Rum Punch's Travis Jay: "I've got a right to grab the attention of someone who's like me"
Having cut his teeth in the world of comedy, Travis Jay chats to Pass the Mic about returning to BBC Radio 4 for a full season of award-winning sitcom Rum Punch.
After the success of his pilot episode of Rum Punch last year, comedian Travis Jay is back for a fully fledged series of his radio sitcom – and it's only set to be the start of something greater, should the stars align for Jay who also has dreams for Rum Punch beyond the airwaves. As we speak before the release of the BBC Radio 4 series and even ahead of the live recording of his second batch of episodes, Jay is admittedly "super excited" for the release of the full season. "I think the response to the pilot was definitely eye opening. It was a real surprise because it's an audience I'm not familiar with, on a platform I'm also not familiar with. While I listen to podcasts, the idea of being on Radio 4 was just like, 'Okay, everybody speaks so positively about this'. It's just something I still didn't know. So, the response has been far bigger than I imagined," he says. And a positive reaction was definitely recieved around Rum Punch's initial episode, with the pilot going on to scoop up the award for Best Comedy Sitcom at BBC's 2025 Audio Drama Awards. Winning that was "something else", Jay beams, with it proving that the positive feedback "is not in my head and it really did connect". "I genuinely didn't know that we'd be in the running for something like that. When you start writing, it's the furthest thing from my mind. Then it's like – bam, nominations are in," he laughs. He continues: "It's my first comedy award, and I've been doing this for 16 years. I'm just grateful the people are enjoying the project. I think it's a powerful story to tell and I think the feeling it leaves is the thing I really aim for. "I'm one of these stand up comics – I do touch on serious things. Previous specials I've done, I've touched on grief, losing my grandfather. It would seem like, how did you make that funny? But I know that there's value in real life and authentic stories. "The comedy will come, I trust my bones to find comedy. But dealing with real subjects is also quite a powerful thing. The fact that a story like this could connect like that and we go to a full series in an audience I'm not familiar with in that way, it made me feel really, really proud." Describing Rum Punch as a "multigenerational family sitcom", the series follows Jay in the lead role as Marley, an aspiring boxer who has dreams outside of working in his family's Caribbean restaurant. Set in Lewisham, the family comedy follows the Campbell family as they come together to keep the business afloat but also, pursue their own individual ambitions. Upon first listening to it, many will likely be warmly reminded of other Black-led sitcoms that have aired alongside many of us growing older. Desmond's, My Wife and Kids and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air were all shows that were staple to Jay's experience growing up, he tells me. "It's a nod to the legacy of Black sitcoms," Jay says, with those shows remaining so iconic all these years on for a variety of reasons. The studio sitcom format gives viewers "a deeper connection" to many lead characters, Jay says. "The connection runs so deep, it's that real life experience. You're in the room laughing with them and I really wanted to touch on that because it's just things I grew up loving," he says. In reality, the laughter you hear dotted throughout the episodes is all real, recorded live in front of an audience. It's a part of the series that was special to Jay, he admits, but is was always part of the plan when a stand-up comedian is at the helm of the series. "I think if we're going to call it a comedy, it belongs in front of the audience. I think the fact it's real laughter, it lets you know in the moment whether this worked or it didn't. These are stakes that I like, that I'm used to having." The embracing of Rum Punch as an outright comedy is something that Jay says he's doing unashamedly. "I think sometimes we take a shot at comedy but we might fall a bit short so we might say, 'Hey, it's a comedy drama'. "Whereas, I'm like – nah, it's a comedy. We're going to shoot for comedy and if it doesn't hit, that means I didn't do my job. These are the stakes that I think comedy belongs in so I really embrace that challenge." Having gone to one of the live recordings myself, it seemed far from a challenge for Jay to leave the audience in hysterics. Just like the series itself, the audience was made up of all different ages, with jokes landing seamlessly across the auditorium. Just from the material itself, you wouldn't think that Jay wasn't the biggest consumer of audio dramas or really, a listener of BBC Radio 4 ahead of penning Rum Punch. It's refreshing to hear, I tell the comedian once he admits that, but the lack of a personal connection to the form or the platform was a challenge that Jay wholeheartedly embraced. "I thought that if I'm not familiar with this platform and consuming this type of content like this, I've got a right to grab the attention of someone who's like me. It was a real good challenge as a writer, to write blind," he says. "There's no visual aid, your script is setting the tone of the imagination that you try to capture." Jay describes himself as a "very competitive guy", saying that once he sets a goal then he becomes "laser-focused" on it, which is something that the wider Rum Punch team fully supported him in. When it came to sitting down to writing Rum Punch's full series, Jay said one thing was at the forefront of his mind: "Alright, I've got to write for someone like me." He adds: "Because if we're going to drag these new ears to this space, we've got to do it with a big bang. That's why with the pilot, we went full-fledged into it. It was a nice challenge, I'm glad that the response is positive." Riding that high of positive feedback going into the full series must be a lovely feeling for any writer, with Jay saying that many remarked that listening to the pilot felt like watching a TV show due to the excellent visual storytelling at the heart of it. "A lot of people were just like, 'We need this on TV' or 'I haven't seen a family like this in so long'. So, I'm really grateful for that," Jay smiles. Part of the family appeal of the show comes down to the family at the heart of Rum Punch, a cast that Jay couldn't be more proud to work alongside. As well as his own mother, comedian Angie Le Mar, starring as his mother in Rum Punch, the cast also includes The Real McCoy legend Eddie Nestor, Jay's real-life best friend Kevin 'KG' Harry (Ted Lasso), comedian Kyrah Gray, 3 Non-Blondes star Ninia Benjamin and more. Describing them as "a cast of dreams", Jay says that transferring his stand-up comedy writing skills to Rum Punch really underlined the importance of teamwork, both in the realms of crafting narratives for a group of people and not himself, but also ensuring that every cast member felt supported and as though they can shine on stage. Although his mother couldn't make the pilot, she's now in the series and it's a role that Jay had written for her, describing working with her as a "phenomenal experience". "There's a lifetime of memories with this person and they're side by side with you," he says. He recalls one thing his comedian mother had taught him over the years and that's that if you have to explain the joke, it simply isn't funny. "The rules of comedy have been embedded in me from early," he smiles. When it came to crafting the story at the heart of Rum Punch, Jay also credits another anecdote from his mother, who told him to write what he knows. Simply put, the show is the life that I've lived, Jay remarks. "This is the community that I'm from. So, I know the textures and the nuances like the back of my hand." Jay says that most people can likely think of a cultural community hub, like the restaurant in Rum Punch. While he wanted to touch on those elements of relatability, Jay couldn't shy away from the fact that more serious topics do crop up. "Black sitcom has always been impactful," he says. "There's something that it does that just leaves people with a feeling. I think today, there is a little bit of a gap in terms of where we might see that on TV." When it comes to resonating with so many people, Jay also highlights the important of sticking true to the story you want to tell. "I always like to be in that pocket of authenticity all the time. That's why I'm quite stubborn, I'm quite a difficult person to work with because if I feel like we're straying away from authenticity, I'll dig my heels in," he admits. It's an admirable quality to have for any writer, I tell Jay, with the Rum Punch creator saying: "A lot of time we do focus on – especially when shows come out and it's created by a Black person – it's about, 'Okay, explain the Black experience'. Well no, it doesn't need to be explained actually because if I explain myself, it suggests that I have to explain myself. "With this show, it's not a case of anybody explaining why or how they are. Everybody's just living their lives. That's what I really wanted to capture." When it comes to the future of Rum Punch, Jay – as previously mentioned – is thinking big and would love to take the idea for the show to the screen. "I'm incredibly grateful for the radio opportunity we have, because what it's done for my pen has just been ... writing without visual has made my pen a lot stronger. So I think, if TV was available, I'd be ready for it," he says. No stranger to the screen himself with a recent notable role in Netflix's Supacell, Jay says that starring in such a hit Netflix series and working with Rapman opened up his eyes to how much he "really fought for the authentic capture of South London within a superhero show". It was inspiring to witness and was something that Jay took into Rum Punch, further proving that authenticity really can achieve what people think it does. In terms of what he hopes listeners get from Rum Punch, Jay says first and foremost that he wants people to laugh – it is a comedy, after all. "Outside of that, I hope that you see a family that you can connect with. I would love for somebody in the show to almost speak to your experience in some kind of way." He adds: "It's always nice when you've got somebody fighting for your perspective in a conversation. So, I hope that somebody feels represented in the show. We all come from different families, have different networks. That's really what I hope for – that connection is what comes when you listen to Rum Punch." Rum Punch airs on Thursday 27th November at 6:30pm on Radio 4, and is also available to listen to on BBC Sounds. Check out more of our Audio coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Down Cemetery Road is stellar TV – but the real scene-stealer isn't who you think
Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson are great in the series but it's time we talk about Fehinti Balogun.
*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Down Cemetery Road episode 6.* We already knew Zoë was in a precarious situation going into the sixth episode of Down Cemetery Road, but nothing could quite prepare us for the sheer amount of tension that built throughout the latest episode of the series. If you listen closely, you may be able to hear phrases such as "Oh, TV is so back!" or "This is bloody brilliant" ringing out in the distance. Well, those are being cried out by me. That's because episode 6 of the (already) stellar drama is, quite simply, excellent – and really, it's all down to the star that is Fehinti Balogun. Captivating from the very first episode, Balogun has brought the character of Amos to life in such a way that you can't help but want more of him on our screens. There's absolutely no doubt about it: Amos is the antagonist of the series. Whether he's the main one is something to be disputed the closer we inch to the finale and come to understand the powers-that-be a bit better. What we do know, though, is that Sarah (Ruth Wilson) and Zoë (Emma Thompson) are the thorns in his side that he's intent on removing. For all intents and purposes, we're supposed to side with them and not Amos. And while I'm not saying that I side with a serial-killing hitman, it's hard not to absolutely love what the character brings to the dynamic and feel of Down Cemetery Road. Hell, I'd even go so far as saying that the series wouldn't be as great as it is without both Amos and Balogun. In the show's latest instalment, entitled Neglected Waters, the drama comes into its own. While some of the previous episodes may be seen as slightly slower in pace, episode 6 is a lesson for any screenwriter or director in how to build up tension perfectly. Trains have been used time and time again throughout TV and film as apt locations for the most twisted of tales. From Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, to The Girl on the Train, Murder on the Orient Express or the more recent Nightsleeper, there's clearly something about being in an enclosed space rattling along the railway that is ripe for building pressure for characters and viewers alike. In Down Cemetery Road, we already knew Amos had spied Zoë following him to his train cabin in the previous episode and while she went into this one assuming she had the upper hand, we always suspect that Amos is several steps ahead of most. Never will the British Transport Police's "see it, say it, sorted" announcement take on such a sinister note than when relayed by Amos, who slips into the seat opposite Zoë on the train. And who knew playing Bananagrams with strangers would end up being Zoë's only way of ensuring she wouldn't be killed that night? All the while, Amos never so much as breaks a bead of sweat, simply enjoying the lengths that Zoë is having to go to in order to try and outsmart him. We've seen it throughout the series but Balogun's straight face is the stuff of pure poker table fear; it simply doesn't give anything away. But as well as being superbly written, Amos is a character that has unexpected layers which are proving ever more enjoyable to peel away. Episode 3 showed a rare side of emotion to the character, revealing that the body he had cut up and disposed of was, in fact, his brother Axel. It's his unwavering commitment to get Zoë in this episode, though, that is not just the perfect cat-and-mouse chase but also only continues to underline Balogun as a gem within this series. Going up against the likes of Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson is no easy feat for any actor, I imagine, but Balogun makes it all look easy. A villain can only make a protagonist look better than they already do and whilst the likes of Thompson and Wilson certainly don't need to be propped up by anyone else with their existing acting chops, Balogun brings out the best of both of them in this series. Through Amos's looming and anxiety-inducing presence within the storyline, it only serves to create a depth of emotion and panic that carries this series. There are multiple gut-wrenching close calls within the recent train scenes alone, with Zoë using the appropriate term of "you sneaky little f**ker" once she realises that Amos has done something to the train to get all the passengers evacuated. He wants to kill her, it's simple. Some may think otherwise but the gun in his pocket (that has a silencer attached to it, no less) speaks volumes. Amos is one-track minded when it comes to his mission but we already know this. Whilst he could've entertained a very keen lover in previous episodes, it was clear his mind was preoccupied with the work he has to get done. Throw in the personal connection of his brother being killed and, well, it's as personal for Amos as finding Dinah is for Sarah. The predator-prey circling that underpins this entire episode notches up further when Amos (under the guise of 'Andy') hijacks a taxi with his new American friends in the passenger seats. From taking polaroids with them the evening prior, to shooting them both dead in cold blood, Amos never fails to shock us. What's his next move? Really, I don't want to be able to guess it and that's the mark of truly terrific TV. But it doesn't stop there – Amos forces himself to start crying and calls the police to report their murders, cleverly implicating Zoë in the crime as the perpetrator and making sure she'll be unable to move freely through the small Scottish fishing village that they're all descending upon. We've seen Balogun's ease at slipping into accents previously within this series but they never fail to surprise, only demonstrating his character's complete ease at manipulating people. Could Amos be the perfect TV villain? He's unintentionally very funny, no-nonsense, slick and just damn good at being a bad guy. Sure, he kills people with absolutely no remorse and fits all the markers of a psychopath, but he's the kind of antagonist that you can't help but enjoy watching, whether in his scenes with the leading actresses or in moments of comedic gold with Hamza (Adeel Akhtar). View Green Video on the source website Balogun's performance throughout the series is one that has me immediately thinking of the awards circuit and the actor hopefully scooping up a raft of nominations for this role. While Balogun clearly has all manner of talents in his various lines of work also as writer and activist, we can only hope that Down Cemetery Road cements him as a regular on our screens in the near future. Because while Down Cemetery Road has been a joyous web of tension and unease to watch unfold, it's really Balogun that has made this series extra special. Down Cemetery Road episodes 1-6 are available to stream on Apple TV, with episodes being released weekly – sign up to Apple TV now. Add Down Cemetery Road to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Down Cemetery Road release schedule: When is episode 7 on Apple TV?
When do new episodes of the Mick Herron adaptation series get released on Apple TV?
With only a couple of episodes left to go in Down Cemetery Road, the stakes are ever higher for Sarah (Ruth Wilson) and Zoë (Emma Thompson) who each have been working hard to find Dinah. The series has followed the pair as they've tried to to get people to acknowledge the glaringly obvious but with such a race against time, it seems as though the walls are closing in faster than ever around them. The most recently released episode sees Zoë embark on a very dangerous game of cat and mouse whilst on the train to Scotland, with Amos (Fehinti Balogun) giving the private investigator a real run for her money. Down Cemetery Road has continued to be a welcome addition to Apple TV's offerings, particularly for Slow Horses fans, as it's also adapted from Mick Herron's work. Co-stars Thompson and Wilson have praised the story for featuring two characters at its centre who wouldn't typically be seen in this kind of story. "[Zoë and Sarah] are very unusual characters; Sarah doesn't really fit into the genre," said Wilson in an interview with RadioTimes.com. Read more: Apple TV's Down Cemetery Road book changes revealed by Emma Thompson Emma Thompson: I’d film action scenes on Down Cemetery Road, then have a half an ale between takes "She's a person like you and me, so there's something really fascinating and relatable about her – a twist on what we usually see on TV. They're two amazing, eccentric female leads. It's really rare, unique and funny." But when does the next episode land? Read on for details on when you can expect episodes of Down Cemetery Road to drop on Apple TV, complete with a full schedule and how many we can expect in total. Down Cemetery Road release schedule: When is episode 7 on Apple TV? Down Cemetery Road episode 6 will be released on Apple TV on Wednesday 3rd December. The series premiered on Apple TV with a double bill on Wednesday 29th October. Since then, a single episodes has dropped weekly every Wednesday. How many episodes of Down Cemetery Road are there? There will be eight episodes in Down Cemetery Road season 1 in total. Down Cemetery Road release schedule: When are new episodes out? Episode 1 - Almost True - Wednesday 29th October (out now) Episode 2 - A Kind of Grief - Wednesday 29th October (out now) Episode 3 - Filthy Work - Wednesday 5th November (out now) Episode 4 - My Friends Don't Like Me - Wednesday 12th November (out now) Episode 5 - Slow Dying - Wednesday 19th November (out now) Episode 6 - Neglected Waters - Wednesday 26th November (out now) Episode 7 - Lights Go Out - Wednesday 3rd December Episode 8 - What Will Survive - Wednesday 10th December Down Cemetery Road trailer You can watch the full trailer for Down Cemetery Road below. View oEmbed on the source website Down Cemetery Road will stream on Apple TV+ from Wednesday 29th October 2025 – sign up to Apple TV+ now. Add Down Cemetery Road to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Akinola Davies Jr on My Father's Shadow: "We don't see enough nuanced representations of fatherhood, especially Black fatherhood"
Named as one of the BAFTA Breakthroughs for 2025, My Father's Shadow director Akinola Davies Jr chats to Pass the Mic about his feature film directorial debut and what its reception spells for his future.
