Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-01-16T07:01:07.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: 20 best Agatha Christie TV shows and movies, ranked – from Seven Dials to Murder on the Orient Express
items: View from my sofa: Harry Hill
items: Harry Hill will never bring back TV Burp – but he wants someone else to revive it
items: Bergerac review: Reboot is less Death in Paradise, more Grace
items: Best Ghosts characters, ranked
items: Industry recap: What happened in seasons 1 and 2?
items: Missing Ghosts? 10 shows to watch to fill the Button House-shaped hole in your life
items: Shetland season 8 review: Jimmy who?
items: The Sixth Commandment finale: Ben Field's verdict, explained
items: The Bear ending explained: What will Carmy do next?
items: Sinéad Keenan on Unforgotten: 'What eejit is going to follow Nicola Walker?'
items: Gangs of London season 2 ending explained: How finale sets up potential season 3
items: BBC's Ghosts - Why Mary’s shock exit had to happen
items: Jeff Bridges on starring in The Old Man: 'TV is just as good as film nowadays'
items: Line of Duty's Jed Mercurio on scrapped storylines, Steve and Kate's potential romance and "H"
items: Bruno Tonioli's best Strictly Come Dancing moments as judge exits
items: Why that Derry Girls kiss had to happen – and what next?
items: Finn Shelby explained - what happened in the Peaky Blinders finale?
items: How The White Lotus invents the "Aloha Christie" genre

20 best Agatha Christie TV shows and movies, ranked – from Seven Dials to Murder on the Orient Express
type: item
date: 2026-01-16T07:00:47.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
description: With Netflix’s Seven Dials landing, it feels like the perfect moment to revisit Agatha Christie on screen – and decide which film and TV adaptations really are the gold standard.
encoded: Fifty years after her death, Agatha Christie remains the undisputed Queen of Crime. Her classic mystery novels have sold more than 2 billion copies and continue to enthral readers, more than 100 years since some were first written. Screen adaptations have appeared regularly for almost a century, with the latest being Netflix’s new version of The Seven Dials Mystery - plus there’s plenty more in the pipeline. But what are the all-time best? We’ve hand-picked the top 20 film and TV titles. To make the case even more fiendish, we’ve even ranked them in a countdown. Here we lay out the results of our investigation... 20. The ABC Murders (2018) This slyly cerebral adaptation from screenwriter Sarah Phelps stars John Malkovich as an older, wiser, priest-like Poirot. Having fallen into relative obscurity, the once-celebrated detective dyes his greying moustache and comes out of hiding to investigate the connection between a sequence of alphabetically orchestrated murders and the taunting anonymous letters he’s been receiving. An introspective spin on the iconic sleuth, with Rupert Grint, Andrew Buchan and Shirley Henderson lending solid support to Malkovich’s distinctive turn. Watch it on: BBC iPlayer 19. Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime (1983) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/Youtube-1796307.png" width="2112" height="1408" alt="A color image shows a man and a woman indoors, standing close together near a doorway. The woman, seen mostly in profile, wears a dark floral dress with a pink scarf and has her hair neatly pinned back; she appears to be speaking or looking into another room. The man, dressed in a light grey suit with a white shirt, dark tie, and pocket square, leans forward slightly behind her, watching intently with a serious, inquisitive expression. The setting looks like a modest interior hallway or room, with pale walls, framed pictures, and a door visible in the background, suggesting a moment of quiet tension or…

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View from my sofa: Harry Hill
type: item
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The comedian loves crime dramas but finds property shows “triggering”
encoded: Add Go Get Arty to your watchlist What’s the view from your sofa? We’ve got a telly in every room except my office. When I stopped doing [Harry Hill’s] TV Burp, I was so sick of watching TV that I got rid of the one in there. At 8pm each evening, my wife [artist Magda Archer] will watch her stuff on the kitchen TV – A Place in the Sun, almost exclusively – while I go into the TV room and watch my boy’s stuff. I like crime dramas like This City Is Ours and MobLand. They’re all the same story, really, but it’s one I enjoy. Would you ever bring back TV Burp? I don’t have any plans. These things are best left undone. We did all the jokes. Trying to re-create that, I’d be on a hiding to nothing, but I’d love someone else to do it. There’s a space for that sort of show and I’m surprised no one’s filled it. What’s Knitted Character up to now? He’s in my live show. He comes on at the end as part of the badger parade, riding on the back of a heron. Blink and you’ll miss him because he’s only tiny, but he’s still working. Knitted Character is older and wiser now. He doesn’t necessarily want the stress of a weekly show, either. What comedy inspired you as a kid? Brucey, Eric and Ernie and The Two Ronnies were big in our house, but what really got me was Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The problem was, my dad decided what was on, and at 9pm, he wanted to watch the news on BBC1. I wanted to watch Not the Nine o’Clock News on BBC2. We’d sneak it on, turn the sound down and hope he wouldn’t realise what the time was. You now voice Bristles the talking paintbrush in CBBC series Go Get Arty. The show is a bit like Neil Buchanan’s Art Attack, isn’t it? My kids watched that, but there’s been a bit of a gap ever since. Go Get Arty is the first “how to” art show for a while. It does what the BBC is supposed to do, which is educate and entertain, but not in a heavy-handed way. The BBC should never have hived off children’s TV from the main channel. They shot themselves in the foot there, b…

