Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2025-02-04T17:44:34.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Buffy's reboot having a female-led creative team is essential – here's why
items: Red Dwarf's return is sorely needed – imperfections and all
items: Danny Dyer – and Rivals – aren't above the soaps, actually
items: Shannen Doherty raised a generation in Charmed
items: Doctor Who's ratings are a success for Russell T Davies in a way that's crucial to its future
items: Sorry Buffy fans, Angel's controversial ending was actually perfect
items: Doctor Who's schedule change is inevitable – but still heartbreaking
items: Sam Waterston quitting Law & Order feels like losing a TV dad
items: From exclusion to inclusion: Celebrating soaps' disability history
items: Doctor Who's disability representation proves why small moments matter
items: Doctor Who's Davros reinvention is crucial for disabled fans
items: Netflix's Bodies doesn't need to "fix" its disabled characters
items: Emmerdale needs to do one thing with Aaron Dingle as he returns
items: Charmed was a silly show - and that made it magic
items: Hollyoaks: Behind-the-scenes at soap's groundbreaking disability-focused episode
items: Why Strictly's 'plan' to cast a wheelchair user is important for the disabled community
items: Coronation Street's Stephen is the Mr. Bean of soap killers - and we love him for it
items: We can't overstate the importance of a disabled character in Doctor Who
items: Drama, death and dalliances: a love letter to Christmas time in soaps
items: 8 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Kyle struggles to hide killer secret
items: 8 Coronation Street spoilers next week: Hope holds séance for John Stape
items: 6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Is Amy Mitchell's life in danger?

Buffy's reboot having a female-led creative team is essential – here's why
type: item
date: 2025-02-04T17:39:25.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: Nomadland director Chloé Zhao is among the talent crafting this potential new era for Sarah Michelle Gellar's iconic vampire slayer.
encoded: A sequel reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reportedly in the works, with Sarah Michelle Gellar anticipated to return to the titular role and the Oscar-winning director and long-time Buffy fan Chloé Zhao to direct the pilot episode. And, notably, no sign of Buffy creator Joss Whedon. Here's why the female-led creative team is vitally important. Buffy Summers's apocalypse prevention campaign began in 1997. Since then, a lot of time has passed – and we're all a little older and wiser. She was the pretty blonde high school student who didn't die in the opening credits but lived to be the hero, the once-in-a-generation girl picked by fate to be the vampire slayer. That was the simple genius of Buffy. It made a young female character central in a way not seen before – at least not done with such thought and such care. For all its horror, it felt homey. For all its surrealism, it felt grounded. The show was about a group of teens trying to find their way through: different Willow (Alyson Hannigan), uncool but trying Xander (Nicholas Brendon), cool Oz (Seth Green), and ex-demon Anya (Emma Caulfield) – and Buffy's love interest and very-much-not-a-teen vampire-with-a-soul, Angel (David Boreanaz). For all its serialism, you could feel the care in the detail. Its interest in, and respect for, what it is to be a teenager. It's an almost painfully, fully detailed account of trying to grow up. Over its seven seasons, we watched Buffy and her friends grow up through experiencing grief, heartbreak and the human and inhuman imperfections of the world around them. They leave school and go off to college and do more. Buffy develops into her slayer role, learning to cope with the new intricacies, resenting the new responsibilities and ultimately accepting having to bear them. I have been a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer since I was a little girl. I didn't fully grasp what it was to be a teenage girl – the aches of growing pains. But as the years passed, I returned to it as I heade…

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Red Dwarf's return is sorely needed – imperfections and all
type: item
date: 2025-01-29T17:00:39.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: A comeback is on the horizon – but it's had its complications.
encoded: Since its inception in 1988, Red Dwarf has provided comfort to its fans with its weird, gutsy, and even slightly naff British nature. Despite apparent recent complications with its planned comeback, it sorely needs to return for them. For those not in the know, the beloved BBC comedy followed slobbish Dave Lister (Craig Charles) as he wakes up on a mining vessel 3 million years after the radiation leak that wiped out the crew. The last human in the universe, his only mates are stiff with supposed refinement hologram Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie), perpetually miffed yet Messiah-like ship’s computer Holly (Norman Lovett and, subsequently, Hattie Hayridge), and a humanoid descendent of Lister’s pet cat (Danny John-Jules). Once Robert Llewellyn joined as pernickety mechanoid Kryten, it was such a gifted cast that you believed in every mythical and mundane element, even if you could’ve sworn you saw the sellotape and spit holding it all together – so handcrafted you could see the handprints. In the midst of the glossy TV landscape of today, it would be refreshing to see Red Dwarf return with that same level of care, gutsily marking its place amid the multi-million dollar streamer releases. With Red Dwarf, Doug Naylor and Rob Grant meticulously crafted a lived-in, curry-stained universe with a sharp sense of self-awareness, not allowing budgets to act as a break on a good old time. The ideas Red Dwarf explored were compelling and, for the time, often far-fetched and even groundbreaking – from the possible consequences of AI to the Pleasure GELF, talking toasters to gazpacho soup to Mr Flibble and Ace Rimmer. Its humour came from the innate melancholy and odd-couple dynamic central to all great sitcoms – it was lad banter but with a flicker of the emotional and complex. A strange creature of a thing: kids being allowed to play grown-up for a while. Red Dwarf is at its best when it focuses on Lister and Rimmer and their dynamic. As in the season 1 episode Balance of Power, R…