Despite My Father's Shadow not being due for release in the UK until February, this year continues to be a buzzy one for director Akinola Davies Jr. Having premiered in Un Certain Regard at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival (the first ever Nigerian film to be selected for the festival's Official Selection), leading the way at this year's British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) with a staggering 12 nominations, and now the current artist-in-residence at Somerset House, Davies is having a hell of a 2025. Why not chuck in another accolade then, right? Named as part of the 2025 cohort for BAFTA Breakthrough (which is supported by Netflix), Davies says that it's "a real honour" to be recognised in such a way. "It might be the first contact people have with me, but I've been working towards this for almost 15 years. So it's just a real honour to be recognised by BAFTA, which is massive. I'm really, really happy." Over those 15 years, Davies tells me, there's been a lot of hard work and a continuation of not wanting to give up despite many occasions where he's been talked off a metaphorical ledge or two as a director and filmmaker. With a background in creating videos and commercials for music artists and fashion brands, My Father's Shadow is Davies's feature-length film debut. The film, which stars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, is set against the backdrop of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election and follows two brothers as they spend the day in Lagos with their father, understanding him more as an individual as the time goes on. The film is not only heartfelt, engaging and witty, it's also tender and emotional in all the right places. The film stars newcomers and real-life brothers Godwin Chiemerie Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo, with that brotherly dynamic also reflected behind-the-scenes. Davies co-wrote My Father's Shadow with his older brother Wale, telling me that it was Wale who originally came up with the concept of the film. "We're pretty close in the way we relate to each other, we have a lot of similar interests. But he'd written a short film called My Father's Shadow, which was basically what it would have been like to spend a day with our father, who we never knew because he passed when we were really young," Davies says. That was more than 10 years ago now, with the idea continuing to float around all the while. When Davies's narrative short film Lizard screened at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and London Film Festival, was nominated for the BAFTA for Best British Short that year, and went on to win the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, it was then that the brothers thought they may actually get the opportunity to bring Wale's original screenplay to life in a feature film. When Davies read his brother's original script years ago, he had a "huge emotional reaction", he remembers, saying that he was clear about the direction of the film from then. "I was like, 'Look, if we're going to make a film, I think we should make something that honours our childhood, our family, our country as much as possible, because you never know if you're going to get loads of opportunities to make films.' We just wanted to make something that we felt could serve more than just us." Anyone who has a sibling will know it's not always a bed of roses and Davies refreshingly doesn't try to paint a picture of a working sibling relationship as such. Davies admits that Wale is super literal and very good with words compared to himself, who is "more abstract" in the way he thinks, naturally being better with images and pictures. "I think we complement each other and balance out in that way. Working with a sibling is great – it's tough, fun and games. We have a healthy amount of debate and respect for each other. So it means no stone gets left unturned. We really chew the fat on every decision we make because also, we didn't study film. So, there's just a real premium of being as efficient as possible in our storytelling." As a younger sibling, Davies also says that a massive upside to working with your older brother is a certain level of protection in being more creative. "I have someone who's cheerleading and encouraging a lot of ideas that I have and vice versa. Off Lizard, we developed a good working relationship and we just kept it up. We hope to keep it going as long as possible," he says. View oEmbed on the source website When it comes to watching My Father's Shadow, viewers will undoubtedly be captivated by the framing of the story and the use of time passing as an added element of tension. With the 1993 presidential election forming an important narrative backdrop to the film, it may be the first time that many see the events of that tumultuous year characterised on the big screen. But why was it important for Davies and his brother to also frame this story through the lens of these father-son dynamics in the first place? "We thought it was really important because we don't see enough nuanced representations of fatherhood, especially Black fatherhood," Davies tells me. "I think the Black male figure gets a lot of stereotypes projected onto him. We thought we really needed to create a portrait of the men we are or aspire to be, and the men we've been surrounded with in many instances in our life. Also, we're raised by a huge old matriarchal group of women and that's always meant we have – for right or wrong – a lot more access to an emotional toolkit. We've always found that in the men surrounding us," he explains. "I think it was really important to us to just try and create an alternative perspective, an alternative offering of what masculinity is. All too often, it's underserved." It's never explained in the course of the film just how much Dìrísù's father figure is absent in the boy's lives, but we easily get the idea that by virtue of working in a city and trying to provide for his family, he misses out on spending significant chunks of time with his sons. Davies knows that the concept of this working class father having to work to better this family will be understood by some viewers but it's a narrative theme that again, feels underserved, Davies says, with the director really just wanting to provide some balance to the depiction. As well as the storytelling of the film, the actual aesthetic of My Father's Shadow is another point of praise but it's something that Davies says he can't take sole credit for. Jermaine Edwards worked as director of photography on the film, with it being his first feature also. "He's an incredible Jamaican-British talent who has been invited to the ball many a time, but never asked to dance," Davies says. In terms of reference points for the film and how he wanted it to look, Davies takes me through his Mount Rushmore of great directors. He speaks of early Spike Lee films and the way he photographs Black skin, Nigerian filmmaker Genevieve Nnaji, Rungano Nyoni's On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, Mati Diop's Atlantics, growing up on Steven Spielberg, and also Senagelese director Ousmane Sembène, who Davies regards as the "father of African cinema and is someone who we all aspire to be and to emulate". More recently, having met American filmmaker Julie Dash, Davies feels as though they also share a similar film language relating to spirituality and mythological elements. Davies knows his film, it's clear, and that comes from working in every department once he knew he wanted to forge a career in the industry. Having assisted a lot of directors, worked with friends and realised the parameters around storytelling in the world of fashion, Davies honestly can't say that he always knew he wanted to be a filmmaker when I ask him if that was the case. "Eva Yates at the BBC and Rose Garnett were the first two people who ever mentioned the fact that they think I should make a feature film. I thought they were crazy," Davies laughs. "Like, these two white ladies are absolutely off their rocks! I sort of refused and said I'd make a short film, which was Lizard, and then off the success of that, the narrative world, if I'm honest, just really felt like a more accepting space. "I'd always looked for value in fashion and music videos and very often, a lot of my stories just weren't necessarily being reciprocated or being accepted." Garnett, who was the previous director of BBC Film, was someone who tried to serve underrepresented voices, Davies tells me. He continues: "A lot of women, a lot of people of colour, from different, diverse backgrounds – it's really [the BBC's] mandate in terms of being a public-funded institution and I think it's, in this day and age, extremely brave. But I also think it's extremely necessary. Just having people like that at the helm makes me feel a lot more supported and like I can really go hell for leather." With My Father's Shadow being the first ever Nigerian film to be selected for the Official Selection at Cannes, Davies says that the conversations around Nigerian filmmaking and filmmakers from the continent in general were already ongoing and positive prior to his movie. "I think there's an appetite in terms of us, a younger generation, trying to build bridges with our heritage and tell these stories. I think those of us who are first or second generation in a different country – which we're also a part of – are using the tools at our disposal to bring those stories to light. And also, trying to formulate bridges with working from home and engaging with the cinema industries back home," Davies says. "I think what's always happened as Africans or people of colour... is that we're so accustomed to the normalisation of European and American cinema being the stories we've been fed and we understand. But I think it's incumbent on us to find ways to tell our stories because I think we know European history, know European culture. I think it's for us to not allow people to tell our stories, but be quite direct about us telling our own stories so we can represent ourselves and not be left with these stereotypical views of what it's like. "Arthouse films probably have a place to play in that, because we don't necessarily have the access to big commercial budgets in those films. But I do think the stories are there, the storytellers are there. It just takes an interest from co-productions, from different countries and our countries, to be able to get those stories out. I think the success of My Father's Shadow is a prime example of Nigerian and British co-production and how far that can go when all parties are really invested in the type of story we're trying to tell." The film has now premiered in Nigeria, with Davies describing the response to the film there as being "fantastic". "It was really important to us that we gave a Nigerian audience the first look. It's been really overwhelming on so many levels. History wasn't taught in school under military dictatorship. So a lot of Nigerians, especially in the diaspora and who are also my age or younger, it's their first contact with a lot of contemporary Nigerian history. "As for the older generation, it's cathartic for them to see an experience that they went through, visualised on camera. It created this generational conversation which is beyond our wildest dreams. Nigerians are very proud of the film and have really been very accepting and fascinated just to see their experience being visualised on film." In terms of the future, there's obviously the UK release for My Father's Shadow to come. It almost seems like a long time coming seeing as the film has been a deserved hot topic of conversation in community and film circles for some time now. Aside from its upcoming release, Davies hopes to continue working with his brother but more generally for the industry, he hopes that all of the praise and accolades being bestowed on him are a source of inspiration for "someone else that looks like me". He hopes that South Asian voices are represented in the UK and that there's more opportunities for everyone – but does underline the importance of learning the industry, as he has done. "It's all well and good having a creative brain or an idea or story, but you really have to know which allies are invested in your stories, which allies have created opportunities to tell those stories," he says. "Off the back of successful films, you can get a certain amount of people trying to make films with you but in some of those instances, they want you to tell the stories they want to tell or their projection of what your experience is like. I think it takes a lot of you realising that you have to look for the people who want to tell the stories you want to tell, who are very interested in those narratives. I would say it's a two-way street but I just hope there's more." He continues: "I think the best films I've seen this year – I've been to a lot of festivals – are international films. They're just so incredible because you learn so much about different places. You learn how similar our histories and our cultures are. You learn how how we're all connected in so many ways. I think if you just sit and listen to the news, it might seem a lot more disparaging, like there's just so much that separates us. I just think cinema and film have the power to really bring people together. I just really hope there's more opportunities for not just me, but just more stories." Davies is under no illusion that many directors can suffer the "curse" of becoming blindsided by the fact that they're the 'leaders' of a production. The thing that Davies loves the most about filmmaking is the very thing that he thinks many people miss out on, which is the fact that it's a whole community effort. "I wouldn't be speaking to you right now if I didn't love the people I work with and they have a certain level of love back for me because ultimately, they feel they're within a position to give me more. By them giving me more, it's reflected in what you see on screen. [We had a] first time cinematographer, first time writer, my brother, amazing producers. There's just so many people that get unsung during the process. "I think a director's role is really just to reflect light back on all those people so they can have long and established careers and we can keep working together as well." Read more Pass the Mic interviews: Grenfell: Uncovered's Olaide Sadiq – "I wanted to honour the victims but also make people angry" Wild Cherry's Nicôle Lecky: "I wanted this to be elevated and glossy, which we don't always do in British drama" Susan Wokoma on her short film Dark Skin Bruises Differently: "This wasn't the time to be centring whiteness in my stories" My Father's Shadow comes to UK cinemas on 6th February 2026. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Stranger Things season 5 release date, cast and latest news
Hawkins's final battle is fast approaching.
Stranger Things 5 finally arrives this week, with fans around the world waiting for what might be one of the most ambitious television seasons of all time. The final eight episodes are billed as being of blockbuster scale, with filming taking place over the course of a full year of action, which the stars say was filled with ups and downs. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Maya Hawke (who plays Robin) reflected: "We all had moments where you raised your hand. We were like, 'I'm not doing that well. I need help. My spirits are struggling.' "We all, this season in particular, came in to help each other move through those moments and find the bounce back." The perseverance of cast and crew members looks poised to pay off, however, with the Stranger Things trailers dazzling fans and generating enormous online chatter about who might die in the final chapter. Are you excited to learn all the secrets that Stranger Things season 5 has in store? Fear not: we've got everything you need to know about the upcoming run, which is dropping in three epic volumes. Stranger Things season 5 release date: When is it coming out in the UK? The first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5 (aka Volume 1) land on Wednesday 26th November in the US and on Thursday 27th November in the UK. The next three episodes (aka Volume 2) will be released on Christmas Day (Thursday 25th December) in the US and on Boxing Day (Friday 26th December) in the UK. And the grand finale will cap things off on New Year's Eve (Wednesday 31st December) in the US and on New Year's Day (Thursday 1st January 2026) in the UK. Each volume releases at 5pm PT, which equates to 1am here in the UK. The two-hour finale will also be shown in over 350 cinemas in the US and Canada at the same time as it drops on Netflix. Alas, the episode does not appear to be getting a theatrical run in the UK. How many episodes are in Stranger Things season 5? Stranger Things season 5 will consist of eight episodes. This is the same number of episodes as seasons 1 and 3, but one less than seasons 2 and 4. Regardless, this is likely to clock in as one of the longest entries in the saga due to the extensive runtimes already announced (more on that below). What are the Stranger Things 5 episode titles? Netflix has revealed the titles to all eight episodes in Stranger Things 5, and they have stirred up plenty of speculation among the fanbase. Here's an overview of all the episodes in Stranger Things season 5 and their runtimes: Episode 1 - The Crawl (1 hour and 8 minutes) Episode 2 - The Vanishing Of... (54 minutes) Episode 3 - The Turnbow Trap (1 hour and 6 minutes) Episode 4 - Sorcerer (1 hour and 23 minutes) Episode 5 - Shock Jock (TBC) Episode 6 - Escape From Camazotz (TBC) Episode 7 - The Bridge (TBC) Episode 8 - The Rightside Up (approx. 2 hours) The title of the second episode has left people particularly intrigued over who exactly will be "vanishing" this time around. (It also serves as an homage to the first ever episode, The Vanishing of Will Byers.) In an Instagram post (below), Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer described The Crawl as the "most eventful first episode since season 1" and said that The Vanishing Of... boasts the "craziest cold open we've ever done". When is Stranger Things season 5 set? Stranger Things season 5 will feature a time jump to explain why the appearances of the young cast have changed, bringing the characters' ages in line with those of the cast. A brief description of Stranger Things season 5, released along with the episode titles, stated that "in the fall of 1987, one last adventure begins" – confirming that this story will take place roughly one year after the fourth. Stranger Things season 5 cast: Who will return? Of course, it wouldn't be Stranger Things without the original 'kids' (now all grown up), with a behind-the-scenes clip during production teasing more scenes of them together after season 4 split them up. That means you can look forward to more scenes of Noah Schnapp (Will), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) and Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven). For Schnapp, this included shooting season 1 flashbacks of his younger self lost in the Upside-Down, which relied upon a body double and state of the art 'de-aging' technology to recreate his childhood look. Brown had previously gone through the process for Stranger Things 4, which revealed Eleven's backstory in greater depth, and so Schnapp asked his co-star for advice on how to achieve the best result. "It was fun to step into those director shoes that we don't really get the chance to do on the show," he told Deadline. "And think introspectively and reflectively of how I act and how I did act and move and breathe and turn and look and kind of relay that onto this little kid, who was so cute." In terms of the scenes themselves, which see a young(er) Will going toe-to-toe with a Demogorgon, he added it was "gratifying" to find out what happened between the scenes in season 1, and teased that his character is "stronger than we may have believed". Sadie Sink is also back as Max Mayfield, who befriended the group in season 2 and has since grown particularly close to Lucas, but the nature of her role remains unclear for the time being. Max had a close brush with death in season 4, which left her comatose and potentially braindead. The first Stranger Things 5 trailer only featured her in an unconscious state, although Sink has previously teased that she may have more action to come. Other returnees include Winona Ryder as Will's mother Joyce, David Harbour as Eleven's adoptive father Hopper, plus Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Joe Keery as love triangle trio Nancy, Jonathan and Steve. Here's a list of the confirmed Stranger Things 5 cast – read on for more on the additions and absences in the line-up. Noah Schnapp as Will Byers Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers David Harbour as Jim Hopper Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven/Jane Hopper Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers Joe Keery as Steve Harrington Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair Paul Reiser as Dr Sam Owens Jamie Campbell Bower as Peter Ballard/Henry Creel/One/Vecna Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler Gabriella Pizzolo as Susie Linda Hamilton as Dr Kay Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow Alex Breaux as Lt Akers Amybeth McNulty as Vickie Joining the line-up as a newcomer is Terminator icon Linda Hamilton, whose casting was announced at a TUDUM fan event. She said at the time: "I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time. I'm gonna work on that." More recently, child actors Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise) and Jake Connelly have joined the Stranger Things family, alongside Alex Breaux, who recently played a young Dr Brenner on Broadway's edition of stage play The First Shadow. As for the show's Dr Brenner, it seems unlikely that he'll be returning after his expanded role in season 4 ended in calamity, despite actor Matthew Modine positing that his character might have survived (again). Another character who won't be returning is Eduardo Franco's Argyle. Introduced in season 4, Argyle was a stoner friend of Jonathan Byers (played by Charlie Heaton), who quickly became a key part of the season. He rescued Jonathan, Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Agent Harmon (Ira Amyx) before helping Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) fight Vecna at the pizza parlour where he worked. However, when asked if he'll be part of the final season on the Steve Varley Show, he said: "It's nice to hear that there's, you know, concern or something, you know what I mean? But I never got a phone call. So I think, yeah, I think that's it." What will the plot of Stranger Things season 5 be? Stranger Things season 5 will follow the final battle for Hawkins – and the world – after season 4 saw the barrier between our reality and the Upside-Down seemingly rupture for good. The official synopsis for Stranger Things season 5 reads: "The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown. "Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. "The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time." Co-creator Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview that season 5 sticks to the "north star" ending that the team have had in mind for "a really long time," but allowed room for added detours that "often surprised" even them. "Really the way we approach every season... was as if every season was a movie. Let’s not leave anything on the table," he explained. Expanding further in an interview with RadioTimes.com, the Duffers revealed that they had studied past series finales in an attempt to avoid the pitfalls of the most infamous misfires. "When you're looking at the endings that don't work, it is when it feels like sometimes the shows are trying too hard to surprise fans or do something different," theorised Matt. "So we want it to feel very much in line with the show and the endings for each of the characters to feel inevitable. That's what we're striving for," he continued, citing Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under and Friday Night Lights as influential success stories. In keeping with earlier seasons, we know this is going to be an emotional one. While promoting Deadpool & Wolverine, producer Shawn Levy said: "It's not too far away but also not soon enough... When the Duffers pitched the story of season 5, nobody wasn't crying, including me. Not a dry eye in that room." Stranger Things season 5 trailer A full-length trailer has now been released and, as you probably already guessed, it looks like our heroes are really going to be put through the wringer this season as Vecna emerges from the darkness. Watch for yourself below: View Green Video on the source website A second trailer focused on Volume 1 (consisting of episodes 1-4) followed, which had a more fun and optimistic tone – but still carries foreboding signs of trouble ahead. You can watch it on YouTube. Will Stranger Things season 5 be the final season? Yes, it's true! When season 5 was announced, it was confirmed that it would be the final season of the show. However, spin-offs are in the works at Netflix, with an animated series titled Tales of '85 being first up, followed by a live-action anthology influenced by the unique style of Twin Peaks (via Deadline). It's unclear just how involved the Duffer brothers will be in the latter project, given they recently closed a film and television deal with rival media giant Paramount. Explaining the shock pivot, the filmmakers said that they were keen to release features for the big screen and support the embattled cinema experience, while Netflix's model is primarily focused on home viewing. Speaking to RadioTimes.com at the premiere, producer Shawn Levy said that he'd love to see a Stranger Things spin-off focused on odd couple besties Dustin and Steve, but made no promises that such a project would become a reality. Previously, Dustin actor Matarazzo has suggested that he would consider reprising the role, but only after a break to pursue other opportunities – understandable after committing about a decade to Stranger Things. He said: "If you were to ask me a year from now if I wanted to come back, I'd probably be like, 'I’m gonna do some other stuff for a bit initially,' but who knows what it's going to be like?" "I would love to see, potentially, if there's a continuation of Dustin after [season] 5, if any of us make it up to that point, I would love to see what would happen, what Dustin would be like as a 30-year-old." Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Grenfell: Uncovered's Olaide Sadiq – "I wanted to honour the victims but also make people angry"
Named as one of the BAFTA Breakthroughs for 2025, Grenfell: Uncovered director Olaide Sadiq sits down with Pass the Mic to talk about the documentary, its impact and the wider industry of unscripted TV.