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Harry Hill will never bring back TV Burp – but he wants someone else to revive it
type: item
date: 2025-06-30T23:01:38.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The comedian loves crime dramas but finds property shows “triggering”.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What’s the view from your sofa? We’ve got a telly in every room except my office. When I stopped doing [Harry Hill’s] TV Burp, I was so sick of watching TV that I got rid of the one in there. At 8pm each evening, my wife [artist Magda Archer] will watch her stuff on the kitchen TV – A Place in the Sun, almost exclusively – while I go into the TV room and watch my boy’s stuff. I like crime dramas like This City Is Ours and MobLand. They’re all the same story, really, but it’s one I enjoy. Would you ever bring back TV Burp? I don’t have any plans. These things are best left undone. We did all the jokes. Trying to re-create that, I’d be on a hiding to nothing, but I’d love someone else to do it. There’s a space for that sort of show and I’m surprised no one’s filled it. What’s Knitted Character up to now? He’s in my live show. He comes on at the end as part of the badger parade, riding on the back of a heron. Blink and you’ll miss him because he’s only tiny, but he’s still working. Knitted Character is older and wiser now. He doesn’t necessarily want the stress of a weekly show, either. What comedy inspired you as a kid? Brucey, Eric and Ernie and The Two Ronnies were big in our house, but what really got me was Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The problem was, my dad decided what was on, and at 9pm, he wanted to watch the news on BBC One. I wanted to watch Not the Nine o’Clock News on BBC Two. We’d sneak it on, turn the sound down and hope he wouldn’t realise what the time was. You now voice Bristles the talking paintbrush in CBBC series Go Get Arty. The show is a bit like Neil Buchanan’s Art Attack, isn’t it? My kids watched that, but there’s been a bit of a gap ever since. Go Get Arty is the first “how to” art show for a while. It does what the BBC is supposed to do, which is educate and entertain, but not in a heavy-handed way. The BBC should never have hived off children’s TV from the main channel. They shot themse…

Bergerac review: Reboot is less Death in Paradise, more Grace
type: item
date: 2025-02-27T08:00:32.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Review
description: Jim Bergerac has undergone a modern reimagining, with Brassic and The Split's Damien Molony taking over from John Nettles. But does it capture the magic of the original?
encoded: Van der Valk. Magiret. Perry Mason. The Equalizer. Endless Agatha Christies and Sherlock Holmeses. Call it a desire to honour the classics or a dearth of fresh ideas but TV loves rebooting vintage detectives. The latest to get the treatment is DCI Jim Bergerac - a 1980s favourite who’s been given a 21st-century makeover in this dark and moody update. Long before he was the original Inspector Barnaby in Midsomer Murders, actor John Nettles became a household name as maverick sleuth Bergerac, who cracked crimes on the sun-soaked tax haven of Jersey. His BBC escapades ran for a decade, drawing 15m viewers at their peak. The hit series sparked a Channel Islands tourism boom and made the teak-tough, perma-tanned Nettles a housewives’ heartthrob. One critic at the time called Nettles "half man, half nutmeg, all sex god". Now, 34 years since the credits rolled on the original, U has exhumed - sorry, "reimagined" - the character for a 21st-century audience. Charismatic Irish actor Damien Molony (The Split, Brassic) takes over the role, bringing him up to date with an angsty edge and fashions worthy of an indie band’s frontman. Read more: Bergerac meets Bergerac: John Nettles and Damien Molony reveal references and Easter eggs Bergerac star explains why David Tennant casting wouldn’t have worked Grace season 5 release date confirmed – with series picking up on a tragic note Some of the drama’s hallmarks remain. Our hero is still battered and bruised by life. Both incarnations are recovering alcoholics, but whereas old Bergerac was divorced with a limp, new Bergerac is burdened by crippling grief. We first meet him at a support group, a broken man, battling his demons and on compassionate leave after the death of his wife six months ago. Other nods to the original will tick boxes for longtime fans. Bergerac still wears a brown leather jacket and drives a burgundy 1947 Triumph Roadster. Sadly, there’s no sign of the reggae-tinged accordion theme tune, which was a banger. The r…

