 best movies to watch on Netflix The best TV shows to watch on Netflix UK The best TV shows coming to Netflix in 2018 Netflix UK TV guide: what to watch and how much it costs In one particular episode, the gang takes a flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles with the express purpose of seeing which one can drink the most beers on the duration of the journey. What ensues is a hilarious in-flight drink-off that dredges the darkest depths of comedy to create a sitcom like no other on TV. Currently 12 seasons in, the gang are going stronger than ever and are about to become one of the longest running sitcoms American TV history. All seasons of the show are available on Netflix now.
MCU's Infinity Stones explained- what they are and what each one does
We break down the history and powers of Thanos’s prized gems
At the heart of the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been the six gems known as Infinity Stones. Each stone holds a particular power and through the last decade of Marvel movies, various characters have attempted to wield them to enact terrible destruction upon the universe. As Benicio Del Toro’s character The Collector says: “Before creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots… Infinity Stones.” In Avengers: Infinity War big bad Thanos successfully acquired all six stones in order to assemble his Infinity Gauntlet, providing him with the ability to control all reality and finally enact his plan to wipe out half the galaxy. Yep, spoiler alert – he pulled it off. What can Captain Marvel tell us about the plot of Avengers: Endgame? Samuel L Jackson finally clears up the biggest mystery from Avengers: Infinity War Before all that, though, the stones appeared multiple times in varying ways throughout the many movies in the MCU, and it’s easy to lose track of which stone does what and where they came from. So, we thought we’d catch you up with everything you need to know about the Infinity Stones ahead of the Avengers' final attempt to wrest them back from Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. The Mind Stone View oEmbed on the source website Name: The Mind Stone AKA: Loki’s Sceptre, Vision's headstone (ironically) Colour: Yellow First seen: Avengers Assemble, though not revealed as an Infinity Stone until Avengers: Age of Ultron. Now: In Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet In the MCU: Way back in the original Avengers, Loki came to Earth to try to rule the planet. One of his weapons of choice was a sceptre given to him by Thanos which he used to control the minds of Hawkeye and Erik Selvig. It was later revealed in Avengers: Age of Ultron that the sceptre contained the Mind Stone, which was then used to bring android the Vision to life. In Avengers: Infinity War the team attempted to remove the stone to save Vision's life, but after they failed Scarlet Witch destroyed it (and Vision) in a heroic moment of sacrifice. Thanos, sadly, wasn't having it and just rewound time to bring Vision back, then tore the stone (the final one he needed) from the android's head. With all six stones, he was free to enact his final plan... What does it do? So far we’ve seen the Mind Stone used to control minds, create energy blasts and power the Vision. It has also been noted that Scarlet Witch derived her abilities from the Mind Stone back in Age of Ultron, possibly leading to her connection with Vision. The Space Stone View oEmbed on the source website Name: The Space Stone AKA: The Tesseract Colour: Blue First seen: Captain America: The First Avenger Now: In Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet In the MCU: The Space Stone made its first appearance as the Tesseract, a legendary energy cube of great power stolen by Hydra leader Red Skull, before being rediscovered by SHIELD some time later. Chronologically, the next time it turned up was in the 90s-set Captain Marvel, where it was being used to power new flight technology until it was taken into safekeeping by the Skrulls, then returned to SHIELD custody. The Tesseract was then used to open the portal to deep space to let in Loki’s invading forces in 2012's Avengers Assemble before being taken to the vaults of Asgard. In Thor: Ragnarok, Loki spotted the Tesseract in the vaults and took it for himself, eventually handing it over to Thanos in the opening scenes of Avengers: Infinity War. What does it do? The Space Stone has the power to create interstellar bridges from one end of space to the other. It is, in effect, a portal to other parts of the universe making it an incredibly useful asset to the invading Thanos. The Space Stone was used by Odin and Heimdall to build the Bifrost on Asgard, the rainbow coloured bridge that allows Asgardians access to the nine realms. It is also a powerful source of energy, used to run Hydra's weapons in Captain America: The First Avenger and Kree technology in Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel also derives her energy powers from the Stone. The Reality Stone View oEmbed on the source website Name: The Reality Stone AKA: The Aether Colour: Red First seen: Thor: The Dark World Now: In Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet In the MCU: The Aether was the object of desire for Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves in the Thor sequel. During the film, Natalie Portman’s character was bonded with the Aether making her a target for the evil elf. By the end of the film it had been taken by the Lady Sif to the Collector on Knowhere in order to keep distance between the Aether and the Space Stone, which was in Odin’s treasure room on Asgard. Unfortunately, this made the Reality Stone a fairly easy target for Thanos, who captured it offscreen in Infinity War before using it to trick and defeat the Guardians of the Galaxy. What does it do? As the Aether the Stone turned matter into dark matter by binding with a host and absorbing their life force, while in Thanos' gauntlet it grants the bearer temporary power over reality, allowing Thanos to create impossibly convincing illusions and transform the matter of his foes. The Power Stone View oEmbed on the source website Name: The Power Stone AKA: The Orb Colour: Purple First seen: Guardians of the Galaxy Now: Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet In the MCU: The Orb forms the central focus of the first Guardians of the Galaxy film with pretty much every character seeking it out. It is then revealed that the Orb is home to the Power Stone, a purple ingot of planet-destroying power, and after a struggle for possession it's left in the custody of the Nova Corps on Xandar. Unfortunately, shortly before the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos invades and largely destroys Xandar, gaining the Power Stone in the process and beginning his (fairly swift) collection of all six stones. What does it do? Among its other uses the Power Stone acts as a mini Death Star, allowing its wielder to destroy planets just by touching the stone to the earth. Ronan, the fanatical Kree villain of the first Guardians film, gained enhanced strength from the stone and intended to use it to destroy all living matter on Xandar, the home of the Nova Corp. In Infinity War the Power Stone was the most regularly used of all the Infinity Stones, allowing Thanos to outclass the Hulk for strength and easily swat away the other Avengers in battle. The Time Stone View oEmbed on the source website Name: The Time Stone AKA: The Eye of Agamotto Colour: Green First seen: Doctor Strange Now: In Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet In the MCU: Doctor Strange introduced the idea of ancient relics of great power chosing a sorcerer to wield them, and the famed Eye of Agamotto apparently chose Strange himself as its master. In the film we saw the stone, housed inside a pendant, being protected by the sorcerers in the New York