Having helmed one of the most acclaimed documentaries of the year, director Olaide Sadiq remains humble and smiling as she beams about the "nice surprise" of being named one of the BAFTA Breakthroughs for 2025 (an initiative supported by Netflix). When we speak, Grenfell: Uncovered has just bagged a Rose d'Or nomination – testament to Sadiq's hard work on a production that became so much more. While some people around Sadiq have questioned why she was so surprised at the accolade, she reflects on the fact that the industry has seen some "amazing projects" in the past year with "a lot of great people". It's also a privilege, she tells me, to be part of a cohort of people that has seen the likes of Adjani Salmon and Letitia Wright grace the lists, both of whom Sadiq personally admires. "It's weird to be amongst them... but I feel very grateful that I'm recognised in that same way," she says. It must feel like a strange whirlwind of a year in general, I remark to Sadiq, with it now marking just over five months since the release of Grenfell: Uncovered. The Netflix documentary was Sadiq's directorial debut and was one that, surprisingly, Sadiq says she thought may be a "very quiet debut" – in reality, it was anything but. The response to the film was heartwarming, Sadiq says, admitting: "I feel like it got a much bigger response than I was anticipating." Working on the documentary "was way more than a job", adding that "it became a massive responsibility, one I'm really proud that I was able to handle". Whilst directing it has continued to put her further into the industry spotlight, Sadiq wastes no time in underlining the true importance of the production – saying that she's just glad the affected community of Grenfell has had this kind of recognition. In the aftermath of the film's release, Sadiq has done the screening circuit, having had various companies (within the housing industry also) reaching out and wanting to include it in journals, talks and in schools. "I wasn't expecting it to affect people in the industry the way it has done, but I'm glad it has done because I feel like when you get to work on documentaries where you can actually see real change taking place afterwards, it's quite rare," she says. When it came to sitting down and thinking about what route the documentary would take, Sadiq says that she simply wanted it to be balanced. "I wanted to – in a condensed and digestible way – show people what happened, those who might not know the story," she shares. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/251025BAFTABREAKTHROUGHCOMPBENCHR3-3fbf91d.jpg" width="19833" height="5111" alt="Owen Tooth, Ellis Howard, Pinny Grylls, Jodie-Simone Howe, Laura Carreira, Nathaniel Price, Matthew Gurney, Marie-Elena Dyche, Vivian Eguridu, Kyle Banks, Mark Choi, Alderney Middleton, Nathalie Pitters, Stanley Baxton, Megumi Inman, Olaide Sadiq, Cara Ellison, Stephanie Taylor and Sally Beaumont for BAFTA Breakthrough UK 2025-2026." title="BAFTA Breakthrough UK 2025 Photoshoot" /> "I think there's an assumption everyone knows the story, but not actually everyone – even from my family – knew it to the extent that it was shown on the documentary. So that's one aim. But then also to make people angry. I feel like there's a lot to the story that makes me angry and this is someone who didn't live in the building and didn't come from that community." That feeling of anger that Sadiq gets when thinking about what unfolded on the night of 14th June 2017 was exactly what she wanted people to feel when watching the documentary. "I wanted there to be some sort of anger in the film but not a forced anger, one that people might just feel from hearing people's stories and seeing what people had to deal with. So that was definitely one of the very early aims, but to have revelations in it too." She adds: "I basically wanted to, first and foremost, honour the victims of Grenfell, but then tell their stories in a way that would enlighten people, would inform people but also make people angry. I thought the combination of that would naturally then – hopefully – lead to conversations where people think about change, people think about impact. We think about what they can do differently, what they did wrong. "There was lots of different aims and hopes that folded into one project in the end, but it wasn't as clear as 'I just wanted this to be spoken about and have some impact'. That's not something you definitely know is going to happen. That depends on what you've put together and how people feel about it. I wanted the impact to be a byproduct of what the aims were." While it's now eight years on from the night that claimed 72 victims, Grenfell remains a pertinent issue, not least because nobody has ever been charged over the national tragedy. But also due to the looming reality of the tower itself being taken down. Sadiq may have stepped up to the job of being the director of Grenfell: Uncovered but with that role must come a certain expectation from viewers, I suggest. Stepping into a position of authority around any topic would naturally feel daunting for anyone, but it's a fact that Sadiq has taken in her stride. "I think the weight of responsibility following Grenfell: Uncovered has been difficult, but I don't mind it. I don't mind being seen in that way. I also have to manage people's expectations that I'm not a fire expert, I'm not a housing expert, I'm not a planning expert either, I'm not a regulation expert. "There's so much about Grenfell I learned along the way before ever working on it, but also whilst working on it. There's still a lot for all of us to still learn about it. So I recognise that I become someone who people will come to with these issues or these stories," she says. When the documentary was released back in June, Sadiq went from hardly ever really using LinkedIn to it being a platform that was exploding for her, with hundreds of messages flooding her inbox. A couple of people from the industry used LinkedIn to message her, but that steady stream of messages came from people all over, sharing their own personal stories. Whether it was telling Sadiq of a fire that happened in the '70s or regulation issues they were having with the council about their buildings, Sadiq said she felt "a responsibility to ensure that eventually I responded to everyone". "I didn't want to be someone who's worked on something that has now had the impact that we wanted it to have, but then ignore the impact," she says. Prior to working on Grenfell: Uncovered, Sadiq had made a name for herself as a producer in the TV industry, having worked on productions like Ambulance, 999: What’s Your Emergency, Ibiza Weekender, The Final: Attack on Wembley and Boybands Forever, as well as episodes of the Louis Theroux Interviews… series. "I realised as a first-time director that everything matters," she tells me. While Sadiq has always known that the story and people matter the most in documentary-making, she wasn't aware of just how much aspects like music, graphics and a location can be vital to a production. Having worked on documentaries about a range of topics, Sadiq says her mixed career background has led her to have a varied mindset when it comes to tackling different problems. "I feel like lots of different experiences I've had in the past came to the forefront of Grenfell: Uncovered. I'd worked on emergency programmes and blue light shows which are extremely traumatic and have a lot of compliance issues, a lot of sensitive filming, sensitive contributors. I felt like I'd done that a lot in the past and I was very comfortable with revisiting that space because I knew what it involved." Her work in the past involved "filming with institutions, politicians, or companies and individuals that are quite hard to access or engage with", so it all proved to be invaluable experience when it came to conducting Grenfell: Uncovered interviews with survivors, the bereaved and even former prime minister Theresa May. View oEmbed on the source website Sadiq continues to honour the people at the heart of the story in her work, it's clear. But in a TV landscape that often feels as though it may be regressing in terms of the stories and people it platforms, how do you remain committed to ethical, character-driven storytelling? It's all about sticking to her guns and personal morals, she tells me. "I have to see a purpose with the project and if I struggle to see the purpose then maybe that's answered my question a little bit. I feel like obviously, in this true crime space especially, a lot is being made. There are a lot of opinions about true crime and I understand people feel like it might be gratuitous, or it might feel like, 'Why are you just revisiting something dark?' "I feel like there can be purpose to revisiting something dark when you think about the bigger picture, you think about the wider impact. Some people call Grenfell: Uncovered a true crime. To this point, we can't say it's a crime yet because there haven't been any criminal charges." She continues: "But the proof was in the pudding of why we went back because there was still a story to be told, there's still people who want their voices to be heard. I feel like as long as that feels like it's central to any project where there's a genuine purpose for the people involved and for the story platform, then I think that's how I stay committed to doing it. I'm not afraid to speak up and speak out on things I'm not sure about; ask questions, raise concerns. I think that's how I stay committed." Sadiq says that funnily enough, she was asked a few years ago about the possibility of directing. At the time, Sadiq thinks she wasn't even a producer yet and she'd been asked what she'd want to make a documentary about one day. "I said that I would love to make something that has a very big social impact, maybe something about Grenfell. It was a passing conversation but that was probably one of the few things that I had a clear answer for because most of the time, I have no idea what I'm doing," she smiles. Coming off a directorial debut like Grenfell: Uncovered must also come with its own set of challenges, I offer, especially in regards to taking on the 'right next role'. "It's been really hard," she admits. "Actually, navigating afterwards has been hard because there's been so many comments and questions about what's next. I think there's an expectation of, 'Oh, that's the thing you do now – you do these big social justice stories'." Her CV is a testament to the range of topics, stories and people she's interested in shining a light on, which continues to make Sadiq open-minded about what's to come next. "I don't really want to be pigeonholed into doing one thing and it's very easy for that to happen. Why does that have to be my one thing? I can do loads of things. But I'm trying not to overthink the next step as much," she says. More often than ever before, factual and fictional continue to bleed into one another in the TV realm, with factual dramas becoming regular hits for broadcasters and streamers alike. So, could Sadiq envision a future that includes a step over to the world of scripted television perhaps? "I've always loved scripted, it's what I watch the most. When I was younger, I used to do a lot of creative writing, used to write lots of stories. I definitely felt like that's somewhere I'd be interested in going. I think that documentary was more of a natural calling to me and I think over time, especially when you work in documentaries and factual programmes, you do think, 'Oh, this could be a really good drama'." Sadiq recalls various screenings of Grenfell: Uncovered where viewers told her that it was a very hard watch, with some saying the documentary felt akin to a gut punch. "I feel like there's something quite unique about factual drama... documenting something without overwhelming people in the same way that documentaries sometimes can," she says. We speak about the way that Netflix's Toxic Town shone a light on a real-life scandal that many people didn't know anything about prior to watching. It was a series that lingered with Sadiq and prompted her to get into a research wormhole of her own about the Corby toxic waste case. Drama can still have a similar impact to a documentary, Sadiq says, and if things were to align in that way in the future, it's a genre that she'd love to try working in. As for the industry itself, I can imagine that the "weight of responsibility" that Sadiq experienced with Grenfell: Uncovered also filtered into the decision-making that went into ensuring there was ample diversity behind the scenes of the production as well. "I think when I first started in TV, I was very aware of the lack of diversity, not just with race but also with class. I always felt like once I got to a position where I could have that influence, I wanted to make sure I was using that privilege that I had. I feel like it's really hard with television, particularly. It's an issue that people just don't always like to embrace that exists," she states. "I definitely felt like with Grenfell, there was an expectation from other people in the industry that, 'Oh, you've got make sure that everyone you hire is Black'. I feel like that isn't always the goal, because also, it's not realistic. I think I'm very realistic. I'm not an executive producer, I'm not a commissioner. Those are the roles that hold, I think, the most power in the industry. "I wanted to make sure that I saw different faces, different backgrounds, different cultures within my team because I feel like it has to reflect not just what we're making, but also reflect who's going to watch it. I feel sometimes it gets forgotten that we're not making TV for our peers, we're making it for the general public." She adds: "We come from all walks of life, all creeds, all colours, all races. I feel like if the industry becomes more in tune with that, I think it will definitely benefit the projects that we end up seeing. I did feel when stepping into a director role, I also had a responsibility to ensure that I was practising what I preach." In terms of those conversations around the intersections of race and class within the TV industry, Sadiq isn't sure whether the tides are changing. Like many can attest to in various industries, there was a real spike in 2020 but Sadiq has noticed a decline in recent years. "I don't think people want to be put in roles and feeling like they're just ticking a box, that's really important to say. I feel like sometimes people think, 'Just put them somewhere!' and then you've done your job. I don't think people want to feel that way because people do feel it – I know when I've been called about something because I'm Black. I don't want to be called about something just because I'm Black, I also want to be called because you think I'm good enough for the job." Sadiq says that over the years, she's had to be strict with herself and passed on opportunities that she felt she was only being approached for in a box-ticking capacity. "I just want people to have a shared care about the direction that the industry is going in when it comes to diversity in all its forms. I don't always think people are ready to have that conversation or want to have that conversation, but I feel like it's an important conversation to have. If everyone comes from the same background, has the same interests, has had the same schooling, lives in the same area of London, whatever it may be, you're just going to keep getting the same output." Having just spent the past half-hour aware of the fact that Sadiq is being seen as a beacon of information for everything Grenfell-related, it feels slightly redundant to wrap up our interview asking about how we continue the conversation around the national tragedy after the release of the documentary. Sadiq tells me of a friend who, just the other week, had watched the film and asked her the exact same thing. "What can I do?" is the question left at the forefront of many people's minds after watching and it's a good question to ask, the director reassures me. "What I've taken from being in that community and meeting all those people is what they want is for people to not stop talking about Grenfell. It's a community that is worried that their story is being erased long before any justice has been delivered and they're feeling that, in a very literal sense, with the building being demolished," Sadiq tells me. "They feel like once people can't see it anymore, they're going to forget about it. They feel like people only talk about it once a year, sometimes twice a year. I think what people can do is keep reading up about it, keep being engaged with it, keep resharing what they're putting out, keep engaging with the community, keep going to silent walks, keep showing up for the story." She adds: "If we say we care, then we have to show we care. I think that's what people can do at the very bare minimum – that's something that the victims, the bereaved and the wider community would be very grateful for." Grenfell: Uncovered is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Industry season 4 drops electric teaser as release window confirmed
It's time to return to the heady world of finance.
Harper, Yasmin and the gang return along with a slew of new faces in the first teaser trailer for Industry season 4. The hit BBC/HBO co-production's moody promo unveils not only a first look at the cast of new characters, but also gives us a sneak peek into some of the significant drama to come. As well as Harper (Myha’la) seemingly living out a brand new, successful chapter of her career, things continue to be complicated for Yasmin (Marisa Abela) as she navigates a new life as the wife of Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington). In the trailer, which unfolds to the sound of Nina Simone’s Lilac Wine, we see Muck about to drive off in his vintage convertible car with Yasmin by his side, but nursing a bloody hand. Although season 3 appeared to show Yasmin turning her back on the world of finance altogether, it may not be quite that easy, as we see her come face-to-face with Harper once again. It wouldn't be an instalment of Industry without its fair share of secrets, sex, arguments, boardroom tension and chain smoking – all of which appear to be in plentiful supply in the new trailer. You can watch it for yourself below. View oEmbed on the source website Along with the teaser, HBO has announced that the new season will be released in the US on Sunday 11th January at 9pm. However, a UK release date is yet to be revealed – though the BBC has also confirmed a January 2026 release window. All episodes of Industry season landed in October 2024, coming two months after the US, which premiered the third season in August that same year – but it appears fans won't have as long to wait for season 4. The new trailer also gives us a look into the world of new character Whitney Halberstram, who is played by The Handmaid's Tale star Max Minghella. He remains a mystery so far – how does he get swept up into the high-stakes world of the series? We'll just have to wait and see. Read more: Hijack writer's "gripping" new thriller casts Torchwood star opposite David Morrissey Red Eye season 2 releases explosive first look trailer as Line of Duty icon joins thriller Other new faces for the fourth season include Kiernan Shipka, Jack Farthing, Toheeb Jimoh, Amy James-Kelly, Kal Penn, Charlie Heaton and Claire Forlani. Marisa Abela, Myha'la, Ken Leung, Sagar Radia, Miriam Petche and Kit Harington all reprise their roles, with plenty clearly in store for their characters. The official synopsis for Industry season 4 reads: “At the top of their game and living the lives they set out to have as Pierpoint grads, Harper (Myha’la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) are drawn into a high-stakes, globetrotting cat-and-mouse game when a splashy fintech darling bursts onto the London scene. "As Yasmin navigates her relationship with tech founder Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington) and Harper is pulled into the orbit of enigmatic executive Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella), their twisted friendship begins to warp and ignite under the pressure of money, power and the desire to be on top.” Industry is on BBC iPlayer in the UK. The drama airs on HBO in the US. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Hijack season 2: Release date, cast and latest news
The Apple TV+ thriller has captivated viewers, but could there be another season?
*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hijack season 1.* It's the Apple TV action thriller that kept us guessing and worrying about whether or not the plane would actually land safely, but Hijack certainly delivered in the drama stakes when it premiered two years ago. It seems like an age ago since we saw Idris Elba helm the series as expert negotiator Sam Nelson but Sam is finally back – and this time it looks as though things are unfolding on the German underground system. A date announcement teaser for the highly anticipated second instalment was released just last month, providing fans with their first look at the action to come and it looks as though Sam is set to face another crisis on a moving vehicle. The synopsis teases that its "commuters are taken hostage, while authorities scramble to save hundreds of lives. Sam Nelson (Elba) is at the heart of the crisis on board, where one wrong decision could spell disaster". The first season was a hit for the streamer, with Elba even bagging an Emmy award nomination for his leading performance in the series. We now have a confirmed release date for season 2 also, as well as a batch of first-look images which are dotted throughout this article. But just when will the new season of Hijack land on our screens? Read on to find out. Hijack season 2 release date The second season of Hijack is confirmed to premiere on Apple TV globally on Wednesday 14th January 2026 with the first two episodes. As is usually the case for Apple TV shows, new episodes will then be released weekly, with the finale set for 25th February 2026. The series was renewed in January 2024, with executive producer and star Idris Elba saying at the time: “I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!" Prior to the renewal announcement, Elba had floated the possibility of returning for more but stressed the importance of returning for the right story. He told Variety previously: "What would be the acceptable scenario that he comes back? Because we’ve thought about this and obviously Apple have gone, 'Well, we really love the show.' And I think, you know, Rotten Tomatoes is at 92% at the moment, which is a good sign, but it’s kind of like — he’s not a cop — what would be the acceptable Sam Nelson return? And if I’m honest, I’m not sure." He added: "I’d like that, but I just don’t want to put him on another hijack. I’m open to that character coming back. I think if people were compelled to like the character, then I’m in." Hijack cast: Who will return and who joins for season 2? It wouldn't quite be Hijack without Idris Elba leading the cast and Elba will once again be leading the new series. Elba isn't the only familiar face returning as Christine Adams reprises her role as Sam's estranged wife Marsha Smith-Nelson, Max Beesley as her partner DI Daniel O'Farrel and Archie Panjabi as as DCI Zahra Gahfoor. As for new cast members, those include Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy), Christian Näthe (Ballon), Lisa Vicari (Django), Karima McAdams (Dune: Prophecy) and Christiane Paul (Counterpart). The confirmed returning cast for Hijack season 2 are as follows: Idris Elba as Sam Nelson Christine Adams as Marsha Smith-Nelson Max Beesley as DI Daniel O'Farrel Archie Panjabi as DCI Zahra Gahfoor Toby Jones as TBC Clare-Hope Ashitey as TBC Christian Näthe as TBC Lisa Vicari as TBC Karima McAdams as TBC Christiane Paul as TBC Hijack season 2 plot: What will happen? While we do have an official trailer for season 2 and a synopsis, we're still none the wiser as to how exactly Sam finds himself in yet another hijack situation. We do know that it's set to unfold on the Berlin underground system but as for who's responsible, why Sam finds himself in Germany and everything in between, we'll just have to wait and see. Elba had previously admitted that if he was to return to do another instalment of the series, it can't just follow the same format as season 1. It makes a lot of sense because if Sam was to fall victim of yet another plane hijacking, fans may be a little confused. But what could Sam do in season 2? Well, speaking to TV Insider, Elba said: “Look, I’m going to be honest here. I’d like to see Sam come back, but I just don’t want to see another Hijack. "It’s got to be clever, and we can see him make decisions that are impossible to make. And I think that’s going to be fun for the audience, but it has to be the right setup. So who knows? If the audience really wants it, it’s going to happen.” We did see Sam eventually make it out of the plane after a tense confrontation with lead hijacker Stuart but as for what Sam could be walking out to, it remains to be seen. We're sure after helping in the takedown of the hijackers, Sam would likely be commended by the home secretary and foreign secretary but would he turn to government work? As for his personal life, the hijack could very well bring him and his estranged wife Marsha closer but that could spell some tricky dynamics between Sam and Daniel. And could Sam be facing a future looking over his shoulder after Stuart gets imprisoned? Quite possibly, as it's clear the OCG member wanted to exact some kind of revenge on Sam after the death of his brother. We're sure with the Cheapside Firm deal being usurped by a change of plan, it could spell trouble for Sam as he was the most prominent passenger on the plane trying to take them down. Is there a trailer for Hijack season 2? Not quite! However, you can watch the date announcement teaser below, which also reveals a first look at Hijack season 2. View oEmbed on the source website Hijack season 1 is available to stream on Apple TV, sign up now with a 7-day free trial. Add Hijack to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Power Book IV: Force season 3 release schedule – When is episode 4 out?
New episodes are being released weekly on MGM+ in the UK.