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Danny Dyer – and Rivals – aren't above the soaps, actually
type: item
date: 2024-10-23T11:02:23.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Comment
subject: Disney Plus
description: Rivals has the very best of a soap at its heart.
encoded: Danny Dyer has been praised by viewers watching the highly-anticipated Disney Plus adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s 1988 "bonkbuster" Rivals. The EastEnders actor stars as Freddie Jones in the series, set in 1986 and follows the cut-throat world of television production. But as one fan wrote on X: "Danny Dyer is so fun to watch in Rivals, more of this, please, don’t waste him on soaps or football factories." This soap snobbery ignores that Rivals presents a captivating, quintessentially camp blend of the Kardashians and Emmerdale’s Tate family – it has soap in its DNA; it's sensual slapstick with a bit of Barbara Windsor’s Carry On charm. Soaps have become synonymous with vibrant storytelling and characters that resonate with audiences across generations. From the set of EastEnders to the cobbles of Coronation Street, soaps have perfected a formula which clearly influences Rivals. Even though that must stick in the throat of some diehard soap snobs, TV, it seems, cannot be mere fluff or a bit of fun; it has to be something altogether more substantial and worthwhile. But this notion fails to take into account that soaps are substantial in the way that they live and breathe beyond mere entertainment. There is no shame in inviting audiences to come and get close to a world of pure heightened imagination: frivolous, nonsensical, camp. And in fairness, a Jilly Cooper "bonkbuster" hardly seems more highbrow, substantial or "worthy" – that comes from a place of deep affection and respect, to be clear: in a world where it often feels like we have to care and care deeply, about every push notification and talking point, where anxiety is being trodden ever deeper into every groove of our brain, it’s right that we are fed, and experience, some simple escapism. The snobbery was even present in Rivals producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins's experience when he was trying to get the show made. He also had a lengthy stint working on EastEnders (which accounts for the show’s soapy goodness…

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Shannen Doherty raised a generation in Charmed
type: item
date: 2024-07-15T15:37:53.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: Fans are grieving the loss of the Prue Halliwell actress.
encoded: Fans have been grieving the loss of Shannen Doherty, star of witchcraft fantasy Charmed, who has passed away at the age of 53. There is grief for the big sister, the soft-hearted badass and the woman and actor who sold no one fairytales. Growing up with the Charmed Ones was like growing up with sisters from a slightly mystical world; they were diamond-encrusted but cosy, messy and well-meaning. Charmed was always about the humanity behind the magic, the sisterhood of it all. Prue Halliwell, played by Shannen Doherty, was the anchor that grounded the series. As the eldest of the Charmed Ones, Prue's practicality, responsibility, and no-nonsense attitude balanced her sisters' more free-spirited nature. She made it all so real. Her power as an actor was that she was this iconic, era-defining presence who still felt like the put-upon big sister ready to tell you off - she was just always there. I say the Charmed Ones raised me, and I mean it. This show wasn't just about entertainment; it was a guide that taught me about the ups and downs of life, helping me grow and learn. It offered advice on everything from fashion to dating. So much entertainment, then and now, is telling women how they should be. Charmed didn't dictate what I should want or how I should be. For all its whimsical, homespun charm, the show's power lay in its unflinching honesty about relationships and the complexities of being human. Wrapped in a cosy, nostalgic package, it tackled feminist themes and said, 'Here are these women, flaws and all - because being a woman is hard and being a sister is hard too.' As Prue Halliwell once said: "Don't worry. We'll be safe here." View oEmbed on the source website Prue represented the quintessential strong and responsible persona. She's the strength and the group’s de facto leader, characteristics that earned her the reputation as the most powerful witch of the Halliwell sisters. Lines like, "While I admire your confidence and your fearlessness, your utter lack …

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Doctor Who's ratings are a success for Russell T Davies in a way that's crucial to its future
type: item
date: 2024-06-29T18:00:15.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: The show needs to focus on its younger audience.
encoded: Doctor Who has always felt like a hand-me-down, and that feeling and Russell T Davies’s approach to engaging with a younger audience are crucial to its future. The first question that often comes up in conversation with a Doctor Who fan, whether at Comic-Con or a nail salon, is, "Who is your Doctor?" It so often brings warmth to the other person’s eye. Each fan usually has one — the one who evokes a story, nostalgia, or a time of life. Usually, it’s their first. They narrate their first memory of their Doctor or a scene that pulled them in; years or decades later, a smile will come across their face, a "Do you remember when...?" That’s the DNA of Doctor Who - the magic of it, that indescribable something. Russell T Davies gets that as a fellow Doctor Who enthusiast who could pull apart and put back together the history of Doctor Who, who still gets that warmth in his eye when he recalls a Doctor Who memory from his own youth. He commented on his push for younger viewers, saying: "The under-16s and the 16-34 audience, as well, is massive. It's not doing that well in the ratings, but it is doing phenomenally well with the younger audience that we wanted." That younger audience will one day answer the question, "Who’s your Doctor?" with a smile and two words: Ncuti Gatwa. As Davies has also stated, "In coming back, I wanted to make it simpler, and I wanted to make it younger." We often think of Doctor Who as something that has always been there and always will be. But that hasn’t always proven to be true. Doctor Who has lived across generations, has evolved across eras, and has meant so much to so many — it has a careworn, handmade quality. It belongs to the fans, to Davies as a 10-year-old who read The Making of Doctor Who with care. But it also needs to survive. Its survival rests on its ability to continue to appeal and snag onto the hearts and minds of younger audiences so that a Baker fan can meet a Tennant fan, a Gatwa fan, and so on and on it must go. It’s too s…