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Best Ghosts characters, ranked
type: item
date: 2024-10-24T16:36:05.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Evergreen
description: The definitive list.
encoded: Who is your favourite resident of Button House? Is it Robin the caveman or sweet, innocent Kitty? Pat the scoutmaster or Thomas the poet? Julian the trouser-free Tory MP or Mary the lightly smouldering (alleged) witch? Or maybe it’s the actual living couple, Alison and Mike? They’re all much-loved, but we’ve managed to rank the BBC comedy’s main 15 characters from worst to best. See where your favourites figure in our spectral countdown - and feel free to haunt us for all eternity if you disagree… 15. The plague victims Lurking in the basement of Button House are an indeterminate number of ghosts who died during the Black Death and were buried in a plague pit beneath the cellar. Centuries spent next to the boiler have made them experts on the house’s antiquated heating system, which comes in handy. Amusingly, the plague ghosts have a particular dislike of Julian (although he eventually pulls one of them), but believe Thomas is a local celebrity. One of them, a little girl named Jemima, sings creepy nursery rhymes in the pantry. They were last glimpsed in the finale, delighted that the cellar had been converted into a hotel sauna. 14. The neighbours "Bitches!" Don’t worry, it’s just Barclay Beg-Chetwynde (Geoff McGivern) calling his dogs. The arrogant toff and his alcoholic wife Bunny (Sophie Thompson) are Alison and Mike's nosy neighbours, with whom they have a land dispute over access roads. Braying Barclay always gets Alison's name wrong, calling her "Annabel", but comes good by bonding with Mike and donating toys for the cash-strapped couple’s nursery. 13. The ghost pigeon The show’s only non-human ghost is a pigeon which died after one of Barclay Beg-Chetwynde’s "bitches" caught and killed it in the Button House grounds. It continued to fly around in phantom form, nesting in Mike and Alison’s bedroom, driving them mad with its coos and refusal to be shooed away. 12. Annie Played by comedian Bridget Christie as a sort of proto-feminist, Annie is the ghost of a Pu…

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Industry recap: What happened in seasons 1 and 2?
type: item
date: 2024-08-10T19:00:12.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: HBO
description: The high finance drama returns to US screens after a lengthy absence.
encoded: Industry is back - and this time, the stakes are even higher. The acclaimed HBO/BBC drama, set in the cut-throat world of London high finance, returns for its third season. Expect more ruthless backstabbing, six-figure bonuses and blurred lines between the personal and the professional. Created by ex-City traders Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, Industry has been described as "the missing link between Succession and Euphoria". Read more: Industry season 3 trailer teases steamy drama as Game of Thrones star joins cast Industry season 3 cast: New and returning characters Ahead of its eagerly awaited return, here’s a handy memory-refreshing recap… What is Industry about? When it debuted in 2020, Industry introduced us to a group of five ambitious graduates competing for permanent positions at a prestigious investment bank, Pierpoint & Co, in the City of London. Our fast-tracked fivesome were posh, privileged Yasmin (Marisa Abela), working-class-made-good hedonist Robert (Harry Lawtey), hard-working Hari (Nabhaan Rizwan) and frustrated intellectual Gus (David Jonsson). The wild card? Risk-taker Harper (Myha'la Herrold), a highly driven New Yorker who, it turned out, hadn't graduated from university but forged her credentials. Let the big money games begin… Industry recap What happened in season 1? Fuelled by energy drinks and stimulant pills, Hari works all hours - until Gus is shocked to find him dead from a heart attack in the office loos. Yasmin struggles with the office culture, particularly misogynistic boss Kenny (Conor MacNeill), but she bonds with Harper and they became flatmates. Gus and Rob also move in together. Disillusioned by Hari's death, Gus refuses to play the corporate game, and isn't hired after the six-month trial period. Harper forms an uneasy mentor/protégé relationship with her maverick boss Eric (Ken Leung), holding her nerve to make the bank serious money. Having sailed close to the wind for years, Eric is fired after locking "Harpsichord" in a confe…

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Missing Ghosts? 10 shows to watch to fill the Button House-shaped hole in your life
type: item
date: 2024-07-26T09:33:57.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: Channel 4
subject: Disney Plus
subject: Netflix
subject: NOW
subject: On demand
subject: Sky
description: From Yonderland to Stath Lets Flats.
encoded: Here at RadioTimes.com, we often lament the loss of Ghosts. Since the BBC’s hit haunted house sitcom said a bittersweet farewell last Christmas, its blend of loveable characters and heartfelt hilarity are much-missed from our viewing schedule. But what might help fill the Button House-shaped hole in our lives? Here are our top 10 shows to plug the Ghosts gap (and where to watch them)… Read more: Ghosts stars reveal storylines that are based on real life Ghosts co-creator on “big pitfall” he wanted to avoid with the ending 10 shows to watch after Ghosts - and fill the Button House-shaped hole in your life 1. Yonderland (2013-2016) Between Horrible Histories and Ghosts, the self-styled "Six Idiots" created this vastly underrated fantasy sitcom for Sky. It follows a bored stay-at-home mum (Martha Howe-Douglas) who is informed by an elf (Mathew Baynton) that she’s the "chosen one", destined to save a magical world which can be accessed via a portal in her kitchen cupboard. The rest of the gang play multiple supporting roles, with Simon Farnaby having a ball as both chief villain Negatus and an Elder of the realm who’s obsessed with "casting off these cumbersome robes" and getting naked. Shades of trouserless Tory MP Julian. Look out for Stephen Fry as the mysterious Cuddly Dick. Giddy, inventive fun. Watch it on: Sky or NOW 2. Being Human (2009-2013) A supernatural houseshare, you say? The much-loved comedy-drama, created by Doctor Who writer Toby Whithouse, portrays a spooky surrogate family. Vampire Aidan Turner, werewolf Russell Tovey and ghost Lenora Crichlow are thrown together in a grungy Bristol gaff. As the trio try to live a normal existence, they're threatened with exposure or by more evil members of their communities. The original stars were on the rise and eventually departed, to be replaced by now-familiar faces such as Michael Socha, Damien Moloney and Sinéad Keenan. It became an early breakout hit for BBC Three, hugely popular on iPlayer and an undisputed…