The Power universe seems to be at something of a turning point - while two of the original shows spin-offs are currently still ongoing, they are both coming to an end. While Book III: Raising Kanan will end with its upcoming fifth season, Book IV: Force is coming to a close with its third season, which has recently started dropping episodes on MGM+ in the UK. That will then be it for the franchise as we know it, but never fear - there is still more in the works, including prequel Power: Origins and more for the characters going forward too. Joseph Sikora, who plays the central character of Force, Tommy Egan, previously teased fans: "Don’t worry. Tommy’s journey is far from over with. We’re just getting warmed up, and I can’t wait to show you what we have planned next." In the meantime, we've still got most of Force season 3 to look forward to, as we continue to follow Tommy's mission to take over Chicago's drug game - which comes at quite the high cost. The synopsis for season 3 says: "In order to claim the throne as kingpin, he must navigate an ever-evolving dynamic with his business partner, Diamond (Isaac Keys), and a contentious relationship with Diamond’s brother, Jenard (Kris D. Lofton). "As pressure mounts from the coalition, the Feds, Miguel’s crew and the Marquez Cartel, Tommy must find a way to protect his family and those he loves, including Mireya (Carmela Zumbado)." With the first three episodes having now dropped, fans will be wondering just when they can anticipate more new episodes. Well, don't worry, as we have you covered. Read on to find out more about the full release schedule of Power Book IV: Force season 3. When will Power Book IV: Force season 3 episode 4 be released? Power Book IV: Force season 3 episode 4 will be released on Saturday 29th November 2025. The third season premiered in the UK on Saturday 8th November on MGM+. Its release comes one day after its US counterpart on Starz, where it premiered on Friday, 7th November. For both territories, the series is being released weekly, with new episodes landing in the UK every Saturday. How many episodes of Power Book IV: Force season 3 are there? There are 10 episodes in the third and final season of Power Book IV: Force. Power Book IV: Force season 3 release schedule The full release schedule for Power Book IV: Force season 3 is as follows. Episode 1 - Do or Die - Saturday 8th November (out now) Episode 2 - A Seat at the Table - Saturday 15th November (out now) Episode 3 - There's Always a Price to Pay - Saturday 22nd November (out now) Episode 4 - Time To See The King - Saturday 29th November Episode 5 - The Last Dance - Saturday 6th December Episode 6 - Saturday 13th December Episode 7 - Saturday 20th December Episode 8 - Saturday 27th December Episode 9 - Saturday 3rd January Episode 10 - Saturday 10th January Power Book IV: Force season 3 trailer You can watch the dramatic trailer for the third season of Power Book IV: Force below. View oEmbed on the source website Power Book IV: Force season 3 continues weekly on Saturdays in the UK only on MGM+. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Tulsa King season 4 release date speculation and latest news
Is the Sylvester Stallone drama returning for more?
Paramount Plus drama Tulsa King has now completed its third season, with the final episode laying the groundwork for more episodes. Well, it's a good thing then that the series has already been renewed for a fourth season – but there seems to be plenty of changes afoot behind-the-scenes of the Taylor Sheridan drama. It's already been announced that season 3 showrunner Dave Erickson is exiting the show, with Erickson also stepping down from showrunner duties on spin-off series NOLA King to primarily focus on helming Mayor of Kingstown. It's also recently been revealed that 26 crew members of Tulsa King‘s 600-member crew have been asked not to return for season 4. According to Deadline, "most, if not all, are expected to be replaced". But when will the fourth season of Tulsa King be released? Read on to find out everything we know so far. Will there be a Tulsa King season 4? Yes! Tulsa King was renewed for a fourth season back in September ahead of season 3's premiere. The renewal news was a natural next step for the drama, especially seeing as the season 2 premiere went on to be Paramount Plus’s most watched global premiere at the time, with 21.1 million viewers for the first episode. Tulsa King season 4 release date speculation As for a season 4 release date, one has not yet been announced. Seeing as the seasons of Tulsa King have stuck to the regular pattern of being released each year, we would anticipate a September 2026 release for season 4. We'd imagine that even with some drastic changes going on behind the scenes of the production, it has only stuck to its quick turnaround and so, wouldn't imagine that there will be any delays in the pipeline. However, with the release of NOLA King yet to also be confirmed, we could imagine that the two series will need to work around each other in terms of scheduling. It could perhaps be the case that NOLA King may be released first, with Tulsa King season 4 set to come soon after but it remains to be seen. Tulsa King season 4 cast: Who will star? Sylvester Stallone previously signed a contract confirming his leading role in both seasons 3 and 4 so we can expect the leading man to return. As for other faces returning to the cast for the fourth season, we'd expect plenty of returning faces but as of now, nothing has been confirmed. Meanwhile, Boardwalk Empire star Gretchen Mol has been cast in the new series regular role of a Tulsa politician named Amanda Clark, according to Deadline. The Tulsa King cast we'd expect to return for season 4 is as follows. Sylvester Stallone as Dwight 'The General' Manfredi Martin Starr as Bodhi Jay Will as Tyson Annabella Sciorra as Joanne Neal McDonough as Cal Thresher Robert Patrick as Jeremiah Dunmire Beau Knapp as Cole Dunmire Bella Heathcote as Cleo Montagu Chris Caldovino as Goodie McKenna Quigley Harrington Mike "Cash Flo" Walden Kevin Pollak as Special Agent Musso Vincent Piazza as Vince Frank Grillo as Bill Bevilaqua Michael Beach as Mark James Russo as Ray Renzetti Garrett Hedlund as Mitch Keller Dana Delany as Margaret Devereaux What could happen in Tulsa King season 4? Season 3 of Tulsa King saw Dwight's empire continuing to expand, with his pool of enemies only growing wider. Of course, that also meant threats being made to his crew which put everyone in a more precarious position than ever. The Dunmires only continued to be a thorn in Dwight's side, with Jeremiah – the head of the Dixie mafia – becoming the main problem and squaring up to Dwight in more ways than one. As for how that may manifest in a fourth season of Tulsa King, we can anticipate that the season will either continue dealing with the tensions between Dwight and the Dunmires or, like with previous seasons, see the mafia captain facing some new adversaries entirely. Is there a trailer for Tulsa King season 4? No! Seeing as production for Tulsa King season 4 has just kicked off, there aren't any trailers to enjoy just yet. However, you can rewatch the trailer for season 3 below. View oEmbed on the source website Tulsa King is available to stream on Paramount+ - sign up for Paramount Plus+. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Line of Duty could be entering its #MeToo era – but let's hope it doesn't waste the opportunity
Shining a light on sexual predators within positions of power is eerily topical for Line of Duty. Will the BBC drama pull it off?
This article contains mentions of sexual assault, which some readers may find distressing. After months (well really, years now) of speculation about the future of Line of Duty, fans were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief this week when season 7 was finally announced. It was the jewel in the BBC drama crown after all, so why wouldn't we be seeing more of AC-12? Not only were we all treated to the confirmation of the series return and leading cast news, we were also given an insight into what twisted road of corruption we'll all be going down. The BBC's description for season 7 teases a rebrand for AC-12, with anti-corruption work having "never been more difficult". Nevertheless, we're set to see Steve (Martin Compston), Kate (Vicky McClure) and Ted (Adrian Dunbar) tackle "their most sensitive case so far". The synopsis states that the season will be concerned with "charismatic" new character Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, who has won plaudits for multiple takedowns of organised crime, but stands "accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator." It adds: "But is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?" While the nation attempts to remember their shared season 6 finale disappointment, wonders just how Jed Mercurio will rectify the H anticlimax, and speculates about which starry name may or may not step into the role as Gough, my mind couldn't help but turn to recent headlines. With Line of Duty seemingly stepping into its #MeToo era, we could be getting a season of television that is not only as gripping as its previous instalments – but could be its most topical yet, if it knows what to do with such sensitive subject matter. Equally, it could be the season that may be the most difficult to watch for many survivors at home. You don't have to scroll far to find a news report about a police officer abusing their position of power – and when it comes to doing so for sexual gain, there are a slew of recent cases that are the substance of any stomach-churning storyline. At the time of writing, disgraced former Met Police officer David Carrick's name is emblazoned on several news outlets once again, having just been handed another life sentence. On Wednesday 19th November, the serial rapist was found guilty of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the '80s when he was 14 and raping a former partner 20 years later. He had already been serving 36 life sentences (with a minimum of 32 years), having admitted to 71 offences of sexual violence committed over a 17-year period. Just the other month, many were left shocked after secret BBC Panorama filming exposed evidence of misogyny and racism inside the Metropolitan Police. The footage, which was taken of officers at Charing Cross police station, contained sexualised comments and racist views about immigrants and Muslims. Last month also saw a misconduct hearing held for a former anti-corruption officer with Warwickshire Police, who had used his position for sexual gain and had started a relationship with a vulnerable woman, whom he had initially met when he arrested her as a teenager. There's also the gross misconduct case of a former Staffordshire Police officer who was found to have exchanged sexually suggestive messages with a witness, and allegedly established an inappropriate sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman after he "placed his phone number in her bra". Sadly, this is just a hyper-focused snapshot of the news cycle as it relates to recent reports of misconduct within UK policing. I could very much continue to go on about the real-world headlines that continue to make many people (including myself) simply despair, but let's turn our attention back to Line of Duty. Rather sadly, for the aforementioned reasons, the seventh season could actually be coming out at the best possible time. While DI Dominic Gough will be investigated by our trusty trio, it stands to reason whether or not he will actually be guilty of his crimes, of course. We know the way of this series by now, not only does it throw up all kinds of twists but it has also only delved further into this wider H conspiracy. Could an innocent Gough have simply gotten on the wrong side of one of his colleagues or perhaps, angered an OCG? It's always a possibility that he could be framed for crimes he hasn't committed. But in an ideal world of topical TV, Mercurio and his team would pen scripts that not only shine an important light on the eerie parallels to real life institutional failures, but could also prioritise the narratives of victims and those affected too. Placing the stories of victims at the forefront of the storyline would be a powerful move for the primetime series, allowing a window into the full-scale impact of such devastation. Sexual assault and rape (which could be crimes that Gough stands accused of committing) should never just be thrown in as a plot device for a high-stakes drama. Crucially, Line of Duty can't just centre Gough here but could really give a voice to those often left unheard. Gough, a senior ranking police officer, could very well be handed his just desserts alongside the ongoing corruption storylines that underpin Line of Duty, which would, I think, make for an inspired and well-rounded storyline. But perhaps these are simply the TV dreams of one angry writer (me) hoping to see justice served, even fictionally, on one of the country's most popular dramas. Mercurio has certainly proven that he has the chops to bring the meatiest, edge-of-your-seat storylines to life, but whether he'll be brave enough to take the opportunity and run with the plethora of unfortunate inspiration at his fingertips, we'll just have to wait and see. Line of Duty seasons 1-6 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Squid Game's American spin-off with esteemed Hollywood director gets massive production update
It seems as though the rumoured series is actually a-go.
After the surprise Cate Blanchett cameo at the end of Squid Game's third and final season, questions remained about the future of the series and whether or not it'll be expanding its TV universe in any way. The long-rumoured American spin-off of the series seemed more in sight than ever but again, without any real confirmation from series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk or rumoured spin-off director David Fincher, it just seemed to be nothing more than an exciting prospect. Well now, it's time to get a whole lot more excited as it seems as though the series actually is happening. While Netflix has not confirmed the news, eagle-eyed fans have spotted a major production update and title of the new series, which appears to be called Squid Game: America for now. The show has now been listed on the Film and Television Industry Alliance website not only revealing its name, but also seemingly confirming that production is set to kick off in Los Angeles on 26th February 2026. Production details don't appear to be confirmed just yet, but it lists Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk as a producer alongside David Fincher, Zeus Zamani and Rhett Giles. It also lists Matilda the Musical writer Dennis Kelly as the show's writer, as well as Cate Blanchett as part of the cast. The listing also includes a project summary, which reads: "A US version of the Korean hit series, the spin-off is set in the same world but we get to see how the games are handled in America." Of course, it doesn't really reveal anything that fans hadn't already been speculating and would be, as imagined, just an American version of the original series. In terms of how American culture, politics and social issues may intersect within the games themselves, we'll just have to wait and see. But if it's anything like the original, it won't only be bloody games and backstabbing that'll take place, but a larger conversation about wealth and privilege too. When quizzed after the release of the Squid Game season 3 finale about Blanchett's role possibly setting up a US version of the show, Dong-hyuk told Variety: "Actually no, not at all. It’s not related to that. "All I wanted to have was just an impactful ending, and that’s all that was to it. Honestly, I haven’t heard officially from Netflix about David Fincher creating a “Squid Game.” I have heard the rumours of course, though. But again, it was just the ending that I wanted for season 3." Read more: Reacher season 4 finally gets major production update after "addictive" series praised by author Lee Child Iconic '90s sci-fi confirmed for "extraordinary" revival with new series on Prime Video Also talking about envisioning Blanchett for that final scene, he said: "That scene was in my mind towards the end of my writing process for the script. I did want to think a little more about who to bring onto the scene. "I knew I wanted to have a woman recruiter, because I thought it would be something different and a little more impactful. Because it’s just one line and it’s a moment that you get to see this person, I wanted someone who had the charisma that could dominate the screen in an instant. "I’ve always been a big fan of Cate Blanchett and all of my producers are as well. They really wanted her. As for offering the role to the particular actor, that happened after we began shooting." As for whether the new American spin-off may feature any of the original show's characters (like The Frontman, played by Lee Byung-hun), we'll just have to wait and see. Squid Game season 3 is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Line of Duty season 7 finally confirmed by the BBC
At long last, Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar are back!
After months of speculation, it's now been officially announced that Line of Duty will return for season 7 – with all the main cast reprising their leading roles. While the rumour mill has certainly been churning as of late with reports of filming and casting, the BBC has now announced that Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar are all reprising their roles for a seventh instalment of the beloved BBC crime drama. As of now, a release date has not been confirmed but we do know that filming will kick off in Belfast in spring 2026, with further casting set to be announced in due course. The official synopsis for the new episodes reads: "In series 7, AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards. Anticorruption work has never been more difficult and in this challenging climate Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are assigned their most sensitive case so far. "Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?" On the announcement of the series return, creator, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio said: “Everyone involved in Line of Duty feels enormous gratitude to the show’s fans. We’re privileged to have had so many of you follow the ups and downs of AC-12 over six previous seasons and we couldn’t be more delighted to be returning for a seventh. "Corruption in this country is supposed to have come to an end while Line of Duty was off air so I’ve been forced to use my imagination.” Series co-lead Compston added: “Line of Duty has been a job of a lifetime. Not only in terms of the show's success but the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with I now call some of my closest friends. I can’t wait to pull the waistcoat on again and get the team back together.” Similarly, McClure said in a statement: “It goes without saying I’m so excited Line of Duty is back! Can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again. Belfast, we’ll see you soon!” Dunbar also added: “As we count down the AC12 days of Christmas what a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be back filming together next year. Delighted with the news and looking forward to those mercurial twists and turns.” Just last month, McClure had played down rumours of a return to AC-12, telling Radio Times magazine that she didn't "have any updates, I’m afraid", regarding the future of Line of Duty. "I don’t want to give anyone any false hope," she explained. "We’ve all been very clear that we’d absolutely love to do another series." Read more: What should we expect from Line of Duty season 7? I have some questions It was strongly suggested that Line of Duty would be making a return after Dunbar previously claimed that the BBC drama was ready to return for filming next year. He told The Times: “We’re really excited about getting our hands on a Line of Duty script, to see what happens to us. Jed is writing. We’ve talked to the BBC. “It is down to the BBC to make an announcement, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that next year we’ll be working on a new series. No doubt Jed will think of some interesting twists and turns.” Just a few months prior, it had been reported that the schedules of Dunbar, Compston and McClure had been lined up to film new episodes, with filming reportedly set to kick off in January 2026. Speaking about season 7 now that it's been confirmed, Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama adds: “Line of Duty is beloved by audiences and critics alike and its amazing ratings are a true testament to the success of Jed’s writing, the work from the brilliant team at World Productions and the entire cast and crew. "I’m so pleased that after four long years Line of Duty will be back filming soon and can’t wait for BBC viewers to be back on the edge of their seats.” Watch Line of Duty stars Gregory Piper and Nigel Boyle discuss a potential Line of Duty season 7 at the Radio Times Covers Party back in 2022 below: View Green Video on the source website Line of Duty seasons 1-6 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Cooper & Fry first look with Doctor Who, Downton Abbey stars sees a thrilling chase and a dark discovery
It's time for your first look at 5's new crime drama.
It's almost time for 5's latest detective series, Cooper & Fry, to land on our screens – with RadioTimes.com having an exclusive first look clip of the drama. The series is led by former Doctor Who companion Mandip Gill and Downton Abbey's Rob James-Collier, who play the show's leading mismatched detective duo DC Diane Fry and DC Ben Cooper respectively. Premiering tonight, the sneak peek of Cooper & Fry shows that there's plenty of drama set to come as an action-packed chase sequence unfolds. In the clip, we see the detectives wearing their protective gear as they start unearthing potential clues in an empty house. Or at least, so they think. As is quickly realised, the house is in fact not empty, as they start to look in cabinets and through discarded document folders. "That'll be just the wind," James-Collier's Cooper says but the small disturbances they've heard soon turn into full-on scraping. Just as they venture into a strange bedroom that's been adorned with bird feathers, they find an image that points to the fact that their person of interest clearly has a brother. But where is he? Just as Fry poses the question to Cooper, someone appears out of the shadows and bolts down the stairs. Fry runs off in pursuit and the mysterious girl starts sprinting through the building site of the home, tearing down a ladder to distract Fry. She manages to lose Fry after climbing over a big gate, with Fry having no choice but to stare after the unnamed girl. She takes one last glance at Fry, subtly smiling in the process before running off once more. You can watch the clip for yourself above. Read more: Doctor Foster season 3 with Suranne Jones 'in the works' after 8 years Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise reveal guest cast for Christmas specials – including Doctor Who and Ted Lasso stars Cooper & Fry is based on the bestselling novels by author Stephen Booth. The series will be made up of four two-hour episodes, each based on a different novel in the series: Black Dog, Dying to Sin, Blind to the Bones and Dancing with the Virgins. The official synopsis for the series reveals: "Set in the mystery-shrouded Peak District, DC Ben Cooper, an affable local, is thrown together with guarded newcomer DC Diane Fry, to investigate a string of mysterious deaths." It continues: "They must learn to work together to get results. As their personal lives begin to intertwine, a unique friendship begins to form... but it won't always be easy." Cooper & Fry begins on Tuesday 18th November at 8pm on 5. Add Cooper & Fry to your watchlist when it arrives on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Last of Us season 3: Release date speculation and latest news
The hit series is officially returning for more.
*Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 2.* There are some serious changes afoot in the behind-the-scenes team of The Last of Us for season 3 as co-creator Neil Druckmann and co-writer Halley Gross have now officially stepped back from the series. The news was announced a few months ago, with many fans wondering just what direction the series will take now that Naughty Dog studio head returns to his day job and is working on their next major release, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Speaking to Variety about his decision to step away as co-showrunner, Druckmann said: "It was quite challenging to be as involved as a co-showrunner on Season 1 and Season 2, while running a studio and working and directing and writing a game." Series star Bella Ramsey spoke about Druckmann's departure on Variety's Awards Circuit podcast, saying: “The world of The Last of Us is his creation, and so his voice and creative input. It doesn’t just go away in season 3 because he’s not as actively involved. It will always be his creation. And we’re always in everything that we do, honoring the game and Neil’s creation. He’ll definitely be missed on set. But his spirit is the story.” We do know that Ramsey is set to take much more a backseat in the third season though, as it's been confirmed that season 3 will focus on Kaitlyn Dever's Abby. The dramatic finale did end with the focus shifting from Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to Abby as she was roused from sleeping by Manny, with a Seattle Day One title card appearing on screen – revealing that we will be following Abby's journey in season 3, as is the case part way through the second game. But when will The Last of Us season 3 be released? Read on to find out everything we know so far. The Last of Us season 3 release date speculation A release date for The Last of Us season 3 has not yet been confirmed. However, HBO and Max content chairman and CEO Casey Bloys has said that they still have their sights set on a 2027 release. He told Variety: "The series is definitely planned for 2027. Craig [Mazin] is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that." Filming is obviously yet to kick off, and series star Isabella Merced already previously admitted in an interview with Variety that she doesn't know when production on season 3 is due to start, but thinks "it should be next year". How many episodes will there be in The Last of Us season 3? As of now, an episode count for season 3 has not yet been revealed. However, co-creator Craig Mazin has said that the third season will be longer in length than season 2. Season 1 consisted of nine episodes and so fans were surprised with season 2's 7-episode run. Could we be going back up to 9 or even more? It certainly seems so as when asked about the pacing and episode count for season 3, Mazin revealed to The Hollywood Reporter: "We’re kind of fiddling around with that — it’s a little bit of a trade secret at the moment. But I will say that season three will be longer than season two. Season 3 will be more on par with season 1. More bang for the buck." Mazin previously explained his thought process around the episode counts, telling Collider: "There are natural perforations in the narrative where you can go, “Okay, let’s tear it here.” I think there’s a decent chance that season 3 will be longer than season 2, just because the manner of that narrative and the opportunities it affords us are a little different. "The thing about Joel’s death is that it’s so impactful. It’s such a narrative nuclear bomb that it’s hard to wander away from it. We can’t really take a break and move off to the side and do a Bill and Frank story. I’m not sure that will necessarily be true for season 3. I think we’ll have a little more room there. "But certainly, there’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season. Hopefully, we’ll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That’s the most likely outcome." The Last of Us season 3 cast: Who will return? <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/05/0401TheLastofUsS02-13f8285-e1746187467646.jpg" width="3245" height="2160" alt="Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) in The Last of Us season 2, standing side by side outdoors in a post-apocalyptic setting. Both have tense, concerned expressions as they look offscreen. Ellie wears a dark purple t-shirt, revealing a fern tattoo on her right forearm, while Dina wears a rust-colored button-up shirt over a light tank top. The background includes weathered brick and concrete walls overgrown with greenery." title="Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) in The Last of Us season 2" /> Seeing as the third season of The Last of Us has already been confirmed as being about Abby, Kaitlyn Dever will be taking on a lead role in the upcoming instalment. Introduced in season 2 as Ellie's antagonist and Joel's murderer, there's certainly plenty more of the story to flesh out from the original games and from her perspective. At one point it seemed as though we might not see Ellie at all in season 3, but Mazin has now confirmed we haven't seen the last of her, and it now seems as though we will see Ellie and Dina, just in a diminished role. When pressed on how much of Ellie we'll be seeing in season 3, Ramsey told Variety: “I sort of know, but I can’t tell you, I’m afraid." Meanwhile, there were three major deaths in the finale – Young Mazino's Jesse (killed by Abby), Spencer Lord's Owen and Ariela Barer's Mel (both killed by Ellie). This is in addition to Tati Gabrielle's Nora, who died in the previous episode. However, due to the nature of the narrative jumping back in time to follow Abby, and armed with the knowledge of what happens in the game, we'd definitely expect the characters to return for season 3. Barer has already confirmed she'll be back, telling Collider: "I'm so excited to keep working with the WLF crew and Jeffrey Wright, who I've not worked with yet, but have met. He's awesome. "There are little secrets that Craig has planted that I'm very excited to watch be extended. I won’t elaborate more." However, Catherine O'Hara has confirmed that Mazin already told her she won't be in season 3 and, of course, neither will Joe Pantoliano, who starred as her on-screen husband Eugene – barring any unexpected flashbacks. We also wouldn't have expected to see more of Pedro Pascal's Joel, but Mazin hasn't ruled out an appearance. He told TVLine: "All I can say is we haven’t seen the last of Kaitlyn Dever, and we haven’t seen the last of Bella Ramsey, and we haven’t seen the last of Isabela Merced, and we haven’t seen the last of a lot of people who are currently dead in the story. "So I guess the short answer to that question that everyone is asking is: No, I’m not answering." Druckmann added: "I’ll give a bit more, which is: Whether you will see them on screen or not, their presence will be there throughout." The cast we'd expect to return for The Last of Us season 3 are as follows: Kaitlyn Dever as Abby Bella Ramsey as Ellie Isabela Merced as Dina Gabriel Luna as Tommy Danny Ramirez as Manny Young Mazino as Jesse Tati Gabrielle as Nora Ariela Barer as Mel Spencer Lord as Owen Jeffrey Wright as Isaac Alanna Ubach as Hanrahan What will The Last of Us season 3 be about? <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/04/doom-timeline-1-b95b0de.png" width="1600" height="1066" alt="In the woods, a group of people with brown cloaks are travelling in silence. The women have halo braids and the men have shaved heads. They all have scars on their cheeks. In the front, a man is holding a little ginger girl's hand." title="The Seraphites in The Last of Us season 2" /> In an interview with Variety, Catherine O'Hara was the first to directly confirm that season 3 is "the Abby story", with the show's co-showrunners since having also confirmed the season 3 focus. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter of this narrative shift, co-showrunner Craig Mazin recently said: "I don’t think television is supposed to work like this. We’re clearly breaking quite a few rules, and I love that. And I love it because that is the point. "This is not something we’re doing as a gimmick. The point of this story — and this is looked at from so many different angles in so many different ways — is that the entire concept of protagonist is flawed. The entire concept of villain is flawed. Our way of processing the world through heroes and villains is a mistake. "It ends up creating these barriers between people that shouldn’t be there. It ends up giving ourselves justifications and conveniences for bad behaviour, and it ends up allowing us to judge others summarily for things that we don’t quite understand the motivation behind it. We know this is a challenging thing to keep track of emotionally. "We understand people are going to be provoked. But part of this story is about examining why we’re so comfortable with following one person’s point of view about everything." Mazin has also said that piecing together the story for season 3 feels much like a puzzle, telling Collider: "It’s never easy. We’re now confronting all the same challenges for season 3. They’re fun challenges... But all those decisions get made before I start writing. "We have a master plan and we understand how everything works. That way, when you see things happening in this episode, you understand they’re connected back to the very first episode. It's a holistic thing." As for the way that things end in season 2, it was all intentional to set up season 3, according to Mazin. He revealed: "Now, we’re actually in more of a traditional cliffhanger-y mode, where you’re telling a story, and then you end the season with something that says, 'Whoa, this is going to change a whole bunch of things, and we’ll see you when we get back and pick it up from there.' "We ask ourselves a lot of questions and we think about what we ought to do when we think about what the narrative that exists affords us and that we should do. I’m always thinking about, what are the things that only The Last of Us does? Let’s do those as much as we can. "And then, you go for it and you make your decisions and mostly just try as best as you can to think about the audience experience and how they’re going to feel when they arrive at the end of something. Hopefully, we set them up to want to return when we come back for the next run." Mazin also teased that more "information will be coming" about the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) and the Seraphites, both of whom are introduced and seen throughout season 2 but do lack a bit of context. "No, you haven’t gotten all the information you deserve. Yes, the information will be coming. We did this all by design," Mazin says. As for whether we'll continue to see how Ellie's story plays out alongside all of this, it remains to seen how much of it we'll see, but we would assume the show will continue to explore Ellie's life in the wake of Joel's death and her relationship with Dina. Is there a trailer for The Last of Us season 3? Not yet! Seeing as production on season 3 hasn't yet kicked off, there's no trailer right now. Watch this space, though. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website The Last of Us season 2 is streaming on Sky Atlantic and NOW with an Entertainment Membership. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on this week. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Foster season 3 with Suranne Jones 'in the works' after 8 years
Could it mark a return of the hit Suranne Jones drama?
Having recently been seen on our screens in the likes of Hostage and Frauds, Suranne Jones has been no stranger to the screen as of late – but there's some further potential exciting news in store for her fans. It's been reported that BBC's Doctor Foster is set to return for an anticipated third instalment, with Jones set to return in the iconic leading role. The first season premiered back in 2015, with season 2 following in 2017, so it's been a whopping eight years since we last saw the series on our screens. According to a report in The Sun, filming is due to start on Doctor Foster season 3 next year, "with a view to it potentially airing at the end of 2026 or early 2027". When approached by RadioTimes.com about the reports, the BBC said they would not be commenting on the news. The series was a standout success for the BBC at the time of airing and went on to become quite a seminal British psychological thriller series, centring on Jones's Gemma Foster who suspects her husband of having an affair. A successful doctor, Gemma's world starts to unravel as she seeks to find out the truth about her husband Simon, who is played by Dalgliesh's Bertie Carvel. The second series picked up a couple of years after the events of season 1, with Simon's new life and relationship (with Kate, played by Jodie Comer) continuing to impact Gemma. While the second season left on a bit of an open-ended note, many fans thought there was still more to be explored in terms of the series, its story and characters. A spin-off series, Life, did air on the BBC and followed one of the characters from Doctor Foster: Anna Baker, who was played by Victoria Hamilton. Read more: Virgin River season 7 gets major release update as resolutions teased for "a lot of cliffhangers" Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise reveal guest cast for Christmas specials – including Doctor Who and Ted Lasso stars At the time of the airing of season 2, Jones had said that her busy workload was one of the reasons why she may not be able to take on the task of returning to the world of Doctor Foster. Since 2017, Jones's schedule has only seemingly gotten busier, with the actress having just starred in BBC's Film Club and filming the third season of Vigil. In 2019, Doctor Foster series creator Mike Bartlett did hint that there was more to explore when it came to Gemma. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the time, Bartlett said: "There's something going on with Gemma Foster, I don't know what, I think she's got... there's more capacity to that character than I know. I love that. Do you know what I mean? If I ever went back to her I think I'd find something that I hadn't seen before. "The same with Kate Parks, Jodie [Comer's] character, in that. And that absolutely I felt in series one with her, that there was more to her than I'd found. And that was why she's more in the second series. And she's brilliant." On whether he'd want to return to pen a third season, he said at the time: "Only if there's a story that I want to tell, and I feel like it's as important and vital as the other two [seasons]. "I think not just to continue the story, but if there's something that's gonna feel as important and vital, and show us sides to those characters we haven't seen before, then it would be great." Doctor Foster seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
A Thousand Blows season 2: Release date, trailer and latest news
A second season has already been filmed.
*Warning: This article contains full spoilers for A Thousand Blows season 1.* Screenwriter Steven Knight may be continuing to have a major moment in film and TV right now, but that doesn't stop the excitement building around the second season of Knight's A Thousand Blows. The Disney Plus series somewhat fills the Peaky Blinders-shaped hole in your life and delves into the underground world of bare-knuckle boxing in 1880s East End London, revolving around a band of female criminals, a pair of best friends newly emigrated from Jamaica and a dangerous gangster. The first season saw all three storylines colliding as the story progressed, with plenty of loose ends set to be tied up in the second season. The finale not only delivered some surprises, but also underlined a completely new dynamic between Hezekiah (Malachi Kirby) and Mary (Erin Doherty), who looked as though they were going to be running off into the sunset together. Of course, that didn't quite end up happening and so, it looks as though things could be kicking off on a quite a sour start for the pair. With a trailer for the new season having now been unveiled, as well as a release date for the new episodes, fans don't have too long to wait till their burning season 1 questions are answered. But when will season 2 of A Thousand Blows be released? Read on for everything we know so far. A Thousand Blows season 2 release date It has now been confirmed that A Thousand Blows season 2 will premiere on Friday 9th January 2026 on Disney Plus. The series will also be available to watch via Hulu in the US, with all episodes in both territories dropping at once. Episodes for season 1 and 2 were actually filmed back-to-back, so that explains the speed with which the seasons are being released – lucky us! A Thousand Blows season 2 cast speculation As for who we'll be seeing in season 2, we can certainly expect all the main characters to be making a return, as shown in a teaser at the end of season 1's finale. It wouldn't quite be the same series without Sugar Goodson, Hezekiah Moscow and Mary Carr so we can expect to see Stephen Graham, Malachi Kirby and Erin Doherty all back in their leading roles. As for who won't be returning for season 2, we wouldn't expect to see anymore of Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall) after his tragic death in season 1's penultimate episode. However, we could potentially see him in some flashbacks. The same goes for Jason Tobin's Mr Lao, who we saw busted out of prison by Mary and Alice (Darci Shaw) and told to go to Liverpool to start a new life. Could he manage to cross paths with Hezekiah again, though? It's possible! It was also revealed that despite taking quite the brutal beating from Sugar, Treacle was actually alive and well but wanted nothing to do with his brother. We can anticipate that it won't be the end of their brotherly feud, especially as Sugar was prepared to sign over the deed of the pub to Treacle. We'd also expect there to be some new cast additions if there's going to be more of a focus on the Elephant Boys and Indigo Jeremy (Robert Glenister) so we'll just have to wait and see. The A Thousand Blows cast we'd expect to see back for season 2 are as follows. Malachi Kirby as Hezekiah Moscow Stephen Graham as Sugar Goodson Erin Doherty as Mary Carr James Nelson-Joyce as Edward 'Treacle' Goodson Hannah Walters as Eliza Moody Darci Shaw as Alice Diamond Morgan Hilaire as Esme Long Jemma Carlton as Belle Downer Caoilfhionn Dunne as Anne Glover Nadia Albina as Verity Ross Daniel Mays as William 'Punch' Lewis Tom Davis as Charlie Mitchell Gary Lewis as Jack Mac Robert Glenister as Indigo Jeremy Susan Lynch as Jane Carr Ella Lily Hyland as Marianne Goodson What will A Thousand Blows season 2 be about? As for what the new second season will be about, we're sure it'll follow on from the explosive season 1 finale. From the looks of the teaser, it seems as though we could be anticipating a small time jump but as for how long, we'll have to wait for further details. With Hezekiah finding out about Mary knowing who killed Alec, their plan to go to America together was foiled and it looks as though they're very much on their separate journeys in season 2. From the fast-paced teaser, it looks as though Mary may have actually gone away for a bit and returned, with Alice seeming to be the only one by her side once again. It seems as though the Forty Elephants are back under Jane's wing but that there could be trouble on the horizon with the Elephant Boys. In one scene, Mary seems to be up to her old tricks of holding a ballroom full of people hostage with a gun pointed at them but as for whether she's now working with Indigo or against him remains to be seen. Teasing the dynamic between the Forty Elephants and Mary for season 2, Morgan Hilaire described it as "complicated". Similarly, Hannah Walters said: “I think it’s complicated, that’s the right word. It’s still complicated, there’s a very, very intricate weave of emotions and thoughts and feelings, storylines. It doesn’t get any easier, let’s put it that way.” It does look as though Hezekiah gets back in the ring though, facing off against new opponents in the upper class world of gloved boxing. But could Hezekiah also be out on a revenge mission of sorts and trying to find out who killed Alec? It also seems as though Sugar could be back to top form, looking as though he's training and taking care of himself. As for his relationship with Treacle, it looks to be mended somewhat. However, there could be trouble on the horizon as it appears that Treacle's eldest son seems to be given a warning by Punch (Daniel Mays), who tells him that he "better know what he's doing". Could he be working with Sugar, despite Treacle telling Sugar explicitly to stay away from him? Is there a trailer for A Thousand Blows season 2? Yes! The official teaser for season 2 has now been released, which you can watch below. View oEmbed on the source website View Affiliate Playlist on the source website A Thousand Blows season 2 will premiere on 9th January 2026. Season 1 is available to stream on Disney Plus now. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £4.99 a month now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise reveal guest cast for Christmas specials – including Doctor Who and Ted Lasso stars
The guest casts for both shows have now been announced!
It's time to get into the festive spirit as further details of the anticipated Christmas specials for both Beyond Paradise and Death in Paradise have now been unveiled. It wouldn't quite be an episode of either without an exciting array of guest stars, with both casts of the special episodes having now been announced. For the Death in Paradise Christmas special, the likes of Josie Lawrence (Outside Edge), Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead), Pearl Mackie (Doctor Who), James Baxter (Waterloo Road), Billy Harris (Ted Lasso), Oriana Charles and Alix Serman are all joining the festivities. The Christmas spirit will be unfolding in both Saint Marie and Swindon, according to the BBC, with the guest star already joining the main cast that's headed up by Don Gilet's DI Mervin Wilson. The rest of the returning cast includes Shantol Jackson as DS Naomi Thomas, Ginny Holder as Officer Darlene Curtis, Shaquille Ali-Yebuah as Officer Sebastian Rose and Élizabeth Bourgine as Catherine Bordey. The official synopsis for the episode reads: "The office Christmas party of a lifetime takes a dark turn when four co-workers wake up to find a stranger dead in the pool of their Caribbean villa. DI Mervin Wilson and the team identify the murder weapon, but they’re left baffled when they find that it was locked in a drawer when the murder took place... thousands of miles away from the crime scene, in Swindon! "Stuck in Saint Marie, the team calls on the help of a familiar face to crack the case. Meanwhile, Mervin’s anxiously waiting to hear back from his newly discovered brother, which prevents him from embracing Saint Marie's Christmas celebrations. Can Mervin resolve his family situation and get into the festive spirit – for the sake of his team and the island?" As for Beyond Paradise, we return to Shipton Abbott, with the guest cast including Adrian Edmondson (Alien: Earth), James Lance (Ted Lasso) and Jonny Weldon (One Day). Read more: Virgin River season 7 gets major release update as resolutions teased for "a lot of cliffhangers" BBC confirms nationwide casting search for new Adrian Mole series – with beloved author revealed to be penning adaptation The episode synopsis reads: "When Esther discovers a man on the steps of the Shipton Abbott police station with no memory, holding a photo of Humphrey, the team gets to work to uncover who the mysterious man is while balancing a flurry of festive cases. "At the same time, with the help of Anne, Zoe and a special guest, Martha races to pull off her secret plan while Kelby tries to help a mystery man trapped inside his snowman costume. But with an influx of unexpected visitors, a slew of holiday crimes to crack, and a heartwarming reunion on the line, can the team juggle it all and still be ready for a life-changing reveal?" It can't be a return to Shipton Abbott without Kris Marshall's DI Humphrey Goodman, who returns to helm alongside Sally Bretton. Other returning familiar faces include Zahra Ahmadi as DS Esther Williams, Dylan Llewellyn as PC Kelby Hartford, Barbara Flynn as Anne Lloyd, Felicity Montagu as Margo Martins, Jamie Bamber as Archie Hughes and Melina Sinadinou as Zoe Williams. As of now, there's no official release date for either but watch this space! Death in Paradise seasons 1-14 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Trigger Point season 3 cast: New and returning cast in ITV drama
Vicky McClure returns as Lana Washington alongside a mix of new and familiar faces.