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Sorry Buffy fans, Angel's controversial ending was actually perfect
type: item
date: 2024-05-19T07:00:58.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: RT Rewind
description: Twenty years on, Angel's finale still stands up.
encoded: Angel often gets overshadowed by the show it was spun off from, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, its controversial ending has sparked much debate over the years — it isn’t a finale; it’s the show’s ever-present, nitty-gritty mission statement. From the pilot’s opening moments to the finale’s closing seconds, a well-thought-out plan seemed consistently in place, although it often felt muddled in the middle. In the debut episode, vampire-with-a-soul Angel (David Boreanaz) moves to LA to start a new life and help those in need. He joins forces with the resourceful Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and the half-demon Doyle (Glenn Quinn) to battle supernatural threats. We should always go back to the beginning, because it skillfully establishes the setting, develops characters, and lays the groundwork for the entire series. It also, almost effortlessly, ties in the last seconds of the finale. In showing Angel’s pain and how troubled Doyle coaxes and persuades him out of the darkness, it does so much work in its stripped-backness. Two troubled men, one-on-one, "'Cause you got potential. And the balance sheet ain’t exactly in your favour." When the final episode aired, I felt ripped off. But decades later, I get it. I have grown into it. It’s now my favourite ending — I have the biggest soft spot for the characters. After all, it’s so painfully, quintessentially Angel to end with the team still fighting, half already dead, and more clearly on their way out. Buffy fans who treat Angel as a continuation, an add-on, do it a disservice. Many popular fandom criticisms focus on comparing it to Buffy’s essence and foundations rather than what its own was meant to be — different. In aesthetics, mission statements, thesis, and the way they pull from various eras of life. Buffy is about growing up — Angel is about being grown. From the first episode, Angel is an intimate, up-close, staring-you-right-in-the-face experience of addiction, the need for redemption, and how a person earns i…

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Doctor Who's schedule change is inevitable – but still heartbreaking
type: item
date: 2024-03-19T22:00:02.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Comment
subject: Disney Plus
description: The major change will diminish the event nature and experience of watching the series.
encoded: With the decision being made to debut new Doctor Who episodes at midnight on BBC iPlayer, many Whovians have expressed their disappointment. They argue that the choice was made for US-based audiences, and it undeniably was. When the first two episodes are released on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Saturday 11th May, they will also be available on Disney Plus at 7pm ET on Friday 10th May, before BBC One airs them again later in the day on Saturday. This means that while viewers on the US East Coast can enjoy the premiere episode in the late evening, UK fans will have to stay up into the late hours of the night to watch, diminishing the event nature and experience of watching the series. For many fans, watching Doctor Who live on Saturday nights has been a tradition. My father used to share stories of watching Doctor Who as a boy crouched behind the couch. It has always been a special event to look forward to each week. It’s not just about watching the show itself, but also about being part of a shared experience. Releasing the episodes at midnight on streaming takes away from this communal aspect. The threat to Doctor Who's loyal communities is the most concerning issue, as these dedicated fans have fully embraced the show's intricate history, nuanced politics and profound themes. They find joy in analysing its storylines and actively engaging with the narrative as it happens. Doctor Who has a community that has played a key role in building the show up and has crafted its own spaces with care. However, if we all watch at different times, this sense of collective experience may be lost online and in-person. The show has become a part of many fans' lives, providing a source of immediate connection and camaraderie through creating memes, reactions, trends, a unique shorthand and handmade costumes. What if a push to make it bigger, grander or more polished ruins its charm? Ultimately, what makes Doctor Who special is that it feels like ours; we all have a hand in it, it fee…

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Sam Waterston quitting Law & Order feels like losing a TV dad
type: item
date: 2024-02-21T16:00:13.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Comment
subject: NOW
subject: On demand
subject: Sky
description: The police procedural is losing one of its greats.
encoded: Sam Waterston has played Jack McCoy for almost as long as I have been alive, so the news that the iconic, fearsome, fedora-wearing district attorney was leaving Law & Order after over 400 episodes hit me hard. After so many years, it feels like saying farewell to a TV dad – a character I’ve grown up watching and a source of great comfort, accompanying me through the ups and the downs of my life. McCoy is a fundamental part of Law & Order, along with its trademark two-part structure, the shoddy, flimsy false alibis, and the iconic, ever-reverberating dun-dun. The formula is reliable and well-worn in an ever-changing world, with the cases, so often ripped from headlines, neatly resolved in a one-hour episode – in turn satisfying our longing for simple solutions to hard truths. My introduction to the character came through re-runs, when he first appeared in the season 5 premiere. It was all there: the swagger and confidence, the unrepentant self-righteousness, the lapses in professionalism, the McCoy coolness. But he's mellowed since, as we all have, going on to become the face and steady presence of Law & Order. One of the show's and McCoy's most important moments occurs in season 6's Aftershock, when he witnesses an execution. What follows is a thoughtful, subdued discussion about the moral complexities of capital punishment, which humanises him and the issue itself, proving that the best, most impactful television happens in its quieter moments. My own favourite McCoy moment happens during his cross-examination of a defendant in season 15's Fluency, when he uses a poignant analogy from an Orson Welles film to cut through his excuses. The man claims he couldn't have known that distributing counterfeit vaccines would lead to 16 people's deaths, but McCoy's response shatters his lies by cleverly exposing his apparent indifference to the dead: "And you couldn't foresee the risk to those patients? They were just dots to you, weren't they? Far away, insignificant. And if …