Sanctum, and Strange was able to use its time-bending abilities to imprison the evil Dormammu. Infinity War, meanwhile, showed us the Stone in action once again. Strange attempts to use it against Thanos's henchman Ebony Maw but to little success, while Thanos himself (after receiving the Stone from Strange as a trade for Tony Stark's life) uses its power to reverse the destruction of the Vision and his accompanying Mind Stone (see above). What does it do? The Time Stone, when properly used, can reverse or accelerate time. In Doctor Strange it is used as a means of reversing the destruction of the Dark Dimension and Dormammu, while in Infinity War it brings Vision (briefly) back to life. It is suggested that Strange is also able to use it to see multiple possible future timelines. The pendant itself, created by the first Sorcerer Supreme, was a means of housing and controlling the power of the stone for use by its owner, much like Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet. The Soul Stone View oEmbed on the source website Name: The Soul Stone AKA: N/A Colour: Orange First seen: Avengers: Infinity War Now: Thanos's Gauntlet In the MCU: The location or identity of the Soul Stone remained a mystery within the MCU for many years (with many theories as to where and what it might be), but in Avengers: Infinity War it was revealed that the Soul Stone was being held on a mysterious planet called Vormir the entire time. After blackmailing Gamora into taking him there, Thanos passed the Stone's "test" (administered by the Red Skull) by sacrificing his adoptive daughter, later waking up far away with the elusive Stone in his hand. What does it do? Very little is known about the Soul Stone, though the Red Skull describes it as having "a certain wisdom" and sentience compared to the other five, and many consider it the most dangerous of the set. Notably, Thanos uses it (along with the Power Stone) to counter some of Doctor Strange's magic during a battle on Titan, suggesting it has some mystical qualities. With Thanos uniting all six stones in Avengers: Infinity War, it remains to be seen how the surviving heroes will be able to stand against their power in Endgame. If the full might of Avengers past and present couldn't take him down, what chance to the remnants of the team have? At least we now know when we'll find out... Avengers: Endgame is released in UK cinemas on Thursday 25th April
Westworld is back - but which cast members have survived and who are the new actors joining the show?
At the conclusion of Westworld season one many of the mysteries had seemingly been wrapped up, leaving the hosts in charge of the park and the employees of Delos either dead or on the run. But who survived? Who's coming to help? Everything you need to remember about Westworld ahead of season two Westworld series two spoiler-free preview: "season one only scratched the surface" View oEmbed on the source website In other words, which cast members are returning to the show and who’s new for season two? Who’s returning? Dolores Abernathy - Evan Rachel Wood Who does Evan Rachel Wood play? Original host Dolores was one of the focal points of season one, with her journey to self-awareness becoming a central storyline in the show. Her travels with William took up most of the first series, but now she has her freedom and a thirst for revenge - so what does she have planned? What else has Evan Rachel Wood been in? Rachel Wood starred in the 2008 drama The Wrestler directed by Darren Aronofsky, where she played embittered wrestler Mickey Rourke’s daughter. She also starred in the George Clooney-directed political thriller The Ides of March alongside Ryan Gosling. A child actor, Rachel Wood had her first leading role aged nine in Digging to China, and attracted critical acclaim for her role as a troubled teen in 2003's Thirteen. Maeve Millay - Thandie Newton Who does Thandie Newton play? Newton plays the sentient android Maeve, the former madam of a brothel in Sweetwater who became self-aware throughout the first season of the show. She was last seen returning to the park after deciding to track down her daughter, another host who she'd lived with during her earlier years in Westworld. What else has Thandie Newton been in? Among other roles, the British actress has starred in the fourth series of BBC drama Line of Duty where she played DCI Roz Huntley. She was also nominated for a BAFTA for her role in the 2004 Best Picture winner Crash and is set to make an appearance in the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story. Bernard Lowe – Jeffrey Wright Who does Jeffrey Wright play? Wright plays the character of Bernard, the head of programming at Westworld and an artificial recreation of the park's co-creator Arnold Weber. With Anthony Hopkins’ Ford now dead, Bernard is free from his control and will likely play a pivotal role in the upcoming season. What else has Jeffrey Wright been in? The actor starred in the Bond films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace alongside Daniel Craig before starring with Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games sequels. Wright also starred alongside Evan Rachel Wood in George Clooney’s Ides of March. Teddy Flood – James Marsden Who does James Marsden play? Flood is a good-guy host with a dark past, who spent most of his time searching for the missing Dolores in season one. Flood, like all the hosts, learns a lot about himself throughout the course of the first season, leading him to self-awareness going into season two. Expect him to be an important part of the revolution in season two. What else has James Marsden been in? The Oklahoma-born actor is most famous for his role as Scott Summers or Cyclops in the original X-Men movies. Marsden starred in the original trilogy of films and reprised the character for a cameo in X-Men: Days of Future Past. He has also appeared in films including Enchanted and Superman Returns. Charlotte Hale - Tessa Thompson Who does Tessa Thompson play? A large portion of season one focused on Delos, the company that owns Westworld, attempting to push out Robert Ford, the park's creator. Pivotal to this plot was Thompson’s board exec Charlotte Hale, whose attempt to remove Ford from the board led to tensions within the Westworld staff. With the hosts having risen up this season, expect Hale’s position to be particularly treacherous. What else has Tessa Thompson been in? Thompson starred in the Ava DuVernay-directed Selma before her breakout role in the Rocky sequel Creed. More recently, she was seen starring as the drunken warrior Valkyrie in last year's Thor: Ragnarok alongside Chris Hemsworth, and in Netflix sci-fi Annihilation with Natalie Portman. William - Jimmi Simpson Who does Jimmi Simpson play? Simpson stars as William, the younger version of The Man in Black. William begins his time at Westworld as a moral and conscientious visitor, but as time passes he becomes more selfish, violent and obsessed with the park's hosts. William takes a particular shine to Dolores, leading to his older self’s villainous actions. What else has Jimmi Simpson been in? Simpson is known for his recurring role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia where he plays the strange and hilarious Liam McPoyle, and as a hacker in Netflix series House of Cards. More recently, Simpson starred in the acclaimed USS Callister episode of the satirical anthology Black Mirror on Netflix, and was nominated for a BAFTA for his performance. The Man in Black – Ed Harris Who does Ed Harris Play? Harris plays the older incarnation of William, known in the Westworld park as The Man in Black. The Man in Black has a sadistic nature, often wishing the park's "games" were more challenging, and ended season one gleefully anticipating the hosts' attack. What else has Ed Harris been in? Harris has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars three times for his roles in Apollo 13, The Truman Show and The Hours. He also starred in the science fiction film Snowpiercer and the 2017 thriller Mother! among many other performances. Ashley Stubbs – Luke Hemsworth Who does Luke Hemsworth play? Stubbs is the head of security at Westworld, and considering the hosts rebelled at the end of season one he'll probably be pretty busy in the new season. Stubbs was abducted by hosts in his last appearance, and it's assumed the new episodes will reveal how he escaped. What else has Luke Hemsworth been in? Before being cast in Westworld, Hemsworth starred in the Australian soap Neighbours. More recently he cameoed as the God of Thunder in Thor: Ragnarok, where he played a fictionalised version of the role his brother Chris made famous during a scene in the film. Hector Escaton – Rodrigo Santoro Who does Rodrigo Santoro play? Hector is an outlaw within Westworld who is wanted for multiple massacres within the park. The vengeful gang leader has a close relationship with Maeve and is one of the hosts bent on survival in the new season. What else has Rodrigo Santoro been in? Santoro played the role of Xerxes I in the swords and sandals epic 300, before starring as Jesus in the 2016 remake of Ben-Hur. The Brazilian actor also starred in the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually, where he played the role of Karl opposite Laura Linney, and Lost. Lee Sizemore - Simon Quarterman Who does Simon Quarterman play? Quarterman stars as the narrative director of the park responsible for the stories or loops that the hosts are part of. His key role in the subjugation of the hosts is likely to make him a key target during the uprising. Could his days in Westworld be numbered? What else has Simon Quarterman been in? The British actor had a role in the 2012 supernatural horror film The Devil Inside and has starred in many TV shows during his career, including Midsomer Murders, Holby City and EastEnders as well as the miniseries Victoria & Albert. Angela Sarafyan - Clementine Pennyfeather Who does she play? A host formerly working in Maeve's whorehouse, Clementine was lobotomised in the last series and now acts as a zombie-like lieutenant for Dolores. Where have I seen her? The Armenian-American played one of the Egyptian coven of vampires in the Twilight movies, and also appeared in American Horror Story as Alice. Logan – Ben Barnes Who does Ben Barnes play? In season one, Logan was a veteran guest at Westworld who indulges his darker instincts in the park's more sinister storylines. Closely connected to William/The Man in Black, expect Logan to be a key player in the story going forward. What else has Ben Barnes been in? Barnes starred in the The Chronicles of Narnia films Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader and a 2009 adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic The Picture of Dorian Gray before landing his role in Westworld. More recently he has starred in the Netflix series The Punisher, where he played a key character from Frank Castle’s past. Armistice – Ingrid Bolsø Berdal Who does Ingrid Bolsø Berdal play? Berdal plays Armistice, a brutal and violent bandit and a close ally of gang member Hector. She was leading the charge on the Westworld command centre at the end of season one, but a post-credits scene suggested her survival. What else has Ingrid Bolsø Berdal been in? The Norwegian actress starred in the 2014 film Hercules alongside Dwayne Johnson and also appeared in the TV movie adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal. Angela - Talulah Riley Who does Talulah Riley play? Back in season one Angela was a host designed to greet guests as they arrived at the park. In season two Riley has been upgraded to a main character, and so we expect Angela will break free of her loop and join the revolution. What else has Talulah Riley been in? Riley starred as Annabelle Fritton in the British comedy film St Trinians and its sequel alongside actor Rupert Everett. She has also appeared in Doctor Who, Inception, The Boat That Rocked and Thor: The Dark World. Who’s new in season two? Karl Strand - Gustaf Skarsgård Who does Gustaf Skarsgård play? The Swedish actor plays the role of Karl Strand, the laid-back and confident Head of Operations for Delos. What else has Gustaf Skarsgård been in? Skarsgård stars currently in the History channel drama Vikings where he plays the character of Floki. He also had a role in the Scandinavian drama Kon-Tiki and Peter Weir’s The Way Back with Ed Harris. Grace - Katja Herbers Who does Katja Herbers play? Herbers is set to play a seasoned guest at the park, presumably fighting for survival in the new, host controlled, world. What else has Katja Herbers been in? The Dutch actress starred in the third season of the HBO drama The Leftovers as the role of Dr. Eden. She also had a small role in the FX drama The Americans in its third season. Nicholas – Neil Jackson Who does Neil Jackson play? Deadline have reported that Jackson will play “a charming, resourceful man who finds himself in uncharted territory.” Could this mean that Jackson was a guest at the time of the hosts taking over? Or could he be a newly sentient host? What else has Neil Jackson been in? The British actor starred in the Bond film Quantum of Solace before appearing alongside Amy Adams in Nocturnal Animals in 2016. He currently stars in the show Absentia alongside former Castle actress Stana Katic. Antoine Costa - Fares Fares Who will Fares Fares play? Antoine Costa is said to be a tech expert within Westworld, and is likely to take on a pretty important role going forward in the battle against the hosts in season two. What else has Fares Fares been in? The Swedish-Lebanese actor stared in the FX drama Tyrant as freedom fighting journalist Fauzi Nadal. He also had a small role in the Star Wars spin-off Rogue One where he played the role of Senator Vaspar. Major Craddock – Jonathan Tucker Who will Jonathan Tucker play? Tucker will play a host with military leanings in the second season, who may play a part in Dolores' quest against the humans. What else has Jonathan Tucker been in? Tucker recently starred in the Amazon Prime original American Gods where he plays Low Key Lyesmith. He also had a major role in the US drama Kingdom and the film The Next Three Days staring Russell Crowe. Maling – Betty Gabriel Who does Betty Gabriel play? Gabriel plays an enforcer tasked with bringing the park back under the control of Delos. What else has Betty Gabriel been in? Gabriel starred in the 2017 smash hit horror Get Out in a performance that was lauded by critics. Looking forward, she is set to appear in the upcoming science fiction thriller Upgrade from Get Out producer Jason Blum. James Delos – Peter Mullan Who does Peter Mullan play? Mullan stars as the founder of Delos, the company who owns the Westworld park. Delos is an enigmatic figure and little is known about his motivations but a brief glimpse of him in marketing materials for the show suggests all might not be well with the CEO. What else has Peter Mullan been in? The Scottish actor featured as death eater Yaxley in the final two instalments in the Harry Potter franchise. He also delivered an acclaimed performance as reformed alcoholic Joseph in the drama Tyrannosaur from director Paddy Considine. Musashi - Hiroyuki Sanada Who does Hiroyuki Sanada play? Sanada plays a new character named Musashi, who could be a host in the recently revealed Shogunworld. The expansion of Delos’s portfolio of parks was hinted at in the first season as the hosts revolted – but could the Westworld uprising spread to the other parks? What else has Hiroyuki Sanada been in? The acclaimed Japanese actor starred in the films 47 Ronin and Sunshine as well as having a supporting role in superhero film The Wolverine. Sanada also had a recurring role