The full third season of ITV's Trigger Point has been available to stream from some time now, with fans getting to see long-suffering explosives officer Lana Washington's latest assignment. Vicky McClure is back as Lana in the new season, which delves further than ever before into her past traumas and how they continue to impact her mental health. This third season, which sees her defusing a series of bombs planted on individuals across London, and trying to expose the truth behind the attacks, also stars the likes of Eric Dhango, Nabil Elouahabi and Kerry Godliman. Thankfully for fans who have already made it to the end of the season, a fourth run has already been confirmed. But for now, who else stars in season 3 and who do they all play? Here's everything you need to know about the key players in ITV's Trigger Point season 3. Trigger Point season 3 cast: New and returning The full cast list for Trigger Point season 3 is as follows – scroll on for more on each character and the actor playing them, including where you might have seen them before. Vicky McClure as Lana Washington Eric Shango as Danny Nabil Elouahabi as Hass Rahim Mark Rowley as Rich Manning Natalie Simpson as DS Helen Morgan Maanuv Thiara as DI Amar Batra Kerry Godliman as Sonya Reeves Jason Flemyng as Steven Wyles Kevin Eldon as Jeff Tamzin Griffin as Val Vicky McClure plays Lana Washington Who is Lana Washington? Lana is a bomb disposal operative for the Metropolitan Police in Trigger Point. In season 3, she is attempting to stop an attacker with a personal vendetta from picking off his victims one-by-one. She's also battling PTSD from her past assignments, which have come at a heavy personal cost. Previously, she brought a deadly terror campaign to a close, for which her lover was found to be responsible. Then, in season 2, an anarchist group started targeting London's elites in a bid to bring down the current status quo. Along the way, she has lost close colleagues and loved ones, with the weight of that grief and her stressful work clearly taking a toll. What else has Vicky McClure been in? McClure is best known these days for playing DI Kate Fleming in BBC One thriller Line of Duty, a role she has portrayed since 2012. Prior to that, she collaborated with Shane Meadows on This Is England and its three television sequels. Most recently, she has appeared in ITV's Without Sin, Channel 4 one-off drama I Am Nicola and Prime Video's young adult series Alex Rider. Kerry Godliman plays Sonya Reeves Who is Sonya Reeves? Sonya is an employee of the Bomb Data Centre, a department of the counter-terrorism unit at New Scotland Yard, whose expertise lies in the chemicals and equipment used to manufacture explosives. Her work is centred around data and she works closely with Lana, who she considers a friend. What else has Kerry Godliman been in? Godliman is known for her collaborations with Ricky Gervais, having played supporting roles in both Derek and, more recently, After Life. Though she began her career in comedy, Godliman has taken on dramatic roles before, appearing in Lennie James crime thriller Save Me and Channel 4's Adult Material. Nabil Elouahabi as Hass Rahim Who is Hass Rahim? Hass was a member of Lana's team in season 1, who briefly replaced her as squad leader during an extended leave of absence. They remain friendly colleagues, with their light banter and roasting clearly masking a genuine respect they have for one another. What else has Nabil Elouahabi been in? Elouahabi has appeared in several films like Ali G Indahouse and The Sum of All Fears, but Eastenders viewers will recognise him as Tariq Laroussi, a role he had from 2003 to 2005. He has also more recently starred in Our Girl, Breeders, Time, The Tower and Blue Lights. Eric Shango plays Danny Who is Danny? Danny is Lana's right-hand man in the 'expo' squad. In season 1, he was relatively new recruit to the Metropolitan Police and was still becoming accustomed to the intense nature of the job. Now though, he's more confident and assured, although his recent marriage is causing him to question whether he wants to remain in such a high-risk line of work. What else has Eric Shango been in? Trigger Point was Shango's television debut, but the actor has since featured in Apple TV thriller Suspicion and Channel 4's On The Edge. Natalie Simpson as DS Helen Morgan Who is DS Helen Morgan? Helen is a detective for the Metropolitan Police, who first appeared in the second season. She was in a romantic relationship with Thom Youngblood (Mark Stanley), an ex of Lana's, and this caused friction between them – particularly after his untimely death. They are yet to fully clear the air. What else has Natalie Simpson been in? Aside from her stage roles, Simpson has starred in Outlander, the TV miniseries adaptation of Les Misérables and in North Sea Connection. Maanuv Thiara plays DCI Amar Batra Who is DCI Amar Batra? DCI Batra is Lana's new boss, who was recently promoted to the role. He is yet to prove himself and they have strong disagreements about how to approach their latest case. What else has Maanuv Thiara been in? You may have seen Thiara recently in Apple TV thriller Prime Target, Channel 4 zombie comedy Generation Z, crime drama DI Ray or Sky's Landscapers. Mark Rowley plays Rich Manning Who is Rich Manning? A new addition to Lana's explosives squad. He is quick to make a joke, but his sense of humour is hiding an inner turmoil over his past traumas. What else has Mark Rowley been in? Rowley is probably best known for his role as Finan in The Last Kingdom. His more recent work includes Netflix's One Day, BBC's SAS Rogue Heroes and ITV's Karen Pirie. Jason Flemyng plays Steven Wyles Who is Steven? Steven is a mysterious individual who appears to be responsible for a sinister explosives plot. What else has Jason Flemyng been in? His recent credits include DC series Pennyworth, Apple TV's Prime Target and ITV's The Walk-In. He's also known for big screen roles in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and X-Men: First Class. Trigger Point season 3 is available to stream on ITVX. Add Trigger Point to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Sorry I Didn't Know's Chizzy Akudolu on hosting the new series and what it means to be released outside of Black History Month
Chizzy Akudolu may have been an integral part of Sorry I Didn't Know since its inception, but now steps into the hosting seat for the brand new sixth season.
Chizzy Akudolu may be best known for her onscreen acting in Holby City, but has taken on a new kind of leading role in the new season of ITV's Sorry I Didn't Know. The panel show – which now stands as ITV’s longest running show from a Black-led production company – has featured Akudolu from its first season as one of the ever hilarious team captains. Now though, Akudolu steps into the hosting shoes of Jimmy Akingbola and is helming the series herself this time round. Now in its sixth season, Sorry I Didn't Know was originally commissioned for ITV as part of its Black History Month slate in 2020. Five years on, the show has continued to go from strength to strength, not only providing plenty of laughs but also educating viewers on Black British and global history that they otherwise may not have known about. Akudolu is joined by new team captain Richard Blackwood for season 6 as well as Eddie Kadi, also being joined by a plethora of guest panellists each week including the likes of Susan Wokoma, Angellica Bell, Shazia Mirza, JB Gill and plenty more. But how has it felt going from a team captain to the show's host? As Akudolu explains below, it's been an honour to not only flex her hosting muscles, but to also be part of a show that's doing wonders for representation. You’ve obviously been team captain on Sorry I Didn’t Know since the show’s first series – how has it been seeing firsthand how the show has developed and continued to strike a chord with its viewers since 2020? When we were commissioned back in 2020, I thought we might get two series at best, so to see the show reach series 6, whilst going from strength to strength has been beautiful and overwhelming. We always knew the show was great and it’s been wonderful to see audiences enjoying it. You’re now helming the series as host this time round – how did the opportunity come about and did you feel any pressure taking up the role? Fraser and Minnie (Executive Producers for production company, TriForce Productions) FaceTimed and asked me to host. I squealed, then stopped. I asked about Jimmy and they said he’d be filming Bel Air, so wasn’t available. I went back to squealing. What an honour! I’ve always wanted to host and now I had the chance. There was no way I was going to turn it down. How does the role as host differ from being a team captain, if at all? Did you have more fun being the host? Admittedly, I prefer being in the Host seat. I have all the answers! Plus, I get to steer the ship. It’s so much fun and boisterous. I have a lot of control. The show was originally commissioned as part of ITV’s Black History Month slate and Jimmy has previously stated that the show “wasn’t made just for October” – what do you hope audiences continue to get from Sorry I Didn’t Know? I’m so glad the show is now transmitted outside of Black History month. There is so much more to be showcased. So many more stories to tell. Our history is fascinating and I love that we get to share this with our audience. View oEmbed on the source website In a TV landscape that seems like it isn’t prioritising diversity as much as it stated it would in 2020, how do you feel that Sorry I Didn’t Know continues to be a hit series for ITV and unashamedly prioritises Black British history? I’m so grateful to the people at ITV who champion this show, such as Gemma John-Lewis and Kevin Lygo. As I said before, I thought we might get a series or two; that we might be seen as a fad. But the show speaks for itself. It pushes boundaries and it’s great to see it still thriving. What does being part of Sorry I Didn’t Know mean to you? To say that I am honoured is an understatement. The show is making history whilst talking about history. What has been the historical fact, if any, that you’ve learnt that has stuck with you over the course of filming? There’s so many but one of my absolute favourites has been John Blanke. He was a trumpeter in Henry VII’s court and then Henry VIII’s. He petitioned the King for a pay rise. You’d think Henry would say ‘Off with his head’, but he didn’t and John got his rise. There’s even a tapestry of him. How cool is that! Tell me a bit about this year’s team captains and guests – what do Eddie Kadi and Richard Blackwood bring to the series this time round and are there any guests that you’d love to have back on the show in a heartbeat? Every guest is welcome back. They’re all phenomenal and really lean into the show. Shazia Mirza has been on every season. She’s pretty much family now. It’s fab watching Eddie and Richard banter back and forth. I thought I was competitive… then Richard came along. What has been some of the positive feedback that’s most stuck out to you since doing the show? There was a beautiful message we received from a teacher who said she would like to show the program to her students. That touched me. We get a lot of fabulous feedback. The show resonates with a wide variety of people. You’ve starred in various notable shows over the years, what is a past role of yours that sticks out the most to you and why? Holby City. My favourite job so far. I miss it dearly. We were a beautiful family. Loved playing a Doctor. I felt so intelligent. Outside of hosting this series of Sorry I Didn’t Know, what’s next on the cards for you? I have a show called Tommy and Tuppence coming up where I play a Detective. There’s also two other shows I’ve just filmed but they haven’t been announced so I can’t mention them just yet. I also have a film script and two sitcoms which I’ve written and am trying to get commissioned. You’ve been in the industry for a long time – what are your feelings around the state of diversity and representation as it stands in the industry right now? 2020 saw a boom in actors of colour on screen. It was long overdue. It does feel like the momentum has slowed down. It’s a shame because it really felt we were making headway, in front of and behind the camera. What are your hopes for the industry in terms of who we’re seeing on our screens, what roles you hope to be a part of and what kinds of stories we see told? I love shows like Bridgerton with their colour-blind casting. More of that please. More actors of colour in period dramas – we’ve been here for centuries. Strap me into a corset and give me a bonnet! A dream of mine is to be part of the Marvel universe. Colour doesn’t matter when you’re a superhero. What are your hopes for Sorry I Didn’t Know? Would you like to continue hosting the show or perhaps hosting other shows in general? I’m hopeful that Jimmy will continue to be busy so I can step back into the hosting seat again! I have a penchant for it and would love to do more. I host events regularly and actually shot a pilot for a game show. Fingers crossed it’s commissioned. What is the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career to date and who was it from? Be on time. Learn your lines. Be nice. It was from a Director on Holby. It’s quite simple when you think about it. And finally, in your own words, why are representation and diversity within TV so important? Imagine the joy on the face of young, child seeing someone like themselves onscreen. Or someone with a disability being represented. It’ll let them know that anything is possible. That they matter too. Sorry I Didn't Know season 6 premieres on ITV1 and ITVX at 10:35pm. Add Sorry I Didn't Know to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
All Her Fault ending explained: Who was Carrie and why did she take Milo?
It was one hell of a twisted ending to All Her Fault, but what happened?
**Warning: This article contains full spoilers for the final episode of All Her Fault.** With more and more viewers making their way through all eight episodes of Sarah Snook's new thriller series All Her Fault, they are getting to find out just what happened to Milo, and why he was taken from a playdate. The series stars Snook, best known for her role in Succession, as a wealthy Chicago businesswoman Marissa Irvine, who went to pick up her 5-year-old son Milo only to find different a woman at the house who had never heard of him before. It's soon revealed that Jenny's (Dakota Fanning) mysterious nanny, Carrie Finch (Sophia Lillis), was the one who took Milo, but the rest of the season explores why. The penultimate episode also set up a hugely dramatic, tense finale, as Carrie entered Marissa and Peter (Jake Lacy)'s home at night, carrying a gun. So, what happened at the end of All Her Fault and why did Carrie kidnap Milo in the first place? Read on to find out more about what unfolded in the final episode of the thriller. All Her Fault ending explained: Why did Carrie kidnap Milo? As Carrie continues to point the gun at everyone, she's momentarily distracted by Milo calling for his mother on the nanny cam. She admits that she'd never do anything to hurt Milo. Colin (Jay Ellis) takes that as his chance to try and play hero, getting into a tussle with Carrie, who shoots him in the stomach. Carrie says she didn't mean to do it and urges someone to call an ambulance, with Peter urging an emotional Lia (Abby Elliott) to go outside and wait for help there. Brian (Daniel Monks) goes to soothe Milo but once he's left the room, Peter silently confirms that Colin is in fact dead. Marissa then asks Carrie the question we've all been wanting to know the answer to – who is she and why did she take Milo? Carrie explains that her real name is Josephine Murphy and immediately, Marissa knows who she is but is shocked by the admission, stating that Josephine must be dead. Carrie admits that she wishes she was, but then goes on to say that she feels as though she "lost" six years ago. She urges Marissa to promise her, mother to mother, that she'll protect Milo from Peter. "You don't know what he's capable of," Carrie tells Marissa. Carrie then tries explaining that one night years ago, before the ambulances came, Peter did something that he's clearly never told Marissa about. As Carrie tries to retrieve her phone out of her back pocket to get Marissa to listen to a recording, Peter lunges at Carrie. He manages to turn the gun on a scared Carrie and shoots her dead. Peter immediately tries to reframe the story, telling Marissa that the gun just went off but Marissa knows he killed Carrie intentionally because he didn't want Carrie revealing something. Marissa doesn't back down and orders Peter to tell her the truth about what happened on that fateful night. On their way home from the hospital with newborn Milo, they'd gotten into a car accident with an oncoming vehicle. Peter, the only one conscious on impact, turns around to find Milo dead and Marissa appearing to be the same. Of course, we know she survived and get a flashback to her shoulder scar, which is now explained by the tragic car collision. In the present, Peter tells Marissa that actually, their son did die in the accident. But flashing back to the night in question, after he called 911 for help, Peter hears a baby crying. He goes into the other crashed car and retrieves a newborn baby boy, cradling him as he hears sirens in the distance. He tells Marissa that he didn't plan it but reveals that he switched the babies, thinking that Carrie was dead in her car. He says that because she was alone in her car, it seemed as though she couldn't give Milo the life that they had given him and she didn't seem fit to be his mother. He explains that he saved them all from a lifetime of grief and tells Marissa that she can't tell anyone about this because Milo may be taken away. When the police arrive they confirm that the other two bodies they've found in their investigations have been that of Carrie's boyfriend and of her father. Peter explains the confusion he had about Carrie/Josephine and not recognising her mugshot initially. But Detective Alcaras (Michael Peña) suspects something is amiss, especially after Carrie allowed Lia to call an ambulance and for Brian to tend to Milo. Having hidden Carrie's phone to listen to the recording for herself, Marissa does so. It reveals that Peter went to go and visit Carrie's father at a motel, who told Peter that Carrie suspected that something was wrong with the car accident and that Milo was in fact hers. Peter has come with a bag of ransom money for Carrie's father but hits him over the head with a lamp, telling his dead body that he saved Milo and that he's his. Peter then explains that he was actually the one to retrieve Milo but covered his eyes and left him at the police station so that it wouldn't implicate him being at the motel. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about his character's actions, Lacy said: "The fun thing with Peter is that he has a very clear sense of why he's done this and has no regrets – and that's crazy. There’s no part of him that's like, ‘I see where you're coming from.’ He's like, ‘You're wrong, I did this because I love you and you're wrong.’ It's just narcissism. "My reasoning is that, in shock, in the chaos of the moment, in believing that Milo's biological mother is deceased, in the shock of his own newborn now dead, he believes that he can save his wife from the grief of losing a son – that he has kept a family intact. At least that's what he's told himself. If you can lean on that as an actor, then you're doing this really selfless thing, even though everyone else in the world is like, ‘You don't get to play God.' That’s not how this works, Peter." What happened to Peter in All Her Fault? As life starts to return to normal, it becomes clear that Marissa doesn't trust Peter generally and with Milo, with Peter clearly showing some control issues. She texts Jenny telling her that she needs to see her. When she goes to visit Jenny, she tells her the whole truth about what's happened and what Peter has done. She tells Jenny that she's scared of Peter and what could happen if she chooses to get a divorce. When he takes his son to the doctor, Detective Alcaras then learns of synaesthesia, a neurological condition that can see those affected experience a joining of the senses. It triggers a memory of Milo and he then calls up one of Carrie's former teachers who confirms his suspicions – that it seemed like she had it also. The day of Colin's funeral, Peter and Brian share some tense words as Brian says he's going to be moving and getting a new job. He also has a tense confrontation with Lia and later on, is found in Colin's basement cellar by Marissa. The pair share a passionate kiss but immediately after, Peter starts choking, starting to feel the onset of an allergic reaction. He goes to retrieve his EpiPen from his jacket and uses it to find that actually, it's expired. Marissa is in charge of Peter's medication and states that she wouldn't have gotten them mixed up. Marissa tells Lia to call 911 and get the emergency kit from the car but when she returns, she tells them that it's not there. The ambulance is 8 minutes away and nobody in the growing crowd has an EpiPen. As he continues to choke, Peter tells Marissa that she always has the emergency kit and that's when she confirms it – that this is part of her plan to kill Peter. We get a flashback to that morning where she purposely removes the emergency kit from the car and retrieves an expired pen from the rubbish instead, thereby sealing Peter's fate. Detective Alcaras then gets a call confirming that Peter is indeed dead. On his character dying at the end of the series, Lacy told RadioTimes.com of his reaction: "Well, I was bummed because I like Peter. I always have more affinity for these unpalatable people than maybe an audience does or other characters do. But also, [it] feels inevitable. "You're like, ‘There's no way he continues on in the world.’ This has to end in one place or another and is really fulfilling, as a story is really fulfilling. Plus, as an actor, you get to have a death scene and that's fun. It’s fun, that's why I love doing this since I was a kid, just play pretend through all these wild things, just play pretend.” What happened to Marissa in All Her Fault? The following day, Lia is brought in for questioning by the police and it's revealed that Marissa must've consumed something with soy in, which is what Peter was severely allergic to. Lia went to lengths to make sure everything was correctly labelled and the police ask her if Marissa checked the food labels or simply forgot to do so. We see that in fact, Marissa had read the labels and Lia had seen her doing so. But when she's pressed for an answer by the police, Lia remembers the awful way in which Peter spoke to her at the wake and lies for Marissa. Some time has passed when we next see Marissa at home with Milo, where she's packing things up to move. She's visited by Detective Alcaras, who mentions the synaesthesia he's found out about that both Milo and Carrie had. He tells Marissa that he knows she was unconscious and wasn't privy to any decisions that Peter made, also telling Marissa that he thinks Peter killed Carrie's father and put Milo in the trunk of the car. He also acknowledges that Marissa would've only found out about all of this when Carrie appeared at her door and she would've had to make some difficult decisions of her own. Although he has cracked the case, he tells Marissa that it's actually officially closed now. Even though it shouldn't sit right with him, he admits he feels fine and leaves. We then see Marissa and Milo go bounding down the road to see Jenny and her son, enjoying an evening together smiling and sipping wine. All Her Fault landed on Sky and NOW as a boxset in the UK on Friday 7th November. Add All Her Fault to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Wild Cherry soundtrack: What songs feature in the BBC drama?
The series features plenty of catchy tracks, but what songs feature in BBC's Wild Cherry?