Shetland season 8 review: Jimmy who?
type: item
date: 2023-11-01T22:00:07.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
subject: Review
description: The BBC crime drama returns with a brand new lead detective – but does she hold her own?
encoded: This review is based on episode 1 only. Jimmy who? Caledonian detective drama Shetland has returned to BBC One for season 8 with a new protagonist looking windswept on the bleakly beautiful archipelago. Douglas Henshall hung up his signature black peacoat last September after seven seasons as DI Jimmy Pérez and tonight, we got our first look at his replacement, who surely won over any viewers still pining for Henshall's careworn hero. Ashley Jensen picked up the crime-cracking baton as Met detective Ruth Calder, arriving in the isles on the trail of a valuable but vulnerable witness to a gangland shooting. Yet, this wasn't a Death In Paradise or Doc Martin-style 'fish out of water' scenario. DI Calder was born and bred here, but escaped at the first opportunity. "Pack your bags, you're going home," her boss ordered the eye-rollingly reluctant Calder. She clearly wasn't in the market for a McMinibreak. Right from the off, this reset series felt thrillingly different. An eight-minute cold open showed how fugitive witness Ellen Quinn (Maisie Norma Seaton) stumbled upon the cold-blooded execution of a police informant and fled all the way north to the Aberdeen ferry. Who'll find Ellen first? The police, the hitmen or her powerful family, led by no-nonsense matriarch Grace Bain (Downton Abbey's Phyllis Logan on formidable form)? Sighing, snapping and generally reverting to the sulky teenager she was when she left, Calder teamed up with Acting DI Alison "Tosh" McIntosh (Alison O’Donnell) to track down Ellen before the gangsters did. Sparks soon flew. Tosh had jurisdiction but Calder took charge. Both called the other "annoying". Grudging respect gradually developed. This fresh dynamic fizzed, recalling classic female duos like Cagney & Lacey or Scott & Bailey. Except neither of those pairings ever had to investigate a spate of sinister sheep slayings on the side. The counterpoint to these uneasy police partners were the bickering contract killers – experienced Howell (Don…

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The Sixth Commandment finale: Ben Field's verdict, explained
type: item
date: 2023-07-25T10:53:02.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
description: The BBC true crime drama charts Ben Field's wicked crimes.
encoded: The Sixth Commandment is one of the most talked-about dramas of 2023 so far, with the final episode of the BBC show revealing what became of Ben Field following his unrelenting cruelty towards his two unwitting victims. The series followed a neat chapter structure. The first episode focused on the relationship between sinister church warden Field (a star-making performance from Irish actor Éanna Hardwicke) and lonely university lecturer Peter Farquhar (the gut-wrenchingly great Timothy Spall). The second episode saw Field then turn his attention to Farquhar's elderly neighbour in the sleepy Buckinghamshire village of Maids Moreton, retired headmistress Ann Moore-Martin (a heartbreaking turn from Anne Reid). That was followed by Thames Valley Police's dogged investigation into Field's crimes, and finally, in the fourth episode, the high-profile 2019 trial at Oxford Crown Court. How did Ben Field plea? Baptist minister's son Field concealed his evil behind a mask of polite piety, bidding prison warders "good morning" and thanking the court clerks he came into contact with. He'd pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of drugging Farquhar and defrauding both victims - £160,000 from Peter's will and £31,000 in cash "gifts" from Moore-Martin - but he denied murdering Farquhar and attempting to murder Moore-Martin. Field boasted about getting his moment in court, convinced he'd "get away with most of it", and decided to give evidence in his own defence – most unusual for someone charged with murder. As Farquhar's brother Ian (Adrian Rawlins) observed in the TV adaptation: "It's all a game to him. This isn't a trial, it's the Ben show and he'll be loving every moment." Which version of Peter Farquhar's death was real? In the TV drama, much of the case hinged on whether Field was present when Farquhar died, and whether he had systematically drugged Moore-Martin. During the depicted trial, as prosecuting barrister Oliver Saxby QC (Happy Valley's Rick Warden) painted a verbal pi…