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From exclusion to inclusion: Celebrating soaps' disability history
type: item
date: 2023-12-13T11:50:07.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: Melissa Parker explores the history of disability representation in soap.
encoded: Marking Disability History Month provides a unique opportunity to reflect on disability representation in soap – our past, present and future – where we’ve been and are going. Over the years, there has been a transformation, a vulnerable and imperfect transformation: through the aches and pangs of growing pains as disability representation evolved from reinforcing stereotypes and excluding disabled people to building – sometimes imperfectly – us up, up, and up. The staring-you-right-in-the-face experiences, the uncomfortable conversations, the righting of deep wrongs and, increasingly, the joy of disabled lives. As a disabled person who grew up watching soaps, I feel fortunate to have personally witnessed this shift, but I also recognise the damage that comes with a painful history. For every new introduction of a disabled character, piece of increased visibility, portrayal of disabled plot lines, or emergence of disabled actors as advocates, there are hard-fought, hard-won personal histories. Nowhere is this history or evolution more evident than when speaking to two disabled actors whose experiences, both personal and professional, have helped shape their perspectives and firmed their voices. Cherylee Houston made history as Coronation Street’s first disabled actress. Remembering her own early encounters with disabled characters on screen, she cites Maud Grimes (Elizabeth Bradley) in Coronation Street. While Maud, who used a wheelchair, was played by a non-disabled actress, there are unmistakable parallels between her bold and formidable persona and Houston’s character, Izzy Armstrong. Both women exude strength and confidence across generations, embodying the spirit of formidable northern women with a natural grace and poise. But that early character could only grasp half a reality as, throughout history, disabled people have fought tirelessly for recognition of their lived experience; building upon those early memories, disabled people have advocated for their un…

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Doctor Who's disability representation proves why small moments matter
type: item
date: 2023-11-29T16:00:15.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: Ruth Madeley made her on-screen Doctor Who debut as Shirley Anne Bingham.
encoded: Doctor Who fans worldwide are being charmed by the highly anticipated 60th anniversary specials. However, one character has sparked excitement and intrigue among disabled viewers: Shirley Anne Bingham, played by Ruth Madeley. This more nuanced portrayal of a wheelchair user in Doctor Who is an extraordinary step forward for representation in the beloved series — but amid the fantastical, fairytale things, there can still be hard realities. Ruth Madeley’s work has never been about perfection, but complex, hard-fought realities, and the same can be said of Russell T Davies. Both can get to the personal, up-close, staring-you-right-in-the-face experience through their writing and performances. They possess a unique ability to bring audiences close, allowing them to leave a lasting impact. In these seconds on screen, we see the full power of disability representation. Often, the small, up-close moments have the most unforeseen consequences. Upon close inspection, a subtle, perhaps unconsciously done detail becomes apparent in a scene: Ruth Madeley’s character crosses her legs. This seemingly insignificant moment holds profound meaning for disabled people as it was picked apart across social media by non-disabled people. We understand all too well the scrutiny and misunderstanding we often face regarding our own bodies. As a wheelchair user, I have endured so much: uncomfortable gazes from men on buses, questions about why my leg is “bent” or “warped,” and unsolicited comments about my muscular legs not appearing “disabled enough” not to work. One of the earliest questions I ever asked a stranger was, “Why are you looking at my legs like that?”, instinctively adjusting protectively. So, the abundance of social media reactions about a wheelchair user in Doctor Who crossing her legs on screen, frequently mistakenly assumed to be a continuity error, was unsurprising. Non-disabled people know nothing of what it’s like to live in and around our wheelchairs through various sta…

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Doctor Who's Davros reinvention is crucial for disabled fans
type: item
date: 2023-11-21T12:37:54.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: Russell T Davies made clear that the change was a conscious decision to move away from troubling tropes.
encoded: The decision made by Russell T Davies to change the appearance of malevolent evil-doer Davros in Doctor Who to remove the scarring and wheelchair use is so significant for disabled fans across past, present, and future generations. As a disabled child growing up with Doctor Who, I was instantly drawn to the mysterious and chilling character of Davros; from the moment he appeared on screen, his presence captivated and unsettled me. Love Doctor Who? Listen to our podcast interview about Doctor Who games! But as I matured, an unsettling feeling of unease crept into my consciousness. I couldn’t get rid of the idea that Davros and countless other Doctor Who villains, such as John Lumic (Roger Lloyd Pack), another wheelchair user, fell into a troubling trope that profoundly impacted me and others. As a character, Davros embodies a particular trope that has been present in storytelling for centuries. It is the notion that a character’s moral and physiological nature are intrinsically linked. This idea is as universal as it is old. It suggests that physical disability is telling of inherently villainous or tragic characteristics, strengthening the harmful notion that disabled individuals are somehow flawed, lesser or tainted. My memories of Doctor Who are of the good sometimes mingled too tightly with the bad. The power of the trope can be felt before it is fully understood or seen – disabled people feel it in the way we’re taken apart and put back together again. Our experience of the prejudice and stigma such ideas provoke is still fraught and muddy – a mess of feelings. Over time, you could gradually watch the light behind my eyes change from innocent devotion to betrayal. For years, Doctor Who had told me, unwittingly, something was wrong with me. But recently, Doctor Who returned to screens with a particular scene featuring Davros, who was played once again by Julian Bleach, without a wheelchair or scarring – and while viewers might have thought that it was simply beca…