If you're making your way through BBC One's latest drama, Wild Cherry, chances are that you've been toe-tapping your way through each episode. As well as taking us on quite the twisted journey through wealthy 'island' Richford Lake, the series centres on a scandal that rips through the local girls' school and plummets teenage best friends Grace (Imogen Faires) and Allegra (Amelia May) into the spotlight. But along with all the drama and backstabbing also comes a catchy soundtrack that is packed full of songs, ranging from artists like Jordan Rakei, Dave and Lykke Li. The title song itself is an original one that was crafted by the show's creator and writer Nicôle Lecky, who also showed off her musical talents in previous series Mood. She told RadioTimes.com in an exclusive chat for Pass the Mic: "It was always my intention, actually, I should say, to do the title music. I thought that was quite fun. Rotem and I got into a studio and we created the song – and that became the title track." But what other songs feature in Wild Cherry? Read on to find out. Wild Cherry soundtrack: What songs feature in the BBC drama? Episode 1 Baby I'm Yours - Cass Elliot Where do we go now? - Gracie Abrams Favourite Kind of Girl - Gotts Street Park (featuring Flikka) They - Jem Never Ever - All Saints Radiance - Agent Whiskers The Drive - Everyone You Know Talkin the Hardest - Giggs Immaculate - Shygirl & Saweetie Decisions - Knucks, M1llionz & Shae Universe Genesis. - RAYE Fuel to Fire - Agnes Obel Episode 2 Manifestation Manifesto - Lava La Rue Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand) - Irma Thomas Werewolf - Cat Power Episode 3 Little Bit - Lykke Li A Little Respect - Erasure Sprinter - Dave & Central Cee Colors - Black Pumas Episode 4 Crush - Astræa In Your Arms - Someone & Tessa Rose Jackson We, The Drowned - Lisa Hannigan Episode 5 Wannabe - Spice Girls Clouds - Jordan Rakei Episode 6 Evergreen - Ritchy Mitch & The Coal Miners (featuring Caamp) Colours out of Grey - Anders Lewén & James King The Whirlwind - Alex Wilson Free Yourself - Jessie Ware Floating on a Moment - Beth Gibbons Wild Cherry premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday 15th November. Add Wild Cherry to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Wild Cherry's Nicôle Lecky: "I wanted this to be elevated and glossy, which we don't always do in British drama"
Writer, executive producer and actress Nicôle Lecky chats to Pass the Mic about her return to the BBC for another original drama, this time set in the glossy world of an affluent idyllic community.
Continuing to feed our TV drama obsession into glossy lives and gated communities is BBC One's latest offering, Wild Cherry, which revolves around a shocking scandal with teenage best friends Grace (Imogen Faires) and Allegra (Amelia May) at the centre of it. Whilst the tumultuous years of adolescence are likely enough for a narrative in itself, series creator Nicôle Lecky digs deep into the affluent world of Richford Lake to examine mother-daughter relationships, privilege and the ever-haunting world of social media. Lecky is no stranger to crafting a talked-about BBC series, having adapted her own one-woman play Superhoe into BBC Three's Mood, which was released back in 2022. The music-based drama was one of a kind, utilising music to tell a darker tale about the influencing world, one that we're all exposed to on the internet on a daily basis. Wild Cherry is "another world beyond Mood," Lecky beams when we speak and reveals that she actually pitched Wild Cherry whilst she was making Mood. "I have so much respect and brilliant collaborators at the BBC ... I clearly wanted to keep working with them. It's a bigger world, lots more characters. I just have so much fun collaborating with the BBC and they really did want me to create something else." When Grace and Allegra are accused of being part of this shocking scandal at their private school, expectantly, the rumour mill starts to churn and parents start to worry about their own children's welfare. Grace and Allegra's mothers, Lorna (Carmen Ejogo) and Juliet (Eve Best), are also left reeling by the prospect of their daughters being caught up in something so awful. As we see throughout the series, though, each mother goes to lengths of their own in order to protect their daughter. As much as the location of a gated community played an integral part in Lecky's ideation process for Wild Cherry, so did the chilling nature of real life events. "I was seeing and reading a lot of stuff in the news, reading different articles and just thinking about the pressures on teenage girls today," she reveals. It's an experience that every adult woman will be able to easily recollect but is one that Lecky and I have particular similarities with, seeing as we both went to the same east London secondary school. "It really made me think about when I was at school – at our school – what I would have been like if I'd have had social media as a teenage girl. I think that's quite a different experience," she says. But examining the story through the additional lens of mother-daughter relationships adds another layer to the series. "This gulf between women mothering daughters who've had quite a unique experience – I really wanted to dig into those relationships and also then look at how the mothers engage with social media when you've got your own things going on in your own life. So, it really stemmed from this small genesis of just wanting to dig into social media and women now, really through the lens of teenage-hood." I remark that the thought of growing up in an age that feels as though you're constantly being surveilled and recorded online is unimaginable for me, with Lecky agreeing. "I probably would say I don't see the benefit to having social media exist whilst you're at that age. There's so many pressures already. It just feels like an added layer of tension and something else ... to navigate your hierarchy in the real world and then also, navigate it online. So I think that's probably my takeaway from it," she says. "I'm sure there will be some benefits to it, but I definitely felt perhaps more sheltered because I knew what was going on in my borough and I didn't really know what teenagers were up to in Calabasas or something. It feels like a really different time." Where Mood dug into the world of influencing and sex work, Wild Cherry also doesn't shy away from exploring topical themes and issues. As well as digging into the pressures surrounding being a woman (and a young girl) today, Lecky thought it was also important to encapsulate "that unique tension of growing up and figuring out who you are" that isn't just an exclusive feeling to when you're navigating your teens. "It doesn't stop when you're a woman. Women in their late 40s or 50s can still be figuring it out," she says. Another notable influence on Lecky's writing process were the "sexting scandals that have come out" which led to plenty of articles and the creation of Everyone's Invited, with Lecky wanting to examine all of that through a British lens. Ultimately, though, it's also about creating a series that is entertaining. "It was about unpicking a world of tensions with lies and secrets. It felt like women – we can sometimes keep these secrets and we have that duality to our personality," she says. Whilst Lecky took on a leading role in Mood, in Wild Cherry she takes on a different kind of character in Gigi, a life coach who starts working with the girls at the local school but appears to be a threat to the usual order of events in Richford Lake by virtue of being younger, American and always beaming with optimism. Lecky admits that she didn't always know she would play Gigi, saying that it was a decision that came later in the development process, but that she wanted Gigi to end up being the narrative voice of the town. "She does things along the way that I think you're a bit like, we don't maybe trust her. What's her angle? What does she want from this town and these women? Her friendship with Juliet feels complicated." While Gigi's narration reminded me of shows like Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars, Lecky admits that her inspiration for that narrative style was born out of an admiration for seminal drama, Desperate Housewives. "That was a show that I felt like [voiceover] worked really well in. I wanted to look at these thorny subjects and themes, but I wanted it to be elevated and have that glossiness to it, which we don't always do in British drama," she says. Part of that glossiness also comes in the title sequence of the series, which throws up a wistful montage of scenes and film shots that's accompanied by a song, which is performed by Lecky herself. I had a feeling that Lecky is the songstress we hear in the sequence and she smiles, reminiscing about the process of creating that song with series composer Rotem Frimer. "It was always my intention, actually, I should say, to do the title music. I thought that was quite fun. Rotem and I got into a studio and we created the song – and that became the title track." Anyone who's watched Mood already knows Lecky has some serious musical chops, with the series creator saying that she wanted to craft Wild Cherry to be "quite sonically different to Mood", wanting to delve deep into a more "nostalgic world" with her folky title song doing just that and seeking to evoke feelings of girlhood, she tells me. When it comes to the cast of Wild Cherry, as well as being made up of rising talent, it also includes plenty of notable names likes Eve Best, Carmen Ejogo, Hugh Quarshie and Nathaniel Martello-White. Getting a window into those complicated adult lives and relationships is part of the fun of the series, but there are nuances to Ejogo and Martello-White's family story that show the differences in how they choose to raise Grace versus how Juliet has raised Allegra. How does their racial identity inform their parenting decisions and how do they differ from Juliet's, if at all? "You can't ever get away from what you look like, how somebody else might choose to perceive you. I think often your race is put on to you a lot of the time when you're just existing," Lecky says. "Lorna and Steven are just trying to live in this world, they're not walking around every day going, 'Oh, I'm Black or I'm mixed'. But I think once things start to go wrong in the world – it's not that they're not aware of it, but they see how, 'Okay, we're really being targeted here'. "All of that stuff, though, is very nuanced and layered, as it usually is for you when you're living out your day-to-day. That was something that was really important to me – that's not what the series is about, but how you exist and therefore how they're parenting and how they're treated in the school, it does affect that." She adds: "I think that the difference for Lorna and Juliet is probably as much about class as it is race. Juliet was born into wealth and she has this safety net that Lorna just doesn't have because she's self-made and she's not from the area. If things go badly, she won't be able to afford her house, schooling and all the rest of it." As much as we do get flashbacks for most of the characters' lives to better understand them, it's Lorna's that is particularly interesting as it shows an entirely different life that is a world away from Richford Lake. "For me, it was particularly important to see her background, her humble beginnings, where she came from and as she enters this very corporate world, which is quite overwhelming and can be very overwhelming for somebody from that background. It helps explain why she's so hard on Grace and the fears that she has for Grace, even just with regards to her sexuality," Lecky says. While we certainly won't reveal any spoiler details about the (shocking) final episode of Wild Cherry, it does leave the door ajar for some continuation. The finale does a great job at tying loose ends up, but it also leaves a few burning questions that could form the basis of a second season. Is it just wishful thinking on my part? Lecky smiles and admits that it's a question for the BBC – but that it's a possibility. "I think I'm always in the moment and I was just writing this part of the story. But yeah, I could definitely see where there is unfinished business. So I think I'd say watch this space." It was recently reported that Lecky is heading up a Netflix adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons and whilst she admits that it is all very early days right now, she remains understandably tight-lipped about details. But when it comes to the kinds of stories and narratives that Lecky wants to continue to be a part of, her goals are clear. "I'm very passionate about stories, mainly stories about women, stories about working class women and the issues we face. I am always particularly interested in diverse stories but again, being able to tell them in any setting is really important for me," she shares. Lecky admits that she's really been enjoying acting recently (with an upcoming role in George Clooney's Jay Kelly on the cards) and says that's what she'd love to continue doing, potentially even returning to the stage. Whilst Lecky herself remains passionate about her goal of bringing a variety of stories to life, how does she feel about the state of the industry right now in terms of who and what we're seeing on our screens? "I think that my main feeling is still probably at the role I'm in as an exec, showrunner, mixed-Black, working class woman – I still don't see very much of myself at the top, quote unquote. So I think I just say that alone, there's probably a lot more that needs to be done." When it comes to advising any budding writers from similar backgrounds, Lecky underlines the importance of authenticity and remaining dedicated to the kinds of stories you want to tell. "You have to, ultimately, be passionate about what you want to make and be pretty dogged really, like really fixated on if that is the story you want to tell. Because I think ultimately, your voice is so unique and distinctive. So, you can't second guess what you think somebody will want from you. You have to really double down on 'Who are you?', what do you want to say and and try and take it to the right ears that are open to listen to it or read it. "That's probably what I did in terms of when I finally wrote Superhoe. I'd written stuff before but perhaps I was always trying to figure out, 'Oh, might somebody want this or might somebody want to put this on?'. Actually, when I just sat down and wrote Superhoe, nobody asked for it. It was just something I wanted to do and that really did open a lot of doors for me. So, I think realising that being authentic is probably the best thing you you can do." Wild Cherry premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday 15th November. Add Wild Cherry to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Wild Cherry cast: Who stars in BBC drama?
Carmen Ejogo and Eve Best are just some of the notable names in BBC's Wild Cherry, but who else stars?
Coming from the mind of Mood creator Nicôle Lecky is yet another twisted BBC drama for us to get stuck into. This time round, Wild Cherry centres on the affluent world of Richford Lake, which seems to be all designer bags, lunches and private school squabbles. That is until a scandal rocks the tight-knit neighbourhood that sees teen best friends Grace and Allegra at its centre, with their mothers left reeling in the wake of what comes to light. The official synopsis reads: "A coming-of-age drama for both mothers and daughters as they navigate privilege, power and social media. “Like mother like daughter” rings loudly in a complex world, where danger and betrayal is never far from the surface - even in a perfect town." With the likes of The Penguin's Carmen Ejogo and House of the Dragon's Eve Best leading the cast as two working mothers with their daughters' best interests at heart, the cast of Wild Cherry includes plenty of familiar faces and rising stars alike. But who's who in Wild Cherry? Read on to find out more about the cast of the new BBC drama. Wild Cherry cast: Who stars in BBC drama? The full cast of Wild Cherry is as follows. Scroll on to find out more about the main characters, plus where you may have seen some of the stars previously. Carmen Ejogo as Lorna Gibbons Imogen Faires as Grace Gibbons Eve Best as Juliet Lonsdale Amelia May as Allegra Lonsdale Nathaniel Martello-White as Steven Gibbons James Murray as Raef Lonsdale Nicôle Lecky as Gigi Mia-Nicole Alexander Constable as Mia Gibbons Catriona Chandler as Iris Milanovic Katarina Cas as Jelena Milanovic Isabelle Allen as Jocasta Tara Webb as Noori Abas Jason York as K Rizz Sophie Winkleman as Frances Daniel Lapaine as Daniel John Marquez as Freddie Gladstone Sonita Henry as Detective Khan Clara Amfo as Ava Will Bagnall as Jacob Carmen Ejogo as Lorna Gibbons Who is Lorna? A business mogul, Lorna lives in Richford Lake with her family but doesn't forget her humble beginnings of where she came from. She's not grown up around this level of wealth and privilege, which makes her able to see past the façade of some. Where have I seen Carmen Ejogo? Ejogo is known for her roles in The Penguin, I'm A Virgo, The Girlfriend Experience and True Detective. She has also starred in Your Honor, The Crowded Room, Self Made and films like Alien: Covenant, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Purge: Anarchy. Imogen Faires as Grace Gibbons Who is Grace? Grace is Lorna's daughter, who Lorna had before she met Steven. Grace is a model student and a high achiever so when the school scandal breaks, her family are more than a little disappointed in her. Where have I seen Imogen Faires? Faires has had role in Dickensian, Marcella and Goldie's Oldies. She has also featured in The Dumping Ground and Casualty. Eve Best as Juliet Lonsdale Who is Juliet? Juliet is Allegra's mother and portrays the image of being a 'supermum', recently publishing a book on her parenting techniques and close bond with her daughter. Although it seems like it's anything but... Where have I seen Eve Best? Best is known for her roles in House of the Dragon, Nurse Jackie, The Honourable Woman and Maryland. She has also starred in The Crown, Fate: The Winx Saga and Stan Lee's Lucky Man. Amelia May as Allegra Lonsdale Who is Allegra? Allegra is part of the revered Lonsdale family and seems to have everything she could possibly ever want but harbours a lot of resentment towards her mother. She's got her own secrets and is central to the scandal that unfolds at her school. Where have I seen Amelia May? Wild Cherry is May's TV debut. Nathaniel Martello-White as Steven Gibbons Who is Steven? Steven is Grace's stepfather and is married to Lorna. A successful businessman who works alongside his wife, Steven is left reeling when Grace's actions are unveiled, which only adds to their tension in their home. Where have I seen Nathaniel Martello-White? As well as directing the likes of The Strays and Just Act Normal, Martello-White has starred in The Winter King, Deceit, Small Axe, I Hate Suzie and One Dollar. Nicôle Lecky as Gigi Who is Gigi? Gigi is a new face in Richford Lake and is someone who the local mothers don't exactly warm to on their first meeting. She's all about wellness and calm, working with the girls' school to offer life coaching to the teens. Where have I seen Nicôle Lecky? As well as serving as writer and executive producer on Wild Cherry, Lecky has also starred (and penned) Mood, as well as had roles in Sweetpea, Bloods and Death in Paradise. James Murray as Raef Lonsdale Who is Raef? Raef is Juliet's husband and Allegra's father, who seems to remain the Lonsdale patriarch of mystery. Always busy and away on business, he doesn't initially seem all that supportive of his wife's latest book and the craze around it. Where have I seen James Murray? Murray is best known for his roles in The Crown, Primeval, Defiance and Chaos, having also starred in Geek Girl and Masters of the Air. All episodes of Wild Cherry will be available to watch on Saturday 15th November on BBC iPlayer from 6am and episodes 1 & 2 will premiere on BBC One from 9pm. Add Wild Cherry to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Morning Show season 5: Release date speculation and latest news
The Morning Show has been renewed for more.
As we continue veering to the anticipated finale of The Morning Show season 4, we can rest easy in the fact that the candid TV drama is in fact returning for more. It was announced back in September ahead of season 4's release that Apple had renewed the series for a fifth instalment. The early renewal didn't come as too much of a surprise to fans, seeing as Apple TV had done precisely the same thing ahead of season 3's release too. “The Morning Show has been a standout from the very start, debuting as one of the flagship series on Apple TV+. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see it not only entertain but also resonate with audiences worldwide,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+. He continued: “Thanks to the outstanding cast and creative team — led by Jennifer, Reese, Charlotte and Mimi — The Morning Show continues to deliver addictively entertaining and provocative stories that we’ve all come to love. We’re excited for viewers to experience the next chapter of this Emmy-winning drama.” But just when will season 5 of The Morning Show be released and who will star? Read on for everything we know so far. The Morning Show season 5 release date speculation Apple TV has not yet announced a release date for the fifth season of The Morning Show so we'll just have to wait and see when new episodes are set to come out. However, the show has usually followed a pattern that means seasons are released every couple of years. So, that could very well mean that season 5 will be released in 2027. The Morning Show season 5 cast: Who will return? Despite being given an official series renewal, there has been no news of who will be returning to star in the fifth season of The Morning Show. We can imagine that leading stars Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston will return to helm the series, along with most of the familiar faces of the previous season. Season 4 saw the introduction of William Jackson Harper as the network’s Head of Sports Ben, Marion Cotillard as Celine Dumont, Jeremy Irons as Alex’s father, Aaron Pierre as Miles and Boyd Holbrook as podcaster Brodie. It also saw the return of Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Karen Pittman, Nestor Carbonell, Greta Lee, Nicole Beharie and fan-favourite Jon Hamm. The cast members we'd expect to see in season 5 are as follows. Jennifer Aniston as Alexandra "Alex" Levy Reese Witherspoon as Bradley Jackson Billy Crudup as Cory Ellison Mark Duplass as Charlie "Chip" Black Karen Pittman as Mia Jordan Greta Lee as Stella Bak Nicole Beharie as Christine "Chris" Hunter Jon Hamm as Paul Marks Marion Cotillard as Celine Dumont What will The Morning Show season 5 be about? An official synopsis for the fifth season of The Morning Show hasn't yet been revealed, but we'd imagine that it would include some sort of time jump as was the case with the previous season. With the UBA-NBN merger at the forefront of the drama in season 4, we'd imagine that if the new season did account for a time jump, any tensions surrounding the merger would be ironed out. However, it wouldn't be a season of The Morning Show without a fair share of drama, so we can likely look forward to the show continuing to use many real-life scenarios and topical issues for its storylines. Last season explored deepfakes, conspiracy theories and corporate cover-ups in the changing media landscape so there's likely plenty more to be explored as the real-life industry continues to change and evolve. Is there a trailer for The Morning Show season 5? No – as production for the fifth season of The Morning Show has yet to kick off, there isn't a trailer for it just yet. However, you can watch the trailer for season 4 below. View oEmbed on the source website The Morning Show season 4 concludes with its final episode on 19th November and is available to stream on Apple TV+. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Night Manager season 2: Release date and latest news
Everything you need to know about the anticipated second season of The Night Manager.