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The Bear ending explained: What will Carmy do next?
type: item
date: 2023-07-20T15:43:41.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Disney Plus
subject: On demand
description: The US comedy-drama came to an eventful end, but what did the money twist mean and what will Carmy's next move be? **WARNING: Contains spoilers for The Bear**
encoded: After debuting in June 2022, FX show The Bear was universally lauded by fans and critics alike. The series stars Jeremy Allen White as young chef Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto, who comes home to Chicago to run his family’s failing Italian sandwich shop after the suicide of his estranged older brother, and was hailed for its exploration of the dark side of working in the food industry. Now, the FX comedy-drama has returned for its second season, with White returning as Carmy, and Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach back as Sydney and Richie, respectively. The new instalment follows the crew at The Original Beef of Chicagoland as they endeavour to transform their grimy sandwich joint into a next-level spot, The Bear. But for those who need a recap of season 1 before they get stuck into the second instalment, read on for everything you need to know about The Bear season 1's eventful ending… The Bear ending explained Was Carmy in the midst of a breakdown? We last saw Carmy mentally deteriorating during that nerve-shredding, single-take penultimate episode. He took out his spiralling stress on sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce), before hurling the order ticket machine across the kitchen in fury. As we rejoined our fragile hero, Carmy spoke at an AA meeting for the families of addicts, laying bare his relationship with late brother Michael (Jon Bernthal, seen in a flashback). In a devastating seven-minute monologue, Carmy recalled how they’d bonded by cooking together, but as Mikey lapsed into drug addiction and the restaurant began to struggle, he wouldn’t let Carmy work at The Original Beef of Chicagoland and cut off contact. Carmy became a fine-dining chef to prove himself to his beloved brother. However, his success only put further distance between them. When Mikey took his own life, he left The Beef to Carmy as "a final f**k you". Carmy realised his all-consuming mission to repair the broken business was his way of trying to heal his grief…

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Sinéad Keenan on Unforgotten: 'What eejit is going to follow Nicola Walker?'
type: item
date: 2023-02-27T12:30:45.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: The actor speaks to RadioTimes.com about taking over from Nicola Walker in ITV crime drama Unforgotten.
encoded: Sinéad Keenan is the new star of Unforgotten but she very nearly wasn't. When the Dublin-born actor was first approached about replacing the much-loved Nicola Walker for the equally loved ITV crime drama's fifth season, she immediately said no. "I watched series 4 when it went out," Keenan recalls. "I saw the outcry on Twitter when Cassie [Walker's character DCI Cassie Stuart] was killed: 'Never going to watch it again!', that type of stuff. "A few months later, I was on holiday and got a phone call from my agent: 'The people from Unforgotten want to send out scripts to three people and you're one of them. Would you read it?' I was very quick to say no, thank you very much. Because what eejit is going to follow Nicola Walker? No, I don't think so." But the 45-year-old's agent was persistent. "She said, 'Look, I've read it and it's very good. Please just read the first script.' And I was like, ‘OK, fine.’ And sure enough, I read it, called back and said, 'Er, is there another script knocking around? Because I just really want to know what happens!' "Then I met the team, who were lovely. They very kindly asked, 'Would you do it?' and I said, 'Go on then.' That was it. Now I'm literally the eejit who's following Nicola Walker." The eagerly awaited new season opens with a grisly discovery up a chimney in Hammersmith, West London. Was Keenan on a beach somewhere exotic reading this? "The first call from my agent came when I was looking after my two kids in a toy shop in Portugal," she laughs. "Actually, I was lucky to be by the pool when I read the script. But it was compelling, as [series creator] Chris Lang's scripts always are." Read more: Why did Nicola Walker leave Unforgotten? Cassie's fate explained Unforgotten's Sanjeev Bhaskar on Sunny's backpack reaching "weird status" Meet the cast of Unforgotten season 5 on ITV Had she also seen the three previous seasons which made Unforgotten a slow-burning hit? "I hadn't, only because I'm late to every party," she admits. …

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Gangs of London season 2 ending explained: How finale sets up potential season 3
type: item
date: 2022-10-26T14:12:03.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: NOW
subject: On demand
subject: Sky
description: And yes, the bodies piled up... **SEASON 2 FINALE SPOILERS AHEAD**
encoded: Crime epic Gangs of London has become one of Sky Atlantic’s biggest ever hits, winning a loyal fan following with its thrilling blend of underworld turf wars, cinematic ultra-violence and Shakespearean storytelling. The second season ratcheted up the action several notches - and it climaxed with a twist-packed, blood-soaked finale, directed by showrunner Corin Hardy. Here’s everything that happened in the eighth and concluding episode… Grievous bodily arm “You were out, so we’ve left your parcel containing a severed arm with a neighbour.” Thankfully, the courier didn’t need to leave this card because the threatening package was safely delivered. After his Paris assassination plan unravelled, renegade enforcer Elliot Finch (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) took an axe to the tattooed left arm of Billy Wallace (Brian Vernel), before sending his lopped-off limb to brother Sean (Joe Cole) and matriarch Marian (Michelle Fairley) as grisly leverage. Sean realised his mother hadn’t just colluded with Albanian mafia boss Luan (Orli Shuka) to intercept the shipment of heroin bound for Pakistani drug baron Asif Afridi (Asif Raza Mir), she’d also let Elliot know how to find it - and with it poor Billy, who she’d locked in the back of the van. When Marian coldly tried to stop him from rescuing his brother, Sean exploded in fury and half-strangled her. He’d seen his mother’s true colours at last. Elliot promptly called to give Sean his instructions. If he wanted to see Billy alive again, he’d play ball. Algerians' kitchen nightmare Ruthless Georgian mercenary Koba (Waleed Zuaiter) and his henchmen marched teenager Saba (Jahz Armando) into the Algerian café. To avenge the assassination of her uncle Basem (Salem Kali) at Billingsgate Fish Market, she’d facilitated Elliot’s Parisian plan. Now she’d pay with her life. In the nick of time, Sean arrived to ask for Koba’s help. Elliot had ordered him to surrender at a remote airfield in exchange for Billy. This was their chance to kill him. “I need full …