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Netflix's Bodies doesn't need to "fix" its disabled characters
type: item
date: 2023-10-23T11:06:26.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Comment
subject: Netflix
description: Bodies goes further with its disability representation - and is better for it.
encoded: Warning: Spoilers ahead for Netflix's Bodies. New Netflix series Bodies, an eight-part adaptation of the graphic novel by Si Spencer, observes four distinct detectives in past, present and future London as they investigate a mysterious murder in their separate periods. DS Hasan (Amaka Okafor) stumbles upon the body of a mysterious victim, naked and featureless but for an unfamiliar tattoo and an evident gunshot wound to the eye. Then, an on-screen clock rewinds us to 1941 and 1890, before cutting ahead to a half-dystopian 2053. As roughly identical findings occur, DI Hillinghead (Kyle Soller) in 1890, DS Whiteman (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) in 1941 and DC Maplewood (Shira Haas) in 2053 discover the same body. It’s a Doctor Who, Goodnight Sweetheart and Glass Onion hybrid — with more autopsies. It’s pretty, gritty, stylised, squalor. In these surroundings and through the forlorn and semi-bionic DC Maplewood, the show considers something deeper about disability representation and the reality of being a disabled person - the strain of it, which will resonate with many disabled viewers. View Green Video on the source website As Maplewood visits her half-brother Alby’s (Edwin Thomas) rundown home to ask for his assistance in secretly identifying the body, we see he is a wheelchair user. The tension is palpable as she spits, "We were born with this condition, Alby, but we don’t have to live with it." Alby responds with a fierce, "F**k you!" But Maplewood presses, "The grass is greener." He states plainly, significantly, "I’m not okay with giving up my freedom, just so I can f**king walk!" Read more sci-fi: Doctor Who's Scream of the Shalka deserves to be celebrated If Loki can’t save the MCU, no one can After all, sci-fi and fantasy have a long history of "fixing" disabled people without effort, sanitising the experience. Here, we see the human reaction up close: Alby’s revulsion and the tension on Maplewood’s face. As disabled people, we’re often told we need to be fixed, to f…

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Emmerdale needs to do one thing with Aaron Dingle as he returns
type: item
date: 2023-10-11T14:35:46.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Emmerdale
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: The beloved character needs a change.
encoded: The atmosphere felt calculated and moody as Cain's victim unbowed their head to reveal a bruised face, hidden behind a hoodie in a dingy room as they flexed their knuckles against his restraints. It sparked a sense of initial elation. I know and love this character; it’s like welcoming home an old friend in a manner so quintessentially Aaron Dingle — hunched over, ready to lash out. But this was quickly followed by disappointment, a weariness. Here we go again, as the storyline appeared to be setting up for another traumatic event for the character — any Aaron fan will tell you it’s often an emotional slog. He is banged up, bruised, and almost impossibly still going. Aaron is my favourite soap character; we grew up together, and Danny Miller is undoubtedly one of the most talented actors in soap. He has an innate ability to convey the raw, unfiltered emotions that connect viewers to the human experience underneath, producing fierce, rough, phenomenal performances — even as his tear ducts must ache. Understandably, Emmerdale wants to showcase such a gifted actor’s talent by giving him intense storylines and wringing them out, draining every emotional moment. Other soaps have been equally heavy-handed in the present and past. But it is also crucial for the audience to see how these characters deal with everyday situations to fully invest in their traumatic experiences, to see them lick their wounds and process, rather than continuously, callously, reopening them. Without this balance, these highly emotional moments begin to feel manufactured and lack the human touch and reality that makes them relatable. As viewers, we have invested countless hours watching Aaron endure an endless stream of traumatic events, each seemingly chipping away at him, smashing into him. We have been constantly given close-up shots showcasing his emotional burdens and bloodied fists, the tension that seems to radiate from his skin perfectly, ever-coiled to react to the next misfortune. Hasn’t…

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Charmed was a silly show - and that made it magic
type: item
date: 2023-10-07T07:00:31.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: Comment
subject: RT Rewind
description: 25 years on, we look back at the magic of Charmed.
encoded: Sometimes, we all need to experience uninhibited handmade hockiness — with an edge. For 25 years, Charmed, the iconic TV series about three powerful sisters, Prue (played by Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and later, Paige (Rose McGowan), collectively known as The Charmed Ones, fighting demons and navigating love and life, has been providing just that. It’s pop culture comfort food, diamanté-encrusted, rose-tinted villainy, '90s shabby chic — feminism 101. I say that with immense love, admiration and gratitude because, as a disabled child, that attitude and space helped me endure. Even today, at 31, I still revisit — because who doesn’t occasionally crave the comfort and loving embrace of home? The manor, with its mouldings, enormous windows, staircase and stained glass, forms the very foundation of this world. And then there’s the decor—the quilts, the rugs, the lampshades, the dollhouse manor, the family photos, the overstuffed, mismatched, rumpled furniture, and an overall lived-in look which oozed comfort. I still yearn for that warm hug that the Charmed universe exudes. The show has crafted a vivid and enchanting world full of a unique female lineage and mythology, along with relatable growing pains — it has a knack for reminding you that you’re human and letting you lick your wounds about it. Its power also lies in its ability to seamlessly blend the female experience with raw, sincere human emotion and mythic, surreal, and silly. It also delved into important themes such as love, loss, and personal growth. Prue’s sober burden of responsibility as the elder sister after losing both her mother and grandmother, Piper’s desire for a life outside of magic, Phoebe’s relationships and later search for love while balancing her career and studies, and Paige’s introduction and her eventual search for her individual identity. As '90s fashion gave way to tighter clothes and glossier lips, they were transported through time and past li…

