Why Australia is in the Eurovision Song Contest - and what happens if they win
Why do countries that aren't even in Europe get to compete?
The Eurovision Song Contest is back for the 69th year, returning to where it all began in Switzerland. This year, 37 acts will take to the stage across the two semi-finals as they all go head-to-head for a spot in the coveted Grand Final, taking place this weekend! As well as the Big Five (France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Germany), countries from across the world have selected acts to represent them at one of the longest-running and most-watched non-sporting events in the world! And for Australia, they have qualified yet again and will be represented by Go-Jo, performing his exciting song Milkshake Man. Australia's participation in the European competition might seem confusing, given the country isn't in Europe. But there is some logic behind the choice and legitimate reasons for them to be there. For all the ins and outs on how Australia ended up in the Song Contest, and what happens if they were to win Eurovision, read for all you need to know. Why is Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest? Aussies have been watching Eurovision for more than 30 years and in 2014 they were invited to perform during the interval at the semi-finals. Then, Australia was given a special one-off chance to compete for the Eurovision title in 2015, the year in which the competition celebrated its 50th birthday. They qualified automatically for a spot in the Grand Final and singer Guy Sebastian finished in a very respectable fifth place. Eurovision bosses were so impressed with their efforts that Australia was allowed to return on an annual basis – but they now have to qualify for their spot by competing in the semi-finals. Australia aren't the only non-European country competing either. Why are Israel and Azerbaijan allowed to compete in Eurovision? Well, Eurovision isn't strictly geographic. The contest is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is made up of various broadcasters from countries across Europe and beyond. The BBC is a member of the EBU, as is RTE in Ireland, Rai in Italy, SVT in Sweden and so on. There are 73 member stations from more than 56 countries, and they're entitled to send acts to Eurovision if they wish. So that's why you see so many countries that you wouldn't usually associate with Europe competing on the Eurovision stage. View oEmbed on the source website What happens if Australia wins the Eurovision Song Contest? We very nearly found out in 2016, when Dami Im stormed the competition and finished in second place with Sound of Silence. Everyone thought they might have to pack their bags and head Down Under for an Aussie Eurovision. But that will probably never happen as there's a special rule in place. If Australia wins the Eurovision it must nominate a European co-host, who will stage the competition on their behalf. The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 final will take place on Saturday 17th May 2025. You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision here. Check out more of our Entertainment 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.
All you need to know about the location of the Australian jungle.
A new season of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is upon us, with some of the nation's favourite famous faces braving the Australian jungle and taking on a host of challenging Bushtucker Trials. This year's line-up includes the likes of TV personality Coleen Rooney, Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse and former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos. Influencer GK Barry, former professional boxer Barry McGuigan and Radio DJ Melvin Doom are also sunning it up in Oz, while the weather takes a colder turn here in the UK. Last night saw two latecomers join the camp, who have instantly proven a hit amongst viewers. Former Love Islander Maura Higgins and Reverend Richard Coles entered the jungle last night and thankfully for them, won themselves luxury accommodation! Wondering where exactly the show is filmed in Australia? Here's everything you need to know about the filming location for I'm a Celebrity 2024. Where is I'm a Celebrity 2024 filmed? 2024 will see the popular ITV reality series take place once more in the Australian jungle. Originally, the series was filmed in Queensland, northeastern Australia. However, for its second season in 2003, production moved to New South Wales. The "jungle", as it is referred to on the show, is located in Springbrook National Park, near Murwillumbah and close to the Queensland border, and is in fact a 15,310-acre rainforest. The camp, where the celebrities live, eat, and sleep when they're not taking on Bushtucker Trials and Dingo Dollar challenges is called Dungay Creek – and it's had a revamp this season. Executive producer Olly Nash recently shared an insight into the revamped camp, which features a Leaders' Lodge equipped with a comfy bed, rocking chairs and rain shelter, telling The Mirror: "There is a new building that is called the Leaders Lodge that will have wonderfully comfy beds sheltered from the rain, nice plush pillows and big duvets, or doonas, as they call them, in Australia, which will keep them nice and snug and warm." I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! continues nightly at 9pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Morbius: Release date and trailer for Jared Leto's Spider-Man spin-off
Jared Leto and Matt Smith star in the Sony superhero movie.