in the hit drama Lost. Akane – Rinko Kikuchi Who does Rinko Kikuchi play? Kikuchi plays the character Akane, a host from Shogunworld. Marketing matrials have revealed her character’s costume to be that of a geisha, but little else is known about her role in the upcoming season. What else has Rinko Kikuchi been in? The Japanese actress received acclaim and an Oscar nomination for her role in the film Babel alongside Brad Pitt. She also starred in the epic monster movie Pacific Rim and its sequel Pacific: Rim Uprising, Akecheta - Zahn McClarnon Who does Zahn McClarnon play? McClarnon stars as the character Akecheta and was briefly seen in the hidden trailer on the website DiscoverWestworld.com. The hidden trailer showed the character with a bloody hand touching his face. Could he be connected to the mysterious Ghost Nation? What else has Zahn McClarnon been in? McClarnon is a renowned Native American actor who has had roles in the shows Fargo, Longmire and the Netflix show Frontier. He also starred in the horror-western Bone Tomahawk alongside Kurt Russell in 2015. Hanaryo – Tao Okamoto Who does Tao Okamoto play? Okamoto plays the role of Hanaryo, a mysterious new character about which little is known. It is likely that she is a host in Shogunworld and will likely play a large role in the hosts expansion and escape from their prisons. What else has Tao Okamoto been in? The actress starred alongside Hiroyuki Sanada in The Wolverine and had a brief role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice where she played Lex Luthor’s assistant Mercy Graves. The new season of Westworld premieres on Sky Atlantic at 9pm on 23rd April
Avengers: Infinity War – what happens next?
With Infinity War set to make some seismic changes, what will happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the movie?
Believe it or not, it’s been 10 years since Iron Man first introduced the idea of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the world. What's followed in the subsequent decade has been an ambitious, interconnected franchise of films on an unprecedented scale. The MCU has less in common with huge movie franchises like Star Trek or Harry Potter and more in common with serialised TV like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, using the budget and the spectacle of film to create a narrative one movie or episode at a time. By that logic, new sequel Avengers: Infinity War is like the season finale to these first phases of the MCU, and will spark a seismic shift in the superhero film series that will continue beyond 2019's mysteriously untitled Avengers 4. Avengers: Infinity War directors explain how they chose Stan Lee’s cameo Avengers: Infinity War’s post-credits scene explained Avengers: Infinity War directors say that missing characters could play a bigger part in the sequel With that in mind, we thought we’d speculate on the state of the world post-Infinity War, taking a look at the characters, movies and storylines Marvel will likely look to in order to build phase 4 of their cinematic universe. View oEmbed on the source website Kevin Feige told Vanity Fair in November 2017 that “we’ve got another 20 movies on the docket that are completely different from anything that’s come before — intentionally.” So what are these 20 movies? Which ones have already been announced and which ones haven’t? For now, let's start with what we know. What films are coming after Infinity War? We know that the most immediate film set for release after Infinity War is Ant-Man and the Wasp, with the follow-up to the Paul Rudd-starring Ant-Man seeing Evangeline Lilly’s Hope Van Dyne promoted to title character. Up to this point Rudd’s Ant-Man has been conspicuously absent from the Infinity War marketing and has gone unmentioned by the directors. While it is possible that he is in fact in both the posters and the trailers in his shrunken form, it's more likely that Ant-Man’s absence is due to his story in his own solo feature. Ant-Man was last seen on team Cap at the end of Civil War and was a fugitive from the law. View oEmbed on the source website In the recently-released trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp we can see Scott Lang wearing an ankle tag, suggesting he has decided not to live as a fugitive. How will Ant-Man's attempt to return to his life factor into his future within the MCU? We'll have to wait to find out when his second solo feature is released later this year. Following the Ant-Man sequel we know to expect Captain Marvel. After the success of last year’s Wonder Woman and this year’s Black Panther it seems studios are finally aware that diversity can lead to box office success. Casting Oscar-winner Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, Marvel has slated its first female-fronted superhero film for March 8th 2019. The film will likely see fighter pilot Danvers enter the cosmic realm as she's caught in a conflict between warring worlds, and will also star younger versions of Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg's Avengers characters Nick Fury and Agent Coulson. More generally, Feige’s promise that the post-Infinity War films will be radically different seems to suggest that a new brass will be leading the Avengers. So could this fresh leadership include Captain Marvel? After her first 90s-set adventure is over we could imagine Danvers leading a new wave of Avengers films in the present day, possibly picking up the mantle of leader from Captain America as Chris Evans has confirmed he will likely retire from the MCU after Avengers 4. Speaking of Avengers 4, after Captain Marvel's release the next MCU film is the fourth Avengers outing, which is as of yet unnamed. Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo have said that the reveal of the film's title would ultimately spoil the events of Infinity War which has, of course, led to rampant fan speculation. Could this film’s mystery title hint at the rule of Thanos? Potentially the fourth film could see a new team of Avengers, possibly including Danvers, attempting to save the world from Thanos' latest schemes. Could this be the radical new direction Feige has hinted at in the past? Or could this hint at the inclusion of another comic book storyline entirely? At the moment, it's hard to say. After Avengers 4 we’re getting a currently-untitled follow-up to Spider-Man: Homecoming, with a return for Tom Holland's Peter Parker - unless of course the Spider-Man sequel includes a different version of the wallcrawler. After all, for years fans have been keen to see the big-screen debut of Miles Morales, a younger Spider-Man from the comics. We know Morales exists in the MCU after a throwaway line uttered by Donald Glover’s character in Homecoming, and it would certainly be an unexpected and bold new direction for the franchise. After the runaway success of his first solo outing, Black Panther also seems set to move on past the events of Infinity War in his own recently-announced sequel. Much like Captain Marvel, T’Challa seems like a prime candidate to take over as the leader of the Avengers after the Thanos storyline wraps up, and could be an important member of the team going forward into phase 4. The last of the confirmed sequels coming out in phase 4 is James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, which seems likely to hold on to its current team line-up – unless Karen Gillan's Nebula has a major part to play in the Avengers 4 storyline. Apart from that, we don't know too much about it – though we'd be surprised if Groot doesn't have another growth spurt. While these movies have been confirmed for the next few years, Marvel has also slated nine untitled movies for various dates between 2020 and 2022. Of these untitled sequels, we expect one to be Black Panther 2 and the other to be Guardians 3 (which has yet to land an official release date), but the