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Hollyoaks: Behind-the-scenes at soap's groundbreaking disability-focused episode
type: item
date: 2023-06-26T11:01:38.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Hollyoaks
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
description: Hollyoaks will air a special episode which will tell the stories of disabled people.
encoded: Soap fans have come to associate advertised special episodes with explosions, death, destruction... So, on a notepad, before a Zoom call with the writer of Hollyoaks’ upcoming special ‘What’s Your Normal?’, I had simply scrawled, “no stunt (?)”. No. This is different. Hollyoaks is dedicating an entire episode to the lives of disabled people – showing their intimate, ordinary and staring-you-right-in-the-face experiences. This episode has been part of a process undertaken by the actors, writers and production team to craft a broader narrative around disability to unravel some truths – and some untruths – away from stunts and sensationalism. It was written by Jonathan Boam, who is neurodivergent, and directed by Bim Ajadi, who is deaf. When I spoke with actors and production behind-the-scenes of the special, it was clear they wanted it to be an up-close, personal experience. They have skin in the game, as illustrated by Rory Douglas-Speed’s experience of having diabetes. Douglas-Speed recalls: “I actually flagged up a few years ago [when Joel had a drug addiction]. I thought, ‘OK, it may tie in quite nicely’, because when you have diabetes, obviously you take insulin to live every day. And when he was a heroin addict, he was almost taking something to die every day.” The idea didn’t get picked up until later; as he tells the story, his excitement is palpable, “I went in for a meeting this time. And I’m told, ‘Oh, we’re making Joel diabetic.’ I was buzzing.” In the episode, Joel has been feeling unwell for a while and after collapsing, is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He struggles to come to terms with it and doesn’t want to be seen differently by his friends and family. So, he keeps it a secret. For both the writer and actor, it was important to capture that transition, show the vulnerability and the effort of acceptance, and show why he needs that layer of secrecy – and protection – as he goes through it. The actor reflects: “So many things can be misconstrued, or …

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Why Strictly's 'plan' to cast a wheelchair user is important for the disabled community
type: item
date: 2023-02-10T12:56:21.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: The backlash was inevitable, but future generations need to see such representation on big shows like Strictly, writes Melissa Parker.
encoded: It’s being reported that BBC bosses plan to cast a wheelchair user in the forthcoming season of Strictly Come Dancing following the recent success of disabled contestants Rose Ayling-Ellis and Ellie Simmonds. However, the backlash proves that radical on and off-screen representation will only happen when we have conversations which remove ignorance; so that disabled people can see themselves fully on screen. As Dr Kirsty Liddiard from the University of Sheffield states: “The hateful comments directed at BBC Strictly’s [reported] plans to include a wheelchair-user contestant in the 2023 series speak loudly to the ignorance that many disabled people face in their everyday lives.” But it can be a learning experience for those who diminish us – letting the truth ring out. We can be creative, sensual, refined, and coordinated on a dance floor and off. Ru, a disability rights activist with a significant online following, understands this natural reaction, saying: “Unsurprisingly, it has been met with ignorance and bigotry from the public.” They note that their initial response, along with many other wheelchair users, was to smile, because such representation in shows like Strictly will offer insight. We are the largest minority group, and yet we’re so often omitted, so having such visible representation which is joyful and inclusive allows disabled people to be themselves. Social media has given trolls an unmediated voice, but disabled people have had their voices uplifted by a community that understands the struggles and how far we’ve come. Within hours of the rumours, Kate Stanforth, a wheelchair-using ballerina and the owner of an inclusive dance academy, had posted a screenshot shared by a user online reading: “I’m sorry about anyone in a wheel chair, but if this is for real then sorry then we stop watching. Then they will have dancing dogs or cats as partners. Include everything on gods earth. Why not ?” These comments should be in the open. We need to acknowledge th…