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BBC's Ghosts - Why Mary’s shock exit had to happen
type: item
date: 2022-10-14T19:58:19.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: "She was there and then she was not there."
encoded: "It's Mary. She's gone. She was there and then she was not there. All very sudden. A whoosh and then poof!" Haunted house sitcom Ghosts took a surprise sad turn in tonight's episode (Friday 14th October) when one of the spectres left the building. Just minutes into the poignantly titled Gone Gone, witch trial victim Mary (brilliantly played by Katy Wix) was suddenly bathed in golden light before ascending into the afterlife. Her last word was a heartbreaking "Ooh" as she gently floated up through the ceiling. The other Button House ghosts were left open-mouthed and it wasn't long before they found themselves in a tailspin. Scoutmaster Pat (Jim Howick) comforted naive noblewoman Kitty (Lolly Adefope); trouser-less Tory MP Julian (Simon Farnaby) saw red; army officer The Captain (Ben Willbond) kept busy to avoid thinking about it; romantic poet Thomas (Mathew Baynton) made it all about him, as usual; even the stiff upper lip of Lady Fanny (Martha Howe-Douglas) wobbled. It seems that's the last we've seen of Mary, who has become a firm favourite of Ghosts fans. She was the 17th century West Country peasant woman who added comic relief every time she pluralised random words ("I smells burnings"). She was deeply superstitious about wedding garters and lucky cake-throwing. She called TV cameras "one-eyed metal cows", cocktails "the devil's juice" and swans "Lucifer's lackeys". Way back in the Stuart era, Mary was cynically blamed by male villagers for a poor harvest, falsely accused of witchcraft and burnt at the stake. As a result, her face was forever smeared with soot and she constantly smouldered. The living could smell toast if she passed through them. "She's at peace now," Pat reassured the tearful Kitty. The masterminds behind the show - the Horrible Histories gang of Baynton, Howe-Douglas, Farnaby, Howick, Willbond and Laurence Rickard - told RadioTimes.com: "We were so lucky to have Katy Wix with us in Button House for four fun-filled series. She, ironically, bre…

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Jeff Bridges on starring in The Old Man: 'TV is just as good as film nowadays'
type: item
date: 2022-09-29T09:00:52.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Disney Plus
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: On demand
description: The star spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about playing an ageing action hero in the new Disney Plus drama.
encoded: Jeff Bridges is returning to the small screen after more than 50 years - but he insists it’s not a step down. The Oscar-winning actor, who stars in new Disney Plus drama The Old Man, believes that TV is just as good as film nowadays. The seven-part spy thriller series, based on the bestselling 2017 novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, sees Bridges play Dan Chase, an agent who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has since been living off-grid. When an intruder arrives at Chase’s remote cabin and attempts to assassinate him, the veteran operative is forced out of hiding. He realises that to ensure his future, he must reconcile with his dark past. Speaking to RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview, Bridges says filming the series taught him there is "absolutely no difference" between creating film and TV. "The only difference really is that across a full series, you get a chance to learn more about the characters. You don’t have to rush and tell the story too quickly. You can stretch it out and go more in-depth. It’s almost more like a novel." The 72-year-old star also admits that TV has changed since the 1960s. "The quality now that comes out of the television is incredible," he laughs. "My father, Lloyd Bridges, did a bunch of TV series and back in those days, there was never enough time to make the quality work you wanted. He struggled with that. But then seeing these great TV shows coming out now, I thought, wow, I want to explore that medium." Throughout The Old Man, there are plenty of bone-crunching, bruising fight scenes - but how did Bridges enjoy playing a mature action hero? "I had a lot of fun," he says. "I don’t think I’ve ever done that many fight scenes but we had masterful stunt co-ordinators. Thank God for muscle memory. You think you’ll never pull it off but then your body remembers it somehow." The actor shares lots of screen time with his character’s two trusty guard dogs in the new series, defying the old showbiz adage that you should never…