other seven are open to speculation. So, what will these untitled Marvel movies be? Doctor Strange 2 View oEmbed on the source website One possible sequel not yet announced for phase 4 is Doctor Strange 2. While Benedict Cumberbatch has recently tried to downplay the idea of a sequel to the 2016 film, it seems likely that the sorcerer supreme will return. With the scope of the character's universe and the colourful array of villains in his comic-book back catalogue, Doctor Strange 2 could certainly take the MCU in a new and interesting direction. Fantastic 4 Under movie studio 20th Century Fox's control there have been three attempts at making Fantastic 4 films, but the most recent of these attempts (a reboot directed by Josh Trank) was critically derided and bombed at the box office, leaving the future of Marvel’s first family up in the air. Still, with the anticipated Fox/Disney merger expected to be confirmed later this year, it would place the Fantastic 4 in prime position for a MCU reboot. This is further supported by the recent announcement that the quartet will be returning to comics after a three-year absence. So if they are back, could Doctor Doom be the next big MCU villain? Avengers vs. X-Men This is another film that hinges on the expected Fox/Disney deal as it would require the rights to the X-Men characters. If the deal goes through as planned, an adaptation of this recent comic-book storyline would seem like a logical way to introduce the mutant world to the MCU by pitting them against the latest incarnation of the Avengers. As Hugh Jackman hangs up his claws for good, Wolverine is ripe for a recast and could be a perfect entry point for an X-Men reboot. World War Hulk Since the underwhelming Incredible Hulk movie in 2008 and the introduction of Mark Ruffalo as the character in 2012's Avengers, audiences have been asking for another solo film from the big green brute. If such a film was greenlit, fans would definitely hope to see the dramatisation of the popular World War Hulk storyline, which saw the jade giant invade Earth after being betrayed by the Avengers and trapped on a hostile world (elements of that backstory ended up being used in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok). And who knows? If Marvel do land the X-Men rights, perhaps we could expect to see Wolverine facing off in a grudge match against the Hulk to save the world. Now that's entertainment. The Eternals One of the latest adaptation rumours swirling around the internet (originating on Bleeding Cool) for the post-Infinity War world is a movie based on the Eternals, a group of people with godlike abilities given to them by powerful beings called The Celestials who first appeared in comics written and illustrated by Marvel legend Jack Kirby. MCU fans will be familiar with Celestials as the characters have popped up in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, while Thanos himself is actually an Eternal – but are they really going to be a huge part of phase 4? Well, you never know. Secret Wars Secret Wars, or more specifically the 2015 sequel to the original 1984-85 comic, centres around the various Marvel universes colliding together into one huge all-out war. The crazy scope of this multiverse-hopping storyline seems perfect for the big screen, and could even be the new direction that Feige was hinting at. After all, the multiverse involved in the Secret Wars storyline has already been hinted at in Doctor Strange, so it wouldn’t be a huge leap from the stories that Marvel have told so far. The storyline would also lend itself nicely to introducing the X-Men and Fantastic 4, explaining the absence from the MCU so far (they were in parallel universes!) before uniting them all for future films. Overall, with seven untitled movies and almost 80 years of comic book history to chose from, it seems more likely that in the future Marvel will follow the method they created for phases one to three, avoiding direct comic-book adaptations as they exist on the page in favour of cherry-picking ideas and characters in order to build their own unique stories. So with that in mind, it could be that we see a mixture of all of the above stories going forward within the MCU, or perhaps some new mixture involving characters and storylines we never could have guessed at. Still, at the moment one thing IS certain to anyone wondering at Marvel's future plans. The end of phase three will change Marvel movies forever. This article was originally published on 20th April Avengers: Infinity War is released in UK cinemas now
Who is Lost Voice Guy? Comedian Lee Ridley wows on Britain’s Got Talent 2018
Here’s everything you need to know about the innovative comedian known as the Lost Voice Guy
When Lost Voice Guy took to the Britain's Got Talent stage, he delivered one of the most hilarious stand-up routines the show has ever seen. But what made comedian Lee Ridley's performance so special is the fact that he can't speak. Everything you need to know about Britain’s Got Talent 2018 How to get tickets for Britain’s Got Talent 2018 The Newcastle-based comic performs through the use of a speech synthesiser and David Walliams said his performance was "one of the best stand-up routines I've seen – let alone on this show". Forget Walliams, though – Ridley has the rare honour of having featured two weeks running in Radio Times magazine's radio choices section, thanks to his Radio 4 comedy Ability "about a man with cerebral palsy, who finds it hard to get served in pubs because he already looks drunk and whose inner voice is pure Geordie, while his spoken voice sounds just like Stephen Hawking". So who is Lee Ridley, and what else do you need to know about him? Who is Lee Ridley? The 37 year-old is from Consett near Newcastle and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was six months old. Due to complications resulting from his disability, Ridley has been unable to speak for over 30 years. In order to perform, Ridley uses a speech synthesiser upon which he programs his material before selecting certain lines based on audience reaction. According to an interview with The Guardian, Ridley saw comedian Ross Noble performing a large majority of his set doing an impression of Stephen Hawking. After the show Ridley, through his voice synthesiser, challenged Noble asking: "Do you want to see who can do the best Stephen Hawking impersonation?" View oEmbed on the source website The joke made Noble laugh and he incorporated the story into his own routine; a thrill for Ridley who was a big fan of the comedian. Ridley soon began performing stand-up sets in Sunderland before heading to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh in 2013. A journalism graduate, Ridley used to work as Sunderland city council’s online content manager while performing his stand-up routines during his evenings. Now, he is a full-time comedian. In 2014, Ridley was the recipient of the BBC New Comedy Award, which has previously been won by the likes of Rhod Gilbert and Alan Carr. While disability and living with cerebral palsy are central themes to his act, Ridley's stand-up covers a breadth of topics from roasting the political establishment to the country's welfare system. Is he on YouTube? Ridley’s Edinburgh Festival set from two years ago is available below - and his unique blend of self-deprecating humor and observational comedy is guaranteed to make you laugh. View oEmbed on the source website He also appeared on The One Show performing another hilarious batch of jokes. The video is available on his YouTube alongside a host of other videos starring the comedian. View oEmbed on the source website Ridley has also landed his own Radio 4 sitcom. View oEmbed on the source website Ridley's performance is a hit with both the audience and the judges on the BGT stage and he'll be hoping his act will take him further in the competition. Britain's Got Talent continues Saturdays on ITV