The latest Sony Marvel movie has finally swooped onto the big-screen. Following multiple release date delays, Morbius, a spinoff from the Spider-Man universe of live-action films, is finally upon us. The movie stars Jared Leto as Dr Michael Morbius, a scientist who, after being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, goes to great lengths to find a cure. His success, however, comes at a terrible price as he’s infected with a form of vampirism. The latest trailer gave fans a first glimpse at Leto’s scientist-turned-sort-of-vampire in his fully transformed state, fangs and all, as Matt Smith’s character Loxias Crown tells him to accept who he is – aka "the bad guy". What’s more, a previous trailer hinted at a connection between Morbius and the MCU, giving us a glimpse at Michael Keaton, the villain of Spider-Man: Homecoming, as well as some Spider-Man graffiti and several references to Venom. If you’ve already watched Morbius and want to read more about the post-credits scenes and ending, then peruse our explainer here. Alternatively, check out our piece on how to watch Morbius and whether it’s available to stream online. How to watch all the Marvel movies in order: MCU chronological timeline and release order So, without further ado, read on for everything we know so far about Morbius, including release date delays and cast information. Morbius release date Morbius landed in cinemas in the US on 1st April 2022 – three months later than previously scheduled. It landed in the UK slightly earlier on 31st March 2022. The film is no stranger to delays. Morbius originally had its release set for 31st July 2020 in both the UK and the United States, but was one of many films to be delayed several times as a direct consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. The film has since been delayed five (!) times, with previous release dates including March and October 2021. This means the film has arrived more than two years after the first trailer was released in January 2020. The movie began filming in England at the end of February 2019, with Leto marking the start of production with a Twitter post of a week one clapperboard: View oEmbed on the source website His co-star, Matt Smith, was also spotted on set in Manchester during filming before production shifted to Atlanta, where work was completed in May 2019. Interestingly, however, reshoots for Morbius were taking place as late as January 2021. Morbius moving into 2022 means it is now part of a big deal Sony Pictures Entertainment and Netflix signed in April 2021, which gave Netflix the exclusive streaming rights to Sony's 2022 films and beyond following their theatrical release. This means that Morbius, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, Uncharted and more will all be heading to Netflix only following their release in cinemas. However, as this was a US-only deal, it's unclear whether Netflix will also become the streaming home of Morbius in the UK. Morbius cast Jared Leto (known for his Oscar-winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club and as Thirty Seconds to Mars' frontman) is playing the titular Morbius, created in 1971 by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane. Going by the name of Michael Morbius, the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist tried to cure his own blood disorder but instead turned himself into a pseudo-vampire with superhuman abilities. He started out as a villain in the comics before morphing into more of an anti-hero. Morbius is not Leto's first foray into superhero movies – his much-hyped Joker appeared in 2016's Suicide Squad (as well as Zack Snyder's Justice League) but, despite its commercial success, the film garnered negative reviews and Leto did not return for the sequel. Matt Smith joins him in Morbius, playing Loxias Crown – the film's villain and Morbius' best friend who suffers from the same blood disease. Crown is attacked by Morbius in the comics, also transforming into a Living Vampire known as Hunger. Smith has said he was persuaded to join a superhero movie by his former Doctor Who co-star, Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: "She told me that she really likes it, making those movies. That was enough for me." Also appearing is Jared Harris (The Crown) as Morbius' mentor, Adria Arjona (True Detective) as the film's main love interest, and Tyrese Gibson (Fast & Furious) as an FBI agent trying to hunt down the so-called living vampire. Gibson will be playing comic book character Simon Stroud and will be sporting a high-tech mechanical arm in the film – and reportedly signed a three-picture deal when he joined the film. Fans had speculated that Jared Harris might also be playing iconic Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus, aka Dr. Otto Octavius, but he flat-out denied the claims. When Variety asked Harris if his character might be the iconic villain, the Chernobyl actor answered: "No. I love the imagination that the fans have, it’s exciting for me to think about the imagination that fans have. But yeah no, it’s not.” And in something of a surprise move, Michael Keaton was confirmed to be making an appearance in the film after featuring in the teaser trailer. It's yet to be confirmed whether he'll be reprising his Spider-Man role as Vulture, but there's certainly a strong possibility. A cameo from Tom Hardy's Venom was also apparently spoiled in August 2021, after director Daniel Espinosa let slip that Hardy has a role in this Marvel film also. "It usually feels strange before the day begins, when you look at the schedule and stand on the set yourself," Espinosa told MovieZine. "When you walk around there, the recording looks just like a Swedish production, but then when you look at the schedule and read names like Michael Keaton, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, then it feels cool and very exciting." Morbius trailer Yes! Sony has released multiple trailers for fans to get their fangs into... Sony