Fans of The Night Manager, the thriller series based on <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=71026X1569659&isjs=1&jv=15.7.1&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.radiotimes.com%2Ftv%2Fdrama%2Fthe-night-manager-two-seasons-returning-newsupdate%2F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FNight-Manager-Penguin-Modern-Classics%2Fdp%2F0141393017%3Ftag%3Dradtim0b-21%26ascsubtag%3Dradiotimes-2023775&xs=1&xtz=-60&xuuid=ee26c46cb0df5129d8800441af4573ad&xcust=radiotimes-2023775&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B0%5D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John le Carré's beloved book, have been waiting almost nine years for a second season, and recently a whole load of news regarding the new episodes has come in at once. Not only have a host of first-look images been unveiled, but a trailer has also been released and the air date confirmed – with the new season planned to be a New Year's treat for fans. The new season will see Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman reprising their roles as Jonathan Pine and Angela Burr, and while there will also be other returnees, the story will centre more around new characters, played by the likes of Diego Calva and (Narcos: Mexico) and Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six). While season 2 will continue to be inspired by Le Carré's 1993 novel, it will tell a new story, as there was never a second book continuing Pine's journey. The second season will once again be written by show creator David Farr and will be helmed by BAFTA award-winning director Georgi Banks-Davies, known for their work on I Hate Suzie and Paper Girls. With so many updates having been recently revealed, when can we actually anticipate the new season landing on our screens? Read on for everything you need to know about The Night Manager season 2. Will there be a second season of The Night Manager? Yes! It's been confirmed that season 2 of The Night Manager is officially happening. And not just that, but it's also returning for season 3 too. Upon the news of The Night Manager season 2, Charlotte Moore, the then-Chief Content Officer of the BBC, said: "After years of fervent speculation I'm incredibly excited to confirm that The Night Manager is returning to the BBC for two more series." Le Carré’s sons who run production company The Ink Factory, Simon and Stephen Cornwell, also said: "Revisiting the story of Pine also means going beyond the events of John le Carré's original work: that is a decision we have not taken lightly, but his compelling characters and the vision David has for their next chapter were irresistible." Speaking previously in an interview with RadioTimes.com about her Netflix film Bird Box, season 1 director Susanne Bier later explained that she was not attached to the second season, saying: "I'm not doing Night Manager 2. I wasn't sure that I would do my very best work the second time round – so I decided that I should probably not do it and have somebody [else direct it]. "I just got worried that I would repeat myself or do something which wasn't as great, but I think somebody else is going to do an amazing job out of it." When will The Night Manager season 2 be released? After almost a decade of waiting, The Night Manager will finally return for season 2 on Thursday 1st January 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. Outside of the UK, it will launch globally on Prime Video in a deal negotiated by Fifth Season, which is handling global distribution of the series. Fans outside of the UK will have to wait until Sunday 11th January to watch the new season. The Night Manager cast — who will be back for season 2? Tom Hiddleston (Loki) will return as Jonathan Pine, who will be seen facing up to a new deadly challenge in the new season. In terms of returning faces, Olivia Colman will also be back as Angela Burr as well as Alistair Petrie as Sandy Langbourne, Douglas Hodge as Rex Mayhew, Michael Nardone as Frisky, and Noah Jupe as Daniel Roper. It'll also be the dawn of some new and exciting characters, too, as a slew of characters have also been announced including Diego Calva (Narcos: Mexico), Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six), Indira Varma (Doctor Who), Paul Chahidi (Wicked Little Letters), and Hayley Squires (Adult Material). As of now, it has not been revealed whether or not Hugh Laurie will be back as Roper, but we do know that Laurie has been confirmed as an executive producer on the new seasons. Tom Hollander is also unlikely to return, after his character Corky met his end at the hands of Pine in season 1. It's also been reported (via Deadline) that Elizabeth Debicki "is unlikely to return" as Jed, after The Sun claimed Camila Morrone's role is "replacing" her character. Debicki played the role of Jemima 'Jed' Marshall, the girlfriend and mistress of Hugh Laurie's arms dealer Richard Roper. You can find the confirmed cast list of The Night Manager season 2 so far below: Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine Olivia Colman as Angela Burr Diego Calva as Teddy Dos Santos Camila Morrone as Roxana Bolaños Indira Varma as Mayra Noah Jupe as Danny Roper Alistair Petrie as Alexander 'Sandy' Langbourne Douglas Hodge as Rex Mayhew Michael Nardone as Frisky Paul Chahidi as Basil Hayley Squires as Sally For a more in-depth look, make sure to check out our dedicated season 2 cast page. What will happen in The Night Manager season 2? The official synopsis for The Night Manager season 2 says: "Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) thought he’d buried his past. Now living as Alex Goodwin – a low-level MI6 officer running a quiet surveillance unit in London - his life is comfortingly uneventful. "Then one night a chance sighting of an old Roper mercenary prompts a call to action and leads Pine to a violent encounter with a new player: Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva). "On this perilous new journey, Pine meets Roxana Bolaños (Camila Morrone), a businesswoman who reluctantly helps him infiltrate Teddy’s Colombian arms operation. Once in Colombia, Pine is plunged deep into a deadly plot involving arms and training of a guerrilla army. "As allegiances splinter, Pine races to expose a conspiracy designed to destabilise a nation. And with betrayal at every turn, he must decide whose trust he needs to earn and how far he’s willing to go before it’s too late." The season will be set eight years after season 1, and Tom Hiddleston previously told Deadline: "What I'm really excited by is that eight or nine years have passed since the first season. These characters have been alive in the world in the last eight or nine years, and I think, hopefully our show will reflect that. "So Jonathan Pine, as Le Carré calls him, 'the close observer', has been alive in the world. So he'll be eight or nine years older, just as I am, and I think it'll be so fascinating to see where he is, what he's doing, how he's operating, what he's thinking, what's changed, what hasn't changed. And hopefully we can create the same sort of chemistry we made on the first one." Also chatting about the wait between seasons, Hiddleston admitted: "We took the time to try and get the story right." He continued: "Principally, John le Carré seemed so happy with our adaptation the first time, and that was such a relief. So if we were going to go again, we needed it to be... just needed to find the right story. What's so fascinating about Le Carré is his stories often emerge within him in response to the world as he found it." Is there a trailer for The Night Manager season 2? There is! You can watch the trailer for The Night Manager season 2 right here now. View oEmbed on the source website The Night Manager season 2 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Thursday 1st January 2026. Season 1 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The White Lotus star reveals why All Her Fault character is different to his "selfish" past roles
Jake Lacy stars alongside Sarah Snook in tense new drama, All Her Fault.
With previous starring roles in the likes of The White Lotus, A Friend of the Family and Apples Never Fall, it's safe to say that Jake Lacy has embodied his fair share of mean-spirited and problematic characters. Now, he's heading up the cast of Sky's All Her Fault alongside Sarah Snook as two parents that are thrust into any parent's worst nightmare when one day, their son Milo goes missing. When Snook's Marissa goes to collect Milo from a playdate, she's shocked to find that the woman at the house has no idea who Marissa or Milo is and so, begins the search for the truth. Obviously, like any tense drama, each of the characters is hiding their own litany of half-truths, lies and secrets, with Lacy's Peter hiding stuff of his own. But how did the role as the successful working father in All Her Fault compare to his previous roles? Chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Lacy said: "I try to see them each in a vacuum. There’s inevitably a through line of maybe control or selfishness or self-centredness, or a misunderstanding of what love is. "That seems to be a theme, and I hope that's just a coincidence and not like what I bring to a role. That they’re like, ‘Actually, he's a loving father’, and I'm like, ‘Yeah or he's self-centred and doesn't know what love is’." He continued: "But in terms of this role, there's just a lot of layers. There's a past and the present and the secrets that he's keeping. Obviously one large secret that he's kept and yet when that's revealed, there's this little window where he could attempt to bridge this gap, this riff that he's now kind of created in his marriage. "Instead, [he] doubles down on self-righteousness and that ends up being the thing that is untenable, is the ultimate destructor of any trust or foundation left between Peter and Marissa, Sarah's character." As to what that secret is, you'll just have to binge-watch the episodes and find out! Read more: Luke Evans stars in first look at ITV's new Welsh crime drama based on best-selling novel The Night Manager season 2 first look trailer delivers explosive return for Tom Hiddleston's Jonathan Pine Lacy is of course known for his roles in the likes of Girls, The Office and sitcom Better With You, but is also known for his somewhat darker roles in more recent years. In The White Lotus, Lacy obviously starred in the hit first season of the Mike White drama as hotel guest Shane Patton, who went on to be quite the demanding guest and get embroiled in his own drama with hotel manager Armond (Murray Bartlett). In A Friend of the Family, Lacy also took on the role as abuser and kidnapper Robert Berchtold, also recently starring in Apples Never Fall as venture capitalist Troy Delaney. As for All Her Fault, Lacy and Snook are also joined in the cast by Dakota Fanning, Michael Peña, Sophia Lillis, Abby Elliott, Daniel Monks, Jay Ellis, Thomas Cocquerel, Duke McCloud, and Kartiah Vergara. All Her Fault lands on Sky and NOW as a boxset in the UK on Friday 7th November. Add All Her Fault to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Night Manager season 2 first look trailer delivers explosive return for Tom Hiddleston's Jonathan Pine
Whilst the nation sat down to enjoy the finale of The Celebrity Traitors last night (Thursday 6th November), fans of The Night Manager were also delivered quite the treat in the form of an exciting teaser trailer. First-look images for the brand new second season had already been unveiled earlier this week but, with a trailer in store, excitement for the new episodes is at an all-time high. In the teaser, we see Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) being questioned about his competency as an agent alongside a fast-paced look at some of the action to come. We catch glimpses of Indira Varma and Diego Calva's new characters, as well as a high-speed motorcycle chase and finally, Jonathan literally running for his life down a hallway as a bomb explodes. As well as a shot of Jonathan being bundled away with tape across his mouth and a group of armed police storming a lavish-looking home, it's safe to say that Jonathan looks as though he has his work cut out for him this season. You can watch the trailer below. View oEmbed on the source website If the box above is not showing, you may need to change your privacy settings. In the Radio Times site footer, click ‘Manage Privacy Settings’. Under ‘Site Vendors’, consent to ‘YouTube’, then press Save & Exit. It's been nine years since the season 1 finale, but the teaser suggests season 2 will achieve the same gripping quality as its predecessor. As well as Hiddleston reprising his leading role, other returning faces include Olivia Colman (The Crown) as Angela Burr, Alistair Petrie (Sex Education) as Sandy Langbourne, Douglas Hodge (Joker) as Rex Mayhew, Michael Nardone (Traces) as Frisky and Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) as Daniel Roper. In terms of new characters and stars, the cast will also include Diego Calva (Narcos: Mexico), as Teddy, Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six) as Roxana, Indira Varma (Obsession) as Mayra, Paul Chahidi (Wicked Little Letters) as Basil and Hayley Squires (Adult Material) as Sally. The official synopsis for The Night Manager season 2 reads: "Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) thought he’d buried his past. Now living as Alex Goodwin – a low-level MI6 officer running a quiet surveillance unit in London – his life is comfortingly uneventful. "Then one night a chance sighting of an old Roper mercenary prompts a call to action and leads Pine to a violent encounter with a new player: Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva)." Read more: Return to Paradise stars tease crossover hopes – and reveal a major one that almost happened with beloved character Luke Evans stars in first look at ITV's new Welsh crime drama based on best-selling novel It continues: "On this perilous new journey, Pine meets Roxana Bolaños (Camila Morrone), a businesswoman who reluctantly helps him infiltrate Teddy’s Colombian arms operation. Once in Colombia, Pine is plunged deep into a deadly plot involving arms and training of a guerrilla army. "As allegiances splinter, Pine races to expose a conspiracy designed to destabilise a nation. And with betrayal at every turn, he must decide whose trust he needs to earn and how far he’s willing to go before it’s too late." As for now, a release date for The Night Manager's second season hasn't been announced but with a slew of first-look pictures and now, a teaser, we can anticipate more exciting news to come in due course. The Night Manager season 2 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. season 1 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The series is now available to stream on Sky and NOW.
When their young son Milo goes missing after being believed he was at a playdate, Marissa (Sarah Snook) and Peter (Jake Lacy) are thrown into the kind of nightmare that no parent wants to consider. All Her Fault is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by author Andrea Mara, with the episodes chronicling the aftermath of Milo's disappearance and some of the hidden secrets about the family that start coming to light. Now starring the likes of Snook, Lacy, Dakota Fanning, Jay Ellis and Michael Peña, the story is brought to life with a whole litany of stars which is quite a move away from the book's original Dublin setting. But is All Her Fault based on a true story? Read on to find out. Is All Her Fault based on a true story? All Her Fault is somewhat based on a true story, as the original novel was inspired by something that had happened to author Andrea Mara. As Mara explains: "The book was inspired by a real-life event, whereby I went to collect my daughter from a playdate and found myself standing outside an unoccupied house. "The panic only lasted for a few seconds until a neighbour told me that the family had moved house a few weeks earlier and I was just working off an old address list. So, it all ended very, very quickly – much more quickly than it does Marissa in the book." While the series is based on the novel, the book is slightly different. The book's synopsis reads: "Marissa Irvine arrives at 14 Tudor Grove, expecting to pick up her young son Milo from his first playdate with a boy at his new school. "But the woman who answers the door isn’t a mother she recognises. She isn’t the nanny. She doesn’t have Milo. And so begins every parent’s worst nightmare. Four Guilty Women." It continues: "As news of the disappearance filters through the quiet Dublin suburb and an unexpected suspect is named, whispers start to spread about the women most closely connected to the shocking event. Because only one of them may have taken Milo, but they could all be blamed." As for the series itself, it obviously continues to take Mara's initial chilling premise and focuses on the why instead of the who. Created and written by Megan Gallagher, executive producer Joanna Strevens said in a press pack for the series: "Megan Gallagher has done a phenomenal job adapting the material, pulling the audience directly into the tension of the story. "It appealed to us as a twisty, hugely entertaining thriller that also explores very present themes; one of which being women’s trial by media, and, effectively, trial by the school gates, where the attention and blame so often falls on the mother." She continued: "Andrea’s book was a gift to the writers’ room with its twists and compelling characters. In expanding it into an eight-part drama, we explored guilt and hidden family dynamics. Crucially, it’s not a ‘whodunit’, as we know early on who is behind Milo’s disappearance. The show is a ‘whydunit,’ digging into the circumstances that allowed it to happen, and the family dynamics and secrets hidden beneath the surface. "While intense and thrilling, the series also finds moments of hope and humanity, it’s more than just a thrill ride; it’s a story with real heart." All Her Fault lands on Sky and NOW as a boxset in the UK on Friday 7th November. Add All Her Fault to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
All Her Fault cast: Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning star
The cast of the new and twisted drama is star-studded, but who makes up the ensemble?
It's the kind of drama that has a central premise that will be nightmare-inducing for many viewers, but especially parents. All Her Fault centres on the mystery disappearance of a young boy who is believed to be at a playdate. But when his mother Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook) goes to collect him, she finds a woman that has never heard of or seen Marissa or her son Milo. While the search starts notching up, secrets are soon uncovered and the seemingly perfect Irvine family starts to show some cracks, proving that they may be everything but. Succession star Snook leads the cast as grief-stricken mother Marissa while her newfound mum friend Jenny is played by Dakota Fanning. Snook is joined by Jake Lacy (Apples Never Fall) as Marissa's husband Peter, with the rest of the cast boasting familiar faces from shows like The Bear, Insecure and Kaos. But who's who in All Her Fault? Read on to find out more about the cast of the new drama. All Her Fault cast: Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning star The full cast list for All Her Fault is as follows. Read on to find out more about the characters, plus where you may have seen the stars of the series so far. Sarah Snook as Marissa Irvine Jake Lacy as Peter Irvine Dakota Fanning as Jenny Kaminski Michael Peña as Detective Alcaras Sophia Lillis as Carrie Finch Abby Elliott as Lia Irvine Daniel Monks as Brian Irvine Jay Ellis as Colin Dobbs Thomas Cocquerel as Richie Kaminski Duke McCloud as Milo Irvine Kartiah Vergara as Ana Garcia Sarah Snook as Marissa Irvine Who is Marissa? Marissa is a successful working mother who heads up her own company alongside business partner and friend Colin. When she goes to pick up her son Milo from a playdate, she's shocked to find he's not there and so begins the search for him and some answers. Where have I seen Sarah Snook? Snook also serves as executive producer on All Her Fault but is best known for her starring role in HBO's Succession. She has also starred in Sisters of War, Run Rabbit Run and The Beanie Bubble. Jake Lacy as Peter Irvine Who is Peter? Peter is also top of his field and is just as busy with work as his wife Marissa. They agreed to continue working and get a nanny but that decision starts to form a dark cloud over them after Milo goes missing. Where have I seen Jake Lacy? Lacy is known for his roles in The White Lotus, A Friend of the Family and Apples Never Fall. He has also had notable roles in Significant Other, High Fidelity, Girls and Better With You. Dakota Fanning as Jenny Kaminski Who is Jenny? Jenny is a fellow mother at Milo's school, juggling her career in book publishing with navigating playdates, home life and everything in between. Her husband could help out a little more, with that becoming a recurring argument in their relationship. After Milo's disappearance, she becomes a person to lean on for Marissa. Where have I seen Dakota Fanning? Fanning is known for her roles in The Twilight Saga, The Watchers, The Alienist, The First Lady and Netflix's Ripley. Michael Peña as Detective Alcaras Who is Detective Alcaras? The lead detective on Milo's missing child case, Alcaras is trying his best to get to the bottom of what seems to be a web of secrets. Where have I seen Michael Peña? Peña has starred in Narcos: Mexico, Jack Ryan, Ant-Man and the Wasp (and its sequel) as well as American Hustle and End of Watch. Sophia Lillis as Carrie Finch Who is Carrie? Carrie has recently been hired as a nanny by Jenny, providing some much-needed help in their busy household. Where have I seen Sophia Lillis? Lillis is known for her roles in It and It: Chapter Two, having also starred in Sharp Objects, Asteroid City and The Chair Company. Abby Elliott as Lia Irvine Who is Lia? Lia is Peter's sister, who comes rushing to his and Marissa's side in the wake of Milo's disappearance. Whilst there are certain elements of her life she is keeping secrets about, some memories of the past also continue to weigh heavy on her. Where have I seen Abby Elliott? Elliott is known for her roles in The Bear, Saturday Night Live and Indebted. She has also starred in Odd Mom Out and lent her voice to Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh and Star vs. the Forces of Evil. Daniel Monks as Brian Irvine Who is Brian? Brian is Peter's youngest brother. He suffered a debilitating accident when he was younger, which has resulted in a major spinal cord injury and mobility issues. He lives in Peter and Marissa's outhouse and is also on-hand to help in the aftermath of Milo's disappearance. Where have I seen Daniel Monks? Monks has starred in Pulse, Kaos, Dead Hot and Ricky Stanicky. Jay Ellis as Colin Dobbs Who is Colin? Colin is Marissa's close friend and business partner. He's on-hand to help Marissa and Peter in the wake of Milo's disappearance, but is hiding a secret of his own. Where have I seen Jay Ellis? Ellis is best known for his starring roles in Insecure, The Game, Escape Room and Top Gun: Maverick. He has also starred in Running Point and Mrs America. All Her Fault lands on Sky and NOW as a boxset in the UK on Friday 7th November. Add All Her Fault to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.