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Coronation Street's Stephen is the Mr. Bean of soap killers - and we love him for it
type: item
date: 2023-01-27T16:51:38.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Coronation Street
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: Bumbling Stephen gives us much-needed light relief.
encoded: Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) has stumbled accidentally into murder on Coronation Street and slightly strained villainy — the Mr. Bean of soap killers. After all, the character had to kill his second victim, Teddy Thompkins (Grant Burgin), when he discovered that Stephen had killed his son Leo (Joe Frost). He had to pick up the nearest heavy object, the office’s hole punch, and fatally strike Teddy. Moments later, he tells an unsuspecting Michael Bailey (Ryan Russell), “I think I’ve done enough punching for today”. In later scenes, his face turns from pulsating to seemingly slack with shock, his voice ravaged by terror, “come on.” He implored when the roof box containing Teddy’s body floated — until he threw rocks at it, it miraculously lowered as a passerby wished him a good evening. Earlier, a neighbourly Abi Webster (Sally Carman) had asked. “Blimey, what have you got in here?” This is the simple gift of it all; ordinary life continues around him. His storyline and increasing desperation have been woven through the most mundane realities of family life: as David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) fiercely yearned for a wood chippings bargain. Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) drove to visit an old friend as Teddy’s hidden corpse remained — though she grumbled about the weight and her son’s nagging. The family simply sniped and bickered on. It’s also woven around Summer Spellman’s (Harriet Bibby) experiences as an anxious teenage girl still coming to terms with her father’s death, her health concerns and other traumatic events — diabetes, bulimia, pregnancy, surrogacy, miscarriage. These essential storylines should be on our screens, in ordinary living rooms, to convey the pressures on today’s young people and to give viewers a prod. However, audiences have often felt pummeled. Coronation Street has also portrayed some critical issues around Max Turner (Paddy Bever), including raising awareness about the dangers and impact of date rape drugs, up-skirting, and his own vulnerability t…

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We can't overstate the importance of a disabled character in Doctor Who
type: item
date: 2023-01-06T14:52:41.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: We don’t know anything about Ruth Madeley's character – but a generation of disabled viewers know how she should be handled.
encoded: Ruth Madeley's casting in Doctor Who is already a game-changing piece of disability representation. The BAFTA nominee, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, will appear as a character named Shirley Anne Bingham and was featured in the trailer for the 60th anniversary of the BBC sci-fi series. Madeley’s performances throughout her career reveal a simple truth: being disabled is not a shorthand for pitiable. Whether a disabled mother fighting to keep her newborn child or a pioneering disability rights campaigner, her characters all have one tie that connects them – they are ordinary, 3D, disabled women. They're the sort of women seldom seen on screen who remain ever-present in our communities, our vibrant histories and our culture. We are the generation with the vision to want progress, who knew things could be better but didn’t see it in the media growing up. Now we are witnessing disabled people in the media whose voices are ringing loud and clear for change – who keep pushing on. We didn’t see disability representation as children or teenagers, but the next generation will. View oEmbed on the source website There’s a refusal to be confined by the stereotypes that have littered our history. A refusal to accept discrimination or received wisdom about what it means to be disabled and the way they are fighting to replace limiting notions with something so much more humanly compelling, relatable, and authentic. We don’t know anything yet about Shirley Anne Bingham – but a generation of disabled viewers know how she should be handled. As Dr Kirsty Liddiard from the University of Sheffield states: “It’s brilliant to see the wonderful Ruth Madeley join Doctor Who – a disabled woman actor in a primetime role is, sadly, still a rarity. "She brings her own lived experience to the role, which is crucial towards countering tokenism and offering audiences accurate portrayals of disability.” It is important to channel lived experiences and the unique hopes and fea…

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Drama, death and dalliances: a love letter to Christmas time in soaps
type: item
date: 2022-12-24T08:00:59.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: It's the most wonderful time of the year.
encoded: The origins of a festive tradition: a simple two-hander between EastEnders' Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) and her husband, Den Watts (Leslie Grantham). “This, my sweet,” Den snarled, “is a letter from my solicitor, telling you that your husband has filed a petition for divorce.” “Happy Christmas, Ange,” echoed across generations. Thus, they became the festive East End demigods. It’s estimated that more than 30 million people watched Dirty Den serve his wife with divorce papers on Christmas Day in a now-iconic episode. It’s often claimed that soaps have an exquisitely non-existent grasp of reality. Still, at their core, soaps have always depended on and roused human connections because these characters are drawn from life – we’re still being told human stories. Dirty Den serving his wife divorce papers on Christmas Day is a comparatively minor revelation, but it’s the blueprint for all who came after. There’s still a cosiness, a homeliness to it – the grasp on reality might be ever more tenuous, but these people still occupy a unique position within the public consciousness. The characters on the screen share our festive schedule, gifts, Christmas dinner, and TV. Even if they deviate slightly: gifts, Christmas dinner, bludgeon your arch-nemesis with a bust of Queen Victoria, and, if time allows, gather around the TV. As a child, I underlined what I wanted to watch in the festive edition of the Radio Times with clumsy, chubby fingers, scarcely understanding words though able to recognise photographs of soap characters – and that personal connection is still present. The choice has grown – and soaps have evolved. These specials are billed more often as “events”. It’s a rite of passage to have a formative Christmas soap memory, such as seeing Emmerdale favourite Tricia Dingle (Sheree Murphy) being crushed in the debris when the storm hit The Woolpack. But few could forget the Christmas which unfolded as the Brannings gathered around to watch Bradley Branning’s (Charlie Cle…