released a definitively titled Final Trailer in February 2022, giving us a further look at Leto's Morbius in his terrifying transformed state, with fangs and all. We also get a glimpse at Matt Smith's mysterious character Loxias Crown. Watch below: View oEmbed on the source website To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the character, Jared Leto released a behind-the-scenes featurette for Morbius in November 2021, which despite only featuring a few brief clips still got people talking... The featurette also teased a new full-length trailer, which gave us some Venom references, glimpses of all the key characters and a better look at the experiment that causes Morbius to transform - as well as his vampiric form in action: View oEmbed on the source website You can also watch first teaser trailer below: View oEmbed on the source website Morbius plot We'll be seeing a very dark take on the superhero genre. In the teaser, we meet Michael Morbius (Leto) as he attempts to fight a rare blood condition – going so far as to experiment with bat DNA in an attempt to cure himself, which transforms him into his vampire-like form. Leto opened up about the character during Variety's Actor on Actors interview, and how he found the part challenging due to similarities he found with the character. "I was interested in this role because he goes on this journey from dying to finding a cure for this disease and becoming incredibly healthy, and then having things change in a way that he becomes monstrous," Leto said. "So, it’s a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde, which is of course a classic role.” He added: "It was hard for me in some way, because I’m not used to playing roles that are a little bit closer to who I am, day in and day out. Dr. Michael Morbius is a little closer to the way that I talk and the way that I behave.” Morbius review: Jared Leto movie reaches new depths of disappointment Morbius scene - The Transformation On 5th December, Morbius released a full scene for fans to enjoy that showed the transformation of Dr Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) into his vampiric form. View oEmbed on the source website Adria Arjona also features in the clip as Morbius' fiancee Martine Bancroft who appears to be treating Michael in the clip. Morbius clashes with an armed team of guards before eventually transforming back into his human guise. We should expect many scenes like this in the new film. Will Tom Holland's Spider-Man make an appearance? Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the trailer is the appearance of Michael Keaton – with many fans speculating that he is playing Vulture, the same super-villain he appeared as in the MCU film Spider-Man: Homecoming. This raises a lot of questions as Venom and Morbius exist in a cinematic universe Sony has created to sit separately from the one portrayed in Disney's MCU films, where Tom Holland's version of Spidey currently exists. To muddy the waters even further, star Tyrese Gibson claimed in an interview with ComicBook.com that Morbius would indeed be part of the MCU, only for Gamespot to later confirm that this was not the case. However, if Keaton is indeed reprising his Vulture role, it could open the door to Sony and Disney's distinct universes merging at some point down the line – but that is merely speculation at this point in time. A Sony executive has since said that there is a plan for Spider-Man to cross over with Venom and Morbius, adding that things will become more clear when Spider-Man: No Way Home is released. Following the events of Loki, the upcoming threequel is widely thought to explore the multiverse – which could pave the way for Sony's universe of characters to cross over or even merge with the MCU down the line. Michael Keaton has spoken of his confusion after the Morbius filmmakers talked him through recent Marvel plot points and the logic of a cinematic universe, which certainly hints that a complex multiverse storyline could be on the cards. "I’m nodding like I know what the f--- they’re talking about...." Keaton told THR. "They were looking at me, and they just started laughing." The prevailing fan theory is that Keaton will be playing a version of Vulture from Sony's Marvel Universe – and thus will not be the same character who battled Spider-Man and was later imprisoned in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Keaton is not the only Spider-Man reference connection, however, as a picture of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man costume can be seen in the film's first trailer, while a newspaper featured in the behind-the-scenes vignette referenced villains Rhino and Black Cat who both appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. To confuse things even further, the word 'murderer' has been graffitied over the picture of Maguire's suit, surely referencing the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, so it remains to be seen whether these are just easter eggs – or if some multiverse shenanigans will be linking the many Spider-Man universes. Fans are hopeful for a Morbius crossover with Mahershala Ali's vampire hunter Blade in particular – and when asked if the two could meet while on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Leto said he "could see that happening in the future." For now, Tom Holland is not expected to appear in Morbius, with Sony only featuring the superhero in animated form, releasing the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2018 (with a few sequels and spin-offs on the cards). Sony has been hard at work on its superhero stable, which currently includes Morbius, a Venom sequel and an exciting project by Olivia Wilde which is rumoured to introduce Spider-Woman. How to watch Morbius - is it available to stream? Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Movies hub for the latest news. The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now – subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.