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Line of Duty's Jed Mercurio on scrapped storylines, Steve and Kate's potential romance and "H"
type: item
date: 2022-06-26T07:00:08.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
subject: RT Rewind
description: The mastermind behind the BBC behemoth celebrates its 10th anniversary with RadioTimes.com.
encoded: Jed Mercurio is a busy man. The writer, showrunner and all-round TV thriller king is currently in the midst of post-production on the second season of BBC One crime drama Bloodlands. He's juggling that with pre-production on a series that hasn't been announced yet. But despite his teeming in-tray, Mercurio is happy to mark a certain anniversary with RadioTimes.com. Sunday 26th June marks 10 years since the debut of his signature creation Line of Duty, the police corruption saga which began its life as a cult hit on BBC Two before making the leap to BBC One's primetime Sunday night slot, where it draws in an astronomical number of viewers. To date, we've enjoyed six seasons, 36 episodes, a lot of bent coppers and even more acronyms. Join Jed as he takes a trip down AC-12 memory lane - en route, revealing his story inspirations, casting secrets, alternate storylines and most memorable moments. Beeeeeeeeep! Interview commencing... How are you feeling about Line of Duty's 10th anniversary? It's a great milestone. Back when we started, even the idea that we'd be at this point would have appeared fanciful. Take us right back to the beginning. What first inspired you to write a drama about police corruption? Just looking at the real world. That's often where I get my inspiration from. Over the years, there have been plenty of incidents of police misconduct. That got me thinking about portraying it in a TV show that works as a thriller, rather than a factual drama picking over the bones of a real case. As a fictional model, I enjoyed The Shield. That led us to the idea of an anti-corruption unit which targeted an officer who is effectively the main protagonist. If they're definitely up to some dodgy dealings but also an effective police officer, there's tension there. Was DS Steve Arnott, played by Martin Compston, always your starting point? I definitely began with the idea of a new officer joining anti-corruption. We used that to show that anti-corruption wasn't necessari…

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Bruno Tonioli's best Strictly Come Dancing moments as judge exits
type: item
date: 2022-05-20T09:57:32.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
description: After 18 years on the BBC's Strictly, Bruno Tonioli has put down his paddle. Here, we take a look back at his best moments.
encoded: We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no! Or at least, the official announcement of the Strictly Come Dancing 2022 judging line-up doesn’t. The BBC has confirmed that this autumn’s ballroom contest will retain the same quartet of judges as last year. Returning to the paddle-raising panel once again are Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas. This means not only that ex-pro Anton’s well-received stand-in stint has now been made permanent, but also that Bruno Tonioli won’t be coming back after all. After 18 years, he's bowed out of the (UK) ballroom for good. Bruno’s presence for the past two seasons had been minimal due to the pandemic. He combines his Strictly duties, of course, with the same role on US version Dancing with the Stars. However, COVID travel restrictions meant he was unable to commute between the two shows like usual. In 2020, he appeared only via video link. In 2021, Anton kept his seat warm, supposedly on a temporary basis. It’s understandable why everyone has come to the decision. As Bruno himself explained on The One Show, the travel situation made his return impossible to guarantee. Plus, the 2021 contest, memorably won by Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice, was a huge BAFTA-winning hit. Going into the milestone 20th series, why change a winning formula? However, the 66-year-old Italian stallion is a Strictly stalwart. He was part of the original cast from 2004 and his flamboyant exuberance will be much missed. The rapturous reception Bruno got from arena crowds when he returned for the latest live tour was testament to his beloved status. Let’s hope he gets some sort of send-off when the Glitterball starts spinning in September. For now, though, let’s say arrivederci by rewinding Bruno’s best bits. Bruno Falling off his chair (season 16, 2018) Bruno became known for laughing so hard and gesticulating so wildly that he’d slip off his judging chair. He took a full tumble in Movie Week after Dr Ranj Singh’s …

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Why that Derry Girls kiss had to happen – and what next?
type: item
date: 2022-05-03T20:35:22.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: All 4
subject: Channel 4
subject: On demand
description: Alexa, play Kiss Me. **SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 EPISODE 4**
encoded: It's the kiss that was heard all around Donegal and beyond. As two of Derry Girls' lead characters locked lips after 16 episodes of secretly crushing on one another, viewers couldn't contain their delight as they whooped and hollered following the romantic display. When James (Dylan Llewellyn) had a "near-death experience", courtesy of Sister George Michael's runaway van, he decided to seize the day – YOLO, and all that. The morning after their spooky sleepover, he put on his big boy pants and admitted his feelings to Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson): "I think I've liked you for a long time... I think you're beautiful." Aww. And then came that internet-breaking snog. The Radio Times Podcast Derry Girls special - listen now! Fans have been calling for the pair to get together since season 2 when James gallantly missed his Doctor Who convention to accompany Erin to the school prom. She'd been stood up by dastardly John-Paul O'Reilly, so "the wee English fella" stepped in at the last minute, like Derry's own version of Ross Geller from Friends. Clare (Nicola Coughlan), the most perceptive member of the gang, picked up on their spark, as did many viewers, with the couple duly nicknamed "Jerin" online. View oEmbed on the source website Writer Lisa McGee has mentioned in interviews that she'd always privately planned for Erin and James to become an item, but she was also wary of disrupting the group dynamic. Llewellyn also expressed hopes that they'd become a couple, but insisted he'd be happy with whatever McGee had planned. Last year, he teased fans on TikTok by gazing at Erin on his TV screen while Taylor Swift's Wildest Dreams played in the background. "I want it to happen so badly," said Coughlan ahead of the third and final season, with Jackson confirming: "There's definitely a spark there." Given all of that, a snog had to happen eventually. But even if McGee and the cast hadn't banged the drum for "Jerin", five hormone-addled teenagers don't spend all of their time t…