Britain’s Got Talent hopeful Calum Courtney is already a viral sensation
The young singer set the world alight with a viral video shot in Asda. Now he hopes to do the same on the Britain's Got Talent stage
Britain's Got Talent hopeful Calum Courtney has already racked up over two million views on a video of him singing in a supermarket that went viral last year. The ten-year-old boy warmed the hearts of the nation when he spontaneously broke into a rendition of the song Who’s Lovin’ You by Smokey Robinson while in Asda. View oEmbed on the source website According to The Independent, the video attracted the interest of an unnamed producer and writer who supposedly wanted to release a charity single this year. But now, Calum is taking his talents to the Britain’s Got Talent stage. So what else do we know about this talented ten-year-old? Who is Calum Courtney? Born in Basildon in Essex, the schoolboy is no stranger to singing. He's previously performed on the same stage as Emeli Sandé and JP Cooper at the NSPCC Winter Charity Ball in aid of the National Autistic Society: View oEmbed on the source website According to his mum, Calum – who has been diagnosed with high functioning autism – doesn’t get nervous. In an interview with the Independent, she said: “if there’s anything from one to 100 people to sing in front of, he loves it.” Talent clearly runs in the family, because both of Calum's grandparents were on the West End stage. View oEmbed on the source website More from Calum Since his first video took social media by storm, his mother has started a YouTube channel where she uploads videos of her son singing. Here he is singing This is Me from the runaway success, The Greatest Showman in his trademark style: View oEmbed on the source website And here's his version of Ed Sheeran's Perfect: View oEmbed on the source website Britain’s Got Talent airs Saturdays on ITV
Everything you need to know about the upcoming Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw drama about the Jeremy Thorpe scandal
What time is A Very English Scandal on TV? The BBC has announced the three-part series will begin airing on Sunday 20th May at 9pm on BBC1, with episode two on Sunday 27th May and episode three on Sunday 3rd June. The three-part series is an adaptation of John Preston’s novel centring on one of the biggest scandals in British politics. View oEmbed on the source website What is the series about? A Very English Scandal centres around British MP and leader of the Liberal party Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant) who was tried and acquitted of plotting to murder his former lover Norman Scott. Scott had been threatening to expose his relationship with Thorpe at a time not long after homosexuality had been decriminalised in Britain. Desperate to conceal his secret in order to keep his political career intact, Thorpe set in motion a plan of deception and lies that ultimately culminated in his arrest for conspiracy to murder. “The trial of Jeremy Thorpe changed society forever,” a BBC synopsis reads, “illuminating the darkest secrets of the Establishment.” Read more about the real history of A Very English Scandal View oEmbed on the source website Who is in the cast? A Very English Scandal features a glut of British acting talent including rom-com legend Hugh Grant (Notting Hill, Bridget Jones) who plays the show's central character Jeremy Thorpe. Most recently Grant starred in the much-loved family film Paddington 2 as well as a Bafta-nominated turn alongside Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins. In the role of Norman Scott, Thorpe’s accuser, is Skyfall and Spectre star Ben Whishaw. The 37-year-old actor voiced the titular character of Paddington alongside Grant in 2017. Bafta nominee Monica Dolan stars as Thorpe’s wife Marion and is joined by veteran actors Alex Jennings (The Crown) and Jonathan Hyde (Titanic) as Peter Bessell and David Napely respectively, while Torchwood and Keeping Faith actress Eve Myles plays the role of Gwen Parry-Jones. Rounding out the cast of the BBC drama are Patricia Hodge, Jason Watkins, Adrian Scarborough, Michele Dotrice and Blake Harrison. Who is behind the camera? Bringing A Very English Scandal to the small screen are writer Russell T Davies and director Stephen Frears. Davies is best known as the former head writer of Doctor Who – the man who masterminded the successful relaunch of the show for a new generation. More recently, Davies worked on the BBC's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Channel 4 dramas Cucumber and Banana. In the director's chair sits acclaimed British filmmaker Stephen Frears. The 76-year-old actor directed Hugh Grant in Florence Foster Jenkins and released the Judy Dench starring Victoria & Abdul in 2017.
Britain’s Got Talent 2018: who is singing priest Father Ray Kelly?
Everything you need to know about Ireland's singing priest set to appear in front of the judges on ITV
In 2014, a YouTube video of a priest singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah at a wedding went viral. The video was viewed over 60 million times and made its subject an overnight internet star. The singing priest in question is Father Ray Kelly, who sang the Cohen song as the bride walked down the aisle on the day of her wedding – and now he's appearing on Britain's Got Talent. Britain’s Got Talent reveals sneak peek of Manchester bombing victim’s inspiring audition Everything you need to know about Britain’s Got Talent 2018 Who is the singing priest on Britain's Got Talent? View oEmbed on the source website The 65-year-old was born in the Irish town of Tyrrellspass and was ordained in 1989. In 2006, Kelly was appointed as the parish priest in Oldcastle & Moylagh, Co. Meath where he has worked ever since. While he was studying to enter the priesthood, Father Kelly was a member of the boyband Rafiki, and he and the band would go on to perform at local events, even recording a charity single. View oEmbed on the source website In the summer of 2014, he signed a contract with Universal Music Ireland, and has since made a series of TV appearances and performed all over the world on his route to the Britain’s Got Talent stage. View oEmbed on the source website
Ant McPartlin brands Sascha Williams "mad" after this death-defying Britain’s Got Talent audition
Introducing the Australian circus performer whose acrobatics will blow you away
When Sascha Williams takes to the Britain's Got Talent stage in , no-one expected what happened next. Initially, both he and fiancée Stephanie Nock seemed as if they were going to do something rather slow, mundane and a bit boring. And then this happened: View oEmbed on the source website The Australian circus performer absolutely stunned the audience, leaving Ant McPartlin calling him "mad" and Amanda Holden screaming and turning away as he performed his Rola Bola act. Never have a small metal tube, a plank of wood or skipping rope been so terrifying. Who is Sascha Williams? A veteran performer, Williams has taken his act all over the world as part of multiple circuses. The 29-year-old has performed his act as part of the Aerial Angels group on the Gold Coast of his homeland as well as more recently, in the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth. View oEmbed on the source website Can I see more from Sascha Williams? Absolutely. Here are some more videos of his performances that demonstrate just what could be in store on Britain's Got Talent: View oEmbed on the source website Under the green and red lighting of the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth, Sascha stands atop a plinth ready to blow the audience away with his balancing act. View oEmbed on the source website Britain's Got Talent airs Saturdays on ITV
Who is Britain’s Got Talent's daring escape artist Matt Johnson?