The King's Man release date, cast, trailer and news for Kingsman prequel
Taron Egerton and Colin Firth will NOT play a part in the spin-off – but Matthew Vaughn has assembled a stellar cast led by Ralph Fiennes.
It's time for a whole new Kingsman outing. The two Kingsman movie released in 2014 and 2017 respectively proved extremely popular with critics - but the next film in the franchise is taking rather a different approach. The King's Man is a prequel to the Kingsman franchise, telling the origin story of the intelligence agency with a new cast - meaning stars Colin Firth and Taron Egerton will not be returning for this instalment. There's plenty of star power elsewhere, however, with a killer cast that includes Harris Dickinson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton and Djimon Hounsou. With the film one of many to have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, there have been a few changes to the release date - read on for everything you need to know about Kingsman prequel The King's Man. The King's Man UK release date The King's Man is released in UK cinemas on Wednesday, December 22, 2021. The film was originally scheduled for release on November 8, 2019, before being pushed back to 15 November that year, then February 14, 2020, and then to September 18, 2020. However, the Covid-19 pandemic saw the film delayed once again, first to February 12, 2021, then to March 12, 2021, then August 20, 2021. Finally, the film was scheduled for a release in December 2021 - two years after its initial release date. It is expected to arrive on digital platforms 45 days after its theatrical release. Who is in the cast of The King's Man? There are a host of big names in the prequel to Kingsman but do not expect the likes of Taron Egerton and Colin Firth to appear here. Ralph Fiennes plays the role of Orlando Oxford and is joined by Gemma Arterton in the role of servant-turned-spy Polly. Harris Dickinson takes on the role of Orlando's protege Conrad Oxford, who serves as the co-lead of the film. Meanwhile, Rhys Ifans will appear as the infamous Russian monk Grigori Rasputin, with Tom Hollander playing the roles of related European royalty in the form of King George V of England, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Elsewhere, Matthew Goode plays Morton opposite Daniel Brühl as Erik Jan Hanussen, Djimon Hounsou as Shola, Charles Dance as Herbert Kitchener, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Archie Reid, and Aaron Vodovoz as Felix Yuzupov - Rasputin's historical killer. Other cast members to appear to include Todd Boyce as Mr Alfred DuPont, Branka Katic as Tsarina Alix of Russia, Valerie Pachner as iconic spy Mata Hari, Olivier Richters as H.M.S.G. (Hugh Machine Shark Guard), Stanley Tucci as the United States Ambassador, and Alison Steadman as Rita. The King's Man trailers There are now multiple trailers for The King's Man, which is unsurprising considering the multiple delays that the film has faced. View oEmbed on the source website The footage shown demonstrates the action-packed nature of the film, the various historical figures and that key comedic but thrilling tone to the Kingsman franchise. You can find the most recent tailer above. What is The King's Man about? The film's official synopsis is rather ambiguous: "As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King's Man." The trailers reveal a few more bits of information. View oEmbed on the source website Set in WWI, the first footage throws up some major historical figures – like Tsar Nicholas II, Rasputin and Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It also gives us plenty of footage of Conrad's induction into the Kingsman intelligence agency, via the guidance of Fiennes' gentlemanly character and assisted by Gemma Arterton's servant-turned-spy. We spotted a glimpse of some familiar locations, too, from the Kingsman mansion, where new recruits are trained, to the organisation's Savile Row front, with a selection of modern attire...... and wartime regalia. If that's got you interested for more, you can read our The King's Man review. Will there be any more Kingsman films? Oh, yes. Kingman 3 will see Firth and Egerton reprise their roles for what is being billed as the conclusion to the Eggsy/Harry relationship. That instalment is yet to get a release date. There are also reports of a spin-off film to Kingsman: The Golden Circle which introduced an international network of Kingsman agents. With a working title of Statesman, it is rumoured to see Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges and Halle Berry reprise their roles. In November 2018, Vaughn also announced details of an eight-hour Kingsman TV series, although details of that project are yet to be fully revealed. If you want to give watching the whole franchise a go, here's how to watch the Kingsman films in order. Read more: The King's Man end credits scene explained If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide.