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Finn Shelby explained - what happened in the Peaky Blinders finale?
type: item
date: 2022-04-04T13:53:06.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Comment
description: And why was his presence so fleeting?
encoded: Farewell, then, Finn Shelby. Try not to let the Garrison Tavern door hit your backside on the way out. Amid all the blood-letting, caravan-burning and brain tumour twists, the Peaky Blinders finale stealthily delivered a low blow - the surprise ostracising of Harry Kirton's Finn. So, why was the youngest Shelby brother on the naughty step? And what now for the fresh-faced flat cap-wearer? Here’s our handy explainer of Finn’s fate... Why was Finn Shelby in Tommy's bad books? Loose lips sink Shelby ships. Remember season 5’s shock finale, when the gang’s assassination attempt on Oswald Mosley was fatally foiled? Well, the “black cat” traitor might have been Irish bookmaker Billy Grade (Emmett J Scanlan), who tipped off the IRA, but it was foolish Finn who’d blabbed the plan to big-mouthed Billy in the first place. The pair had fallen into sloppy habits at the betting shop, taking cocaine and drinking on the job. Their boozy bromance grew too close for comfort. Unforgivably, Finn had seemingly forgotten that some matters were strictly family business. Earlier in the series, hapless Finn had again proved a liability. A Chinese assassin disguised herself as a sex worker to honey-trap Finn and hold him at gunpoint with his pants down, enabling triad leader Brilliant Chang (Andrew Koji) to demand a meeting with Tommy about his pure refined opium. Now Finn’s disliked new bride was wearing the tweed trousers in their marriage, ordering him not to partake of alcohol until after 6pm #whiskeyoclock. Tommy disapproved and further excluded his hen-pecked sibling by talking in Romani, a language Finn could barely understand - whereas Erasmus “Duke” Shelby (Conrad Khan) was fully fluent. In the battle of the young bucks, the new arrival was firmly in the ascendant. And he was about to do Tommy’s brutal bidding. What was Finn Shelby's punishment? Banishment from the Shelby organisation and family fold. While Duke proved himself these past few weeks, Finn demonstrated that he was ine…

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How The White Lotus invents the "Aloha Christie" genre
type: item
date: 2021-07-11T11:00:13.000Z
creator: Michael Hogan
subject: Drama
subject: TV
description: The HBO and Sky drama combines the sun-soaked escapism of Love Island with the wicked thrills of Killing Eve, the superannuated soapiness of Big Little Lies and the glossy murder-mystery of The Undoing, writes Michael Hogan.
encoded: “Aloha and welcome to The White Lotus Resort & Spa. Enjoy your stay and try not to get murdered.” OK, we added the last bit but that’s basically the premise of your next must-see US boxset. Landing on HBO on Sunday - and coming to Sky Atlantic later this summer - The White Lotus is a TV drama like no other. A tragicomic whodunit set at a swanky Hawaiian resort, you might say it invents a whole new storytelling style called “Aloha Christie”. See what we did there? Painful pun aside, though, this is a show well worth your attention. The Agatha Christie comparison is apposite. The queen of crime enjoyed nothing more than trapping a group of disparate characters in a confined location, then watching sparks fly and corpses pile up. Rather than Christie’s favoured locations - boats, trains, sleepy villages, country houses - this murder-mystery unfolds at a five-star holiday destination. Created, written and directed by Mike White (of Enlightened and School Of Rock pedigree), the six-part series follows a fresh intake of White Lotus guests across a week as they attempt to relax and rejuvenate in the idyllic, highly Instagram-able resort. With each passing day, though, dark secrets bubble to the shiny surface. The dress code might be “beachy-casual” but the daiquiris have a sour aftertaste and the lobster dinners have vicious claws. Taglined ‘Paradise is no vacation”, The White Lotus was filmed on the island of Maui and it’s a holiday for the eyes. Palm trees sway, waves lap up on the picture-perfect beach and cloud-shrouded volcanos loom over the bay. Its setting resembles Disney musical Moana with added scuba lessons and spa treatments. Right from the opening scene, we know that a resident has been killed. We just don’t know who, why or the gory details. We then flash back seven days to witness how events turned quite so murderous. Just like a Christie mystery, there’s a limited list of suspects. The culprit had to be a tourist or member of hotel staff. So who's the deadl…

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