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8 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Kyle struggles to hide killer secret
type: item
date: 2022-11-29T07:00:53.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Emmerdale
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: Plus, Jimmy tries to help Vinny with his grief, there are two candidates for a job at Home Farm, and a war over a choir spot. Also, Bernice has health news, Chloe has a revelation, Belle has suspicions, and Marlon returns to work.
encoded: Secrets weigh heavy in next week's instalments of Emmerdale. In the wake of the bombshell that Kyle (Huey Quinn) shot and killed Al Chapman (Michael Wildman), will Kyle’s troubles start to show? Jimmy King (Nick Miles) encourages Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) to open up about his grief after the death of Liv Dingle (Isobel Steele), but will Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) appreciate his methods? Meanwhile, there are two candidates for a job at Home Farm. How will Kim Tate (Claire King) decide between Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) and Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley)? Elsewhere, Charles Anderson (Kevin Mathurin) wants to attract younger people to his choir, and Ethan Anderson (Emile John) suggests he needs to modernize. There’s also a showdown between Cathy Hope (Gabrielle Dowling) and April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan), as Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) grapples with some health news. Meanwhile, when Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) makes a joke about Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) cheating on her husband, Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) is instantly sceptical of her hesitant response. Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) becomes disgruntled with his son David Metcalfe’s (Matthew Wolfenden) gambling, and Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) prepares to return to work at the Woolpack. Read on for all you need to know on Emmerdale from 5th – 9th December 2022. 8 Emmerdale spoilers for next week: Kyle struggles to hide killer secret 1. Kyle Winchester struggles to cope In the wake of Kyle’s accidental shooting of Al and Cain Dingle’s (Jeff Hordley) imprisonment for the murder, it’s unsurprising that he begins to struggle with grief and remorse. As Kyle, Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) and Amy Wyatt (Natalie Jamieson) return from Belfast, Matty Barton (Ash Palmisciano) makes it clear he’s furious that they hid Karl’s involvement in Al’s death from him. Amy, in turn, insists that their relationship is over because she needs to prioritise Kyle’s wellbeing, but the pair later get back together. In the…

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8 Coronation Street spoilers next week: Hope holds séance for John Stape
type: item
date: 2022-11-29T07:00:09.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: Coronation Street
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: Plus, Alya threatens far-right extremist Griff, Summer continues to hide her news, Maria plans to change the Christmas markets, Steve and Tim bicker, Ken’s torn and Sean invites Laurence for Christmas.
encoded: There's quite the week of drama ahead in Coronation Street. Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) is put on the spot by Gail Platt (Helen Worth) and urged to lend his niece money. Desperate, his lies soon begin to spiral... Additionally, the ghost of John Stape looms once again as Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) celebrate a momentous occasion. Troublingly, Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) threatens far-right extremist Griff (Michael Condron) over his recent racism-fueled behaviour. Naturally, he twists it to his advantage, but how far is he willing to go? Elsewhere, Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) continues to conceal the truth about her pregnancy, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) proposes changing the Christmas markets, and Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) and Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) are locked into their unique brand of endless bickering. Finally, Martha Fraser (Stephanie Beacham) offers her legendary coaching to a distressed Mary Taylor (Patti Clare), but Ken Barlow (William Roache) faces a predicament when there’s an unmistakable chemistry with Martha. Read on for all you need to know on Coronation Street from 5th - 9th December 2022. 8 Coronation Street spoilers next week: Stephen's desperation grows 1. Gail Platt puts Stephen Reid on the spot Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) is curious when he sees Stephen and Elaine Jones (Paula Wilcox) enter the café. As Elaine reassures Tim that Stephen is honest, Stephen retrieves his phone. Lying to Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) and Gail, he makes out he had one too much to drink, fell on his arm and slept at a friend’s place for the night. Having googled Six Fellas, Gail confronts Stephen about the call from his boss. Tim later interrogates Stephen about his intentions towards Elaine, explaining her terrible time with Geoff and how he used to control her. Meanwhile, Sarah is disheartened after she meets with a potential investor, but it goes wrong. Having told them how great her proposal is, Gail and Audrey pressure Ste…

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6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Is Amy Mitchell's life in danger?
type: item
date: 2022-11-29T00:01:26.000Z
creator: Melissa Parker
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: Plus, Sonia is overwhelmed by funeral preparations, Whitney turns 30 and gets some news, Janine gets paranoid, and the panto prep gets under way.
encoded: Albert Square faces life-changing announcements this week on EastEnders. It’s a tense environment at No.27 as Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) waits to find out if he will lose his job and Amy Mitchell’s (Ellie Dadd) guilt and a misunderstanding lead to heart-breaking scenes. As the pressure mounts – will Jack keep his job after all? Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) is overwhelmed by the reality of planning Dot Cotton’s (June Brown) funeral. Will she get the support she needs? Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) turns 30 and has some news to share with Zack Hudson (James Farrar). How will he react? Elsewhere Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) gives into her paranoia about Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) and his ex Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). Meanwhile, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) and Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) put their all into organising the Christmas panto. Read on for all you need to know on EastEnders from 5th – 8th December 2022. 6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Amy hospitalised – but will she be OK? 1. Amy Mitchell self-harms and ends up in hospital Amy feels guilty about reporting Jack's attack on Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega), but Denise Fox (Diane Parish) tries to comfort and reassure her. Jack asks a hostile Howie Danes (Delroy Atkinson) to allow Denzel and Amy to spend time together again, but he's firmly rebuffed. Later, Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) intervenes and demands that Howie must at least try to get along with Jack, but he’s still reluctant. At The Vic, Jack and Denise persuade Howie that Amy is getting the support she needs, so he relents and lets his son see her. Denzel finds Amy in the café, and they have a heartfelt one-on-one conversation. But it's interrupted by Nugget (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury), who mistakenly tells Amy that Jack has lost his job. At home, a troubled Amy blames herself and self-harms. Later, Jack gets a call to say Amy didn’t attend her therapy session. He and Denise see her being put into an ambulance, and a visibly frantic Jack reassures his daugh…

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