Educating Yorkshire's Mr Mitchell: "Musharaf made us into who we are"
RadioTimes.com spoke to Thornhill Academy's Mr Burton, Mr Steer, pupil Musharaf and the headmaster back in 2014.
Tonight Channel 4 will revisit one of the most memorable moments from 2013's Educating Yorkshire: the episode in which Mr Burton helped pupil Musharaf Asghar overcome his stammer. The incredible scenes which aired on the documentary series, showing the student finally able to stand up in front of his classmates to give a speech, touched the hearts of viewers and earned the show a place in the TV history books. In the years since Educating Yorkshire aired, Musharaf has gone on to a career as a motivational speaker. Back in 2014, RadioTimes.com spoke to Mr Burton, Mr Mitchell, Mr Steer and Musharaf himself. Check out the interview below... It was arguably the television moment of the year – the spine-tingling few seconds when stammering Thornhill Academy pupil Musharaf donned his teacher Mr Burton's headphones and found the power of speech. And according to headmaster Mr Mitchell, his young student got the biggest cheer when the duo stepped on stage with Mr Burton and Mr Steer to collect their award for best documentary series at last night's National Television Awards. "It speaks volumes of why people tapped into why it was such a successful programme," Thornhill's head told RadioTimes.com backstage. Mr Burton – Musharaf's English teacher – also had some words of praise for his former pupil. "That final episode really hit a chord with people because it’s not just a stammer – it signifies for me somebody overcoming adversity and getting past it and very rarely do you see people in such a tangible way click and get through that. "It’s about a young man who has got absolute integrity and is honest and a damn good character. It’s an award and it’s notoriety for trying hard and being the best you can possibly be." "Musharaf is going to dine out on this for years," added Mr M. "We're not talking a couple of years, we're talking years. And we're going to dine out on Musharaf at the end of the day. He's made us into who we are." View oEmbed on the source website If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide.
When is the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest on TV?
Everything we know about the 2020 competition
Calling all fans of unmissable TV and questionable European pop: it’s Eurovision Song Contest time again! Each year, several European countries compete in the music competition, which first kicked off in 1965. For the 2020 contest, the UK and 40 other countries qualified for 65th edition of the music competition event, which was expected to attract upwards of 180 million viewers around the globe. But with the coronavirus pandemic dominating headlines, will the show go on? Production for many shows in the UK and US have already been halted as a result of the outbreak. Here's everything you need to know about Eurovision… When is the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest taking place? The Eurovision Song Contest first and second semi-finals were due to take place on the 12th and 14th May, with the finale following on the 16th May, however, due to the ongoing effect of the coronavirus outbreak, the show has now been cancelled. A statement from the EBU read: “It is with deep regret that we have to announce the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam. Over the past few weeks we have explored many alternative options to allow the Eurovision Song Contest to go ahead. The show was expected to air on BBC One with commentator Graham Norton guiding UK viewers through the show. Meanwhile, Rylan Clark-Neal and Scott Mills would have served as commentators when it aired on BBC Four. You can read more about the show being cancelled here. Will the show be postponed to a later date this year? Unfortunately the show will not go on this year, as the Eurovision Song Contest have found it too difficult to make it work during this time, with travel restrictions being put in place worldwide. The organisers will however be having talks about the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021. The statement explained: "The EBU, NPO, NOS, AVROTROS and the City of Rotterdam will continue a conversation regarding the hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021. We would ask people to bear with us while we work through the ramifications of this unprecedented decision and patiently await any further news in the coming days and weeks." Where was the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest taking place? The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was meant to be held in the Rotterdam Ahoy arena, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, a city south of Amsterdam. Why wasn't the contest being held in the capital? The city couldn’t guarantee its main arena, the brilliantly-named Ziggo Dome, would be free come the final night. Eurovision doesn’t have to take place in a country’s capital. For instance, in 1998, the last time the UK hosted