We give you the lowdown on the hair-raising escapologist whose audition is guaranteed to take your breath away
Britain's Got Talent escape artist Matt Johnson is one of the show's most breathtaking acts. Literally. The bearded daredevil escapologist leaves viewers on the edge of their seats when he entirely submerges himself in a locked tank barely big enough to fit in. He explains how he will be padlocked inside, while his hands are handcuffed outside of the box. His aim? To escape in less than a minute and a half. Ant McPartlin is moved to tears as Britain’s Got Talent returns – as breathtaking, bizarre and emotional as ever How to get tickets for Britain’s Got Talent 2018 Matt will then attempt to pick the lock in order to escape. What follows promises to be one of the most tense and shocking auditions of the night. ITV revealed a clip of his audition on Twitter leaving the outcome a secret until Saturday night's show. Before we find out whether he manages to make his daring escape, here's everything you need to know about the daredevil. View oEmbed on the source website Who is Matt Johnson? Matt’s career began in his hometown of Sheffield, where he cut his teeth as a street magician and illusionist. In his 20-year-long career leading to the Britain’s Got Talent stage, he traversed the globe performing his unique style of illusion and his daring escapes to audiences around the world. Matt auditioned with the same audacious trick for BGT in 2017. Unfortunately, the tank he was using broke leaving the stage flooded. What are some of his other tricks? During his career Matt has performed tricks all over the world for a variety of audiences. Dubbing his magic style ‘urban deception’ he has built a stage persona he hopes will win over the BGT judges. See the trailer for his stage show Nothing Up My Sleeves and look out for a mind-blowing trick with a piece of rope and this one, entitled simply Levitation. Performed using only a table, an audience volunteer and a blue sheet, this looks absolutely impossible. If Matt brings even half of the magic on show here to the BGT stage, he'll blow us away. Follow Matt on Twitter @likemattjohnson and check out his website for more of his incredible tricks. Britain’s Got Talent airs Saturdays on ITV
How to get tickets for Britain’s Got Talent 2018
We've got the lowdown on how to get into the audience for this year's Britain's Got Talent live shows
Ever wondered what it would be like to sit in the audience for Britain’s Got Talent? Well we’ve got everything you need to know about applying for tickets to be in with a chance of getting a seat for this year’s live shows. Saturday Night Takeaway’s Stephen Mulhern is getting his own series of In For a Penny on ITV Ant and Dec are missing from first Britain’s Got Talent trailer View oEmbed on the source website How do I get tickets to Britain's Got Talent? In order to be in with a chance of landing tickets you should head over to Applause Store where you can sign up to a mailing list to be notified when the tickets become available. The best part is that the tickets themselves are free and audiences are selected on a first come, first served basis so make sure you arrive early on the day to make sure you land a seat behind the judges. Applause also notes that they do over-distribute tickets to account for "no shows" so there’s no guarantee of landing a seat. But it doesn't sound like you're going to want to miss it. If Britain's Got More Talent host Stephen Mulhern is to be believed, we’re in for a great series. When are Britain's Got Talent's live shows? Although BGT returns to ITV on Saturday 14th May, these auditions have already been filmed. Unfortunately, they were recorded back in January and February in London, Blackpool and Manchester, and so tickets are now only available for the week of live semi-finals and grand final that are due to air at the end of May. View oEmbed on the source website Where are the live shows being held? In previous years the lives have taken place in a TV studio but this year, for the first time Hammersmith Apollo will be hosting the event. The lavish Apollo is no stranger to variety as it regularly hosts everything from music to stand-up comedy so the range of talent on show in BGT should be right at home. As judge Alesha Dixon explained: "I’m actually looking forward to us going to the Hammersmith Apollo. I’m looking forward to the fact we’re doing the live shows in a theatre. I think it’s going to create a different atmosphere." Britain’s Got Talent airs on Saturdays on ITV.
When does ITV’s Innocent start, who's in the cast and what’s it about?
Everything you need to know about the upcoming crime drama following a man freed from prison after he was accused of killing his wife
When is Innocent on TV? Innocent will air from Monday 14th May – Thursday 17th May at 9pm on ITV. The four-part series was described by ITV’s Controller of Drama Victoria Fea as, "a contemporary relationship drama with a thriller pulse". What is Innocent about? Innocent focuses on the character of David Collins, played by Line of Duty actor Lee Ingleby, who was convicted of the murder of his wife Tara despite protesting his innocence. View oEmbed on the source website David is hated by his Tara's family and friends and his two children are now being raised by his wife's sister Alice, played by Hemione Norris of Cold Feet fame, and her husband Rob, Harry Potter actor Adrian Rawlins. Alice is still convinced of David’s guilt when he is released on a technicality, much to his own surprise. David and his brother Phil, played by Skins actor Daniel Ryan, had campaigned for his release but when he is finally freed from prison after seven years, he finds the spectre of guilt hanging over his head. With original investigating officer DCI William Beech (Victoria actor Nigel Lindsay) concerned that his reputation might be besmirched by David’s acquittal, and junior DI Cathy Hudson (Merlin’s Angel Coulby) trying to piece together the truth, Innocent promises to be a thrilling Broadchurch-style crime drama. Can I watch a trailer? Yup. ITV has recently unveiled new footage for the drama... View oEmbed on the source website Who's in the cast of Innocent? Starring in the lead role of David is The A Word actor Lee Ingleby. Known for Inspector George Gently, The A Word, and Line of Duty, Ingleby also had a small role as the night bus conductor Stan Shunpike in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. View oEmbed on the source website Alongside Ingleby is actress Hermione Norris who plays the role of Alice, sister to David’s late wife Tara. Norris starred in the TV show Cold Feet alongside Robert Bathurst where she played Karen Marsden. She also appeared as Ros Myers in Spooks and as DI Carol Jordan in the crime drama Wire in the Blood alongside Robson Green. Starring as David’s brother Phil is Daniel Ryan, the English actor who you might know from shows Mount Pleasant and Home Fires. Playing Alice’s husband Rob is another Harry Potter actor, Adrian Rawlins, who starred in the fantasy franchise as James Potter, the titular wizard's father. Rounding out the cast as DCI William Beech is actor Nigel Lindsey. Lindsey played the role of Shrek in the stage musical adaptation of the DreamWorks animation as well as Barry in the comedy Four Lions. DI Cathy Hudson is played by actress Angel Coulby, most famous for her role as Guinevere in the BBC fantasy series Merlin and more recently for voicing the character of Kayo in the ITV reboot of Thunderbirds. Innocent is due to be released in May 2018, stay tuned for an exact date when it's announced