Eurovision, the final was held in Birmingham. This will be the fifth time Holland has hosted the competition, the last time coming back in 1980 when 1978 and 1979 winners Israel declined to hold the event for a second consecutive year. Previous Dutch host cities have included The Hague, Amsterdam and Hilversum. Who was the UK Eurovision 2020 entry? View oEmbed on the source website You know John Newman? The singer, songwriter, musician and record producer behind hits such as Love Me Again and Feel the Love? Well, it's not him. But it was his older brother, James Newman, who was set to represent the UK this year. The singer was due to perform 'My Last Breath', a ballad imagining a deep-sea diver giving the remains of his oxygen to his lover. View oEmbed on the source website Through his songwriting, Newman has previously worked with Little Mix, Ed Sheeran, Olly Murs and the Backstreet boys. He also wrote Dying to Try, the 2017 Eurovision entry for Ireland, performed by The X Factor's Brendan Murray. However, the song failed to qualify for the contest's grand final. Who were the acts performing at Eurovision 2020? 41 countries were set to compete in Eurovision 2020 – including the UK. Most countries decided on their performers using national selection competitions. Click here for more information on how different nation's choose their entrants. The "Big Five" – the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain – were all expected to send acts and all havd guaranteed spots in the final, thanks to the large financial contributions they make to the European Broadcasting Union. As the host country, The Netherlands was also given a free pass to the final. Who won the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest? Duncan Laurence, a singer from The Netherlands, won the competition in 2019 with his song Arcade. It was the first time the country had finished top of the table in 44 years. Since winning Eurovision, Laurence released a second single Love Don't Hate It. However, this only reached number nine in his home country's charts. He's also been touring around the EU (no, he didn't perform in the UK). View oEmbed on the source website Who performed for the UK at Eurovision last year? And how well did they do? The UK pinned their hopes on All Together Now winner Michael Rice and single Bigger Than Us. To put it bluntly, things didn't quite go to plan. Rice finished in last place (26th), with just 11 points, only three of which coming from the public. View oEmbed on the source website Since Eurovision, Rice release single Somebody, but this failed to break into the charts. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.
When is Our Girl back on TV for series 4?
Michelle Keegan reprises her role as Georgie Lane for another series of BBC army drama Our Girl – but some key characters are missing
Across three series – and multiple tours, romances and shock deaths – Our Girl has developed a loyal fan following, first with Lacey Turner's Private Molly Dawes and now with Michelle Keegan's Sergeant Georgie Lane. After series set in Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Kenya, the drama's return sees Georgie face up to painful memories as she returns to Afghanistan. Michelle Keegan to return for fourth series of Our Girl Cast confirmed for Our Girl series four – but there's one major character missing Here's everything we know so far about Our Girl's upcoming fourth series... When is Our Girl back on TV? CONFIRMED: Series four of Our Girl begins on Tuesday 24th March at 9pm on BBC One. There will be six episodes. Filming on the new series wrapped at the end of July 2019, with Keegan marking the occasion with a celebratory boomerang and a shout out to the hard-working cast and crew: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0T9YAQnfwi/ Who is in the cast of Our Girl series four? Michelle Keegan has been confirmed to return for the new series of Our Girl, reprising her role as Georgie Lane who has now been promoted to Sergeant. It has been confirmed that series four will be Keegan's last in the role. There are some new faces joining the cast, too. Nico Mirallegro (Rillington Pace), has come on board, as has EastEnders' Danny-Boy Hatchard (below) who will be playing Private Rhett 'Cheese' Charlton. Hatchard – best known as Lee Carter in the BBC soap – said: "I’m buzzing to be joining the iconic 2 Section. Our Girl has always done a fantastic job representing our British troops, so I can’t wait to help tell more really cool stories." Will Attenborough (The Hollow Crown), Kaine Zajaz (Informer), Amy-Leigh Hickman (EastEnders), Josh Bowman (Revenge), Nabil Elouahabi (The Night Of), Nebras Jamali (The Looming Tower) and Badria Timini (Unforgotten) have also all signed up for series four. They will line up alongside returning 2 Section stars Rolan Bell (who plays Kingy), Ben Batt (Blue), Mark Armstrong (Spanner), Jack Parry-Jones (Jackson), Sean Ward (Fingers), Sean Sagar (Monk) and Dominic Jephcott who returns as the new Brigadier. But you'll note there are some key figures missing from that list – namely, Maisie and Rab (played by Shalom Brune-Franklin and Harki Bhambra) and Captain James (Ben Aldridge) who went from Georgie's friend to love interest in the drama's third series and was last seen leaping off a cliff edge alongside the rest of 2 Section. Why isn't Ben Aldridge in Our Girl series four? There's no official line on why Aldridge is not reprising his role after playing Captain James for three series – and maintaining the one link between Molly Dawes and Georgie Lane. But perhaps it has something to do with the role he's landed in upcoming US TV series Pennyworth? The new show – which will tell the origin story of Batman's butler Alfred – co-stars Paloma Faith and Polly Walker and was filmed between October 2018 and May 2019. Where will Our Girl series four take place? Where is it filmed? The new series is split between Georgie's home town of Manchester and Afghanistan where 2 Section are touring. Filming began in May 2019 and is taking place in South Africa. What happens in Our Girl series four? Series four finds Georgie living back in Manchester with her family and in a more positive place – now a Sergeant, she's training a bunch of medics and decides not to join her friends in 2 Section on their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. But that decision comes into question when a night on the town results in a near-fatal accident, helping Georgie come to realise that the painful memories of losing her fiancé Elvis to a Taliban attack are behind her decision not to return to Afghanistan. Ultimately, she realises she must go back and face her own fears. Is there a trailer for Our Girl series four? Yes! Here's the full trailer: View oEmbed on the source website BBC One also released this sneak peek on Twitter... View oEmbed on the source website And here's a bonus smiley snap of some of the cast on set... https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw6y7vMnnRZ/ Will series four be the last series of Our Girl? There's no word yet on whether Our Girl will return for a fifth series. Given the scope of the show, the shoots are always long and gruelling – but the drama remains popular on BBC1 with a dedicated fan base. Despite the lack of confirmation, it has been reported that I'm A Celeb winner and former EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa could be replacing Michelle Keegan in the lead role.
Everything we've seen on TV in 2019 – so far
Looking to catch up on this year's must-watch TV? Here are all the big dramas, comedies, entertainment shows and documentaries to air across ITV, the BBC, Channel 4, Netflix, Amazon and Sky
2019 has brought us plenty of TV treats. We've lost our fingernails to Line of Duty, had our brains boggled by Black Mirror, cringed and delighted at Fleabag, and collectively survived the end of Game of Thrones. The best TV shows still to air in 2019 Here are all the 2020 TV shows we already know about Netflix release dates: all the major upcoming TV shows revealed But if you missed out on any of this year's top telly, fear not – there's plenty of time to catch up. Looking back across the year, here are all the shows we've had so far: Peaky Blinders series 5 Channel: BBC1 Original air date: 25th August Cillian Murphy returned as Tommy Shelby in Stephen Knight’s Birmingham-based gangster family epic, while Sam Claflin and Emmet J Scanlan joined the fray. Read more 13 Reasons Why season 3 Channel: Netflix Release date: 23rd August Netflix released 13 more episodes for series three of its hard-hitting – and controversial – teen drama. Read more Euphoria Channel: Sky Atlantic and Now TV Original air date: Tuesday 6th August The series follows 17-year-old drug-addict Rue Bennett (played by Spider-Man: Far From Home’s Zendaya) who was found overdosed in her bedroom by her sister Gia (Storm Reid) and who returns from rehab just as the show begins. Read more GLOW Channel: Netflix Release date: 9th August The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling returned for a third outing on Netflix, this time relocating to Las Vegas, the setting of the group's new live show. This series sees the return of Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin, and brings in Oscar-winner Geena Davis. Read more Motherland Channel: BBC2 Air-date: Monday 7th October Sharon Horgan's painfully funny sitcom – in which chaotic parenting and middle-class mum wars abound – returns with Anna Maxwell Martin as a mother at her wit’s end. Read more The Crown season 3 Channel: Netflix Release date: Sunday 17th November Olivia Colman inherits the burden of the crown worn so dazzlingly by Claire Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth in series one and two. The saga of the British royal family now moves into a new era covering 1964-76. Read more The Accident Channel: Channel 4 Air date: Thursday 24th October The Accident sees writer Jack Thorne reunite with Sarah Lancashire for a new drama, inspired by Grenfell, about the explosion of a large construction project which leaves many dead and devastates the local community. Lancashire