Everything you need to know about the new BBC divorce drama starring Nicola Walker, Anthony Head and Stephen Mangan
When is The Split airing on BBC1? The Split is on Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC1. The new drama, from writer Abi Morgan (The Hour, River), will run for six episodes with the finale on Tuesday 29th May at 9pm on BBC1. Meet the cast of BBC divorce drama The Split First look: BBC divorce drama The Split is sharp, smart and entertaining What is The Split about? The Split centres around three sisters – divorce lawyers Hannah and Nina and their youngest sibling Rose. Focused on the complex world of high profile divorce, the series will see the trio try to navigate secret affairs, family feuds and competing cases. View oEmbed on the source website When she is refused a promotion by her boss and mother Ruth, Hannah (Nicola Walker) jumps ship to work at a rival firm causing friction within her family. While Hannah and Nina fight head-to-head in the divorce proceedings of a multi-millionaire couple, the marriage of their younger sister further complicates their lives. Not to mention the arrival of their estranged father... Throughout the series the sisters will encounter a vast array of cases including big figure settlements and scandals. The Split is an effort to explore and understand the meaning of marriage in the modern world and to deconstruct divorce in the 21st century. Can I watch a trailer? The BBC has just dropped the new trailer for the series complete with drama, tension and a fair share of smouldering looks. "Divorce", as the trailer says, "is a family affair." View oEmbed on the source website Who is in the cast? Nicola Walker leads the cast as Hannah, joined by Episodes actor Stephen Mangan who plays her husband Nathan, and actor Barry Atsma as a former flame at her new firm. Britannia’s Annabel Scholey stars as Nina who works at the family law firm, competing with her sister. Rounding out the trio is Grantchester actress Fiona Button playing the youngest sibling Rose who is struggling to navigate life in the capital, while their mysterious father is portrayed by Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) The high-profile divorcing couple at the heart of Hannah and Nina's conflict are played by Meera Syal and Stephen Tompkinson whose split is set to make for fiery TV. Who is behind the drama? The Split was created by writer Abi Morgan who won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries for her work on the BBC show The Hour. Morgan is also an acclaimed film screenwriter having also worked on Shame, The Iron Lady and Suffragette. It’s not only in the writing department that the show has pedigree as director Jessica Hobbs has credits including Emily Watson-starring thriller Apple Tree Yard and the ITV smash hit Broadchurch. The Split is on Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC1
Everything you need to know about the new Channel 4 drama being dubbed a mixture of The Affair and Homeland
Dutch drama Flight HS13 has been a hit abroad and is now airing in the UK on Channel 4. But when is it on and what’s it about? When is Flight HS13 on TV? The show is on Tuesdays at 12.30am on Channel 4. What is Flight HS13 about? The drama series is described as a cross between The Affair and Homeland, mixing the life of a seemingly perfect family with a tantalising mystery. The show revolves around Simon, a Dutch surgeon, who has the perfect life. However, this perfect life might soon be shattered by revelations of potential adultery. When Simon boards Flight HS13 to Barcelona the plane crashes leaving all on board dead. The only problem is, Simon isn’t among the dead. The Dutch import is set to be a heady mixture of tense, espionage action and family drama. What follows is a tense, gripping drama that promises to leave the audience guessing at every turn. Can I watch a trailer? The trailer for the Dutch drama shows the heady mixture of tense, espionage action and family drama wrapped up in mystery. View oEmbed on the source website
When is The Button on BBC1? What's it about?
Everything you need to know about the new BBC1 game show
What time is The Button on TV? The Button, the new family game show from the BBC is at 8.30pm on Fridays on BBC1. The half-hour show, which comes from the creators of Taskmaster including comedian Alex Horne, promises to bring family fun to the living room on Friday nights. What’s The Button about? The Button follows five families whose living rooms are rigged up with cameras as they attempt to complete a series of tasks set by the titular Button. The Button, voiced by Alex Horne, will interrupt the banter between the family members to give instructions on the various tasks they must complete. The challenges range from reciting the alphabet backwards without vowels to bouncing a ping-pong ball into a mug as well as a unique task involving a room full of pool toys. The show promises to be a hybrid of Gogglebox and Taskmaster, taking the game show concept to a new and unique place. Can I watch a trailer? Yup, the BBC unveiled a new trailer for the game show including an interesting look at some of the hilarious tasks the families must complete to win money. View oEmbed on the source website Who’s behind the show? The show was co-created by comedian Alex Horne whose previous work includes the Dave comedy panel show, and The Button inspiration, Taskmaster. Horne provides the voice of The Button on the show giving the contestant families the instructions needed to complete the various tasks. The Button is on Fridays at 8:30pm on BBC1
Our Wildest Dreams on Channel 4 - what time is it and what's it about?
Everything you need to know about the new Channel 4 documentary series
What time is Our Wildest Dreams on TV? The new Channel 4 documentary series is on Fridays at 8pm on Channel 4 and concludes on Friday 18th May. What is Our Wildest Dreams about? Our Wildest dreams focuses on British families who make the huge leap of moving away from the UK and restarting their life somewhere remote in the world. Episode one of the documentary series focuses on the 52-year-old Mari, her husband Kurikindi and their daughter Samai, as they uproot their lives and move from south-east London to Amazon rain forest in Ecuador. David Attenborough: we must act now to protect our oceans from the deadly threat of plastic Spider crabs terrify Blue Planet II viewers Blue Planet II producer reveals the secrets of the show’s success Mari, who originally met her husband in the Amazon rain forest, is returning to his home with her family in what is set to be the biggest challenge of her life. The Brit runs her own business and is weary of the dangers and isolation of living alone in the jungle. Watch as Mari and her family begin their brave and incredible journey in the wilds of Ecuador. Our Wildest Dreams starts on Channel 4 on Friday 27th April at 8:00pm