plays Polly, the wife of the local politician who championed the project. Read more Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK Channel: BBC3 Air date: 3rd October 2019 A UK version of the internationally beloved, flamboyant US show is on its way, featuring ten British drag queens competing for the crown. Drag icon Ru Paul has already said he’d be thrilled to have the Duchess of Sussex as a guest judge… Read more Deep Water Channel: ITV Original air date: Wednesday 14th August Adapted from Paula Daly's Windermere novels, this series follows three women (played by Anna Friel, Sinead Keenan and Rosalind Eleazar) living in the bleakly beautiful Lake District who meet at the school gates and whose lives become intricately woven together. Read more Baptiste Channel: BBC1 Original air date: Sunday 17th February The Missing's beloved detective, Julien Baptiste, gets his own spin-off show. The new drama stars Tchéky Karyo as the titular sleuth and Tom Hollander as a man desperately searching for a disappeared sex worker in Amsterdam. Read more Traitors Channel: Channel 4 Original air date: Sunday 17th February A thriller set in the aftermath of the Second World War, Traitors stars Clique’s Emma Appleton as an ambitious 20-something woman who is tasked with spying on her own government. The starry ensemble cast also includes Keeley Hawes and Luke Treadaway. Read more MotherFatherSon Channel: BBC2 Original air date: Wednesday 6th March Richard Gere stars as a media tycoon and Helen McCrory as his estranged wife in this starry new series from the writer –of The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Billy Howle also features as their son Caden who threatens to topple the family’s empire. Read more Cheat Channel: ITV Original air date: Monday 11th March This psychological thriller stars Katherine Kelly as university professor Leah, who starts a dangerous relationship with her student Rose (Molly Windsor) and is thrust into a case of academic deception which has fatal consequences. Read more The Loudest Voice Channel: Sky Atlantic Air Date: Thursday 5th September Oscar-winner Russell Crowe stars in the seven-part series as television executive Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News and later an advisor to the Donald Trump presidential campaign, whose career ended following sexual harassment accusations. Read more Victoria series 3 Channel: ITV Original air date: Sunday 24th March 2019 This third series of Jenna Coleman's royal period drama rejoins the young Queen in 1848, a “turbulent and uncertain time” for monarchs and subjects alike. Read more Line of Duty series 5 Channel: BBC1 Original air date: Sunday 31st March View oEmbed on the source website AC-12 return to fight yet more police corruption. Joining regulars Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure and Martin Compston are Stephen Graham as John Corbett, Rochenda Sandall as Lisa McQueen and Anna Maxwell-Martin as Patricia Carmichael. Read more Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 2 Channel: Netflix Original release date: 5th April 2019 Kiernan Shipka reprises her role as the teenage witch for a second series of the Sabrina fantasy. Netflix has already confirmed the series will run for at least four seasons. Read more The Durrells series 4 Channel: ITV Original air date: Sunday 7th April 2019 Keeley Hawes returns for a fourth and final (or is it?) series of this drama based on the real-life British Durrell family, who moved to the Greek island of Corfu in the years leading up to World War II. Read more Pose series 2 Channel: BBC2 Air date: 26th October 2019 Ryan Murphy’s colourful account of the LGBTQ community and ballroom culture in New York is returning as the House of Evangelista embraces a new decade against the backdrop of the worsening AIDS crisis. Read more The Great British Bake Off Channel: Channel 4 Air date: Tuesday 27th August Another series in the GBBO tent awaits, featuring a whole new set of bakers keen to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with their culinary creations. The End of the F***ing World Channel: Channel 4 Air date: Monday 4th to Thursday 7th November This twisted black comedy was a sleeper hit when it first aired in 2017, enjoying critical success when it first aired on Channel 4 before going on to find a wider band of devotees when it was released on Netflix. James and Allysa (Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden) return for plenty more teenage angst and dark humour. Read more The Good Place Channel: Netflix Air date: 27th September Holy forking shirtballs, the hit US sitcom set in the afterlife is ending this year, returning for a fourth and final (sob) series as Eleanor Shellstrop & co bow out for good. Read more Frayed Channel: Sky One and NOW TV Air date: 26th September 2019 Sky's brand new bittersweet and raucously funny comedy is set in the glitz of the late 1980s, and follows a rich London housewife who's forced to return to the hometown in Australia she's been working so hard to escape. Read more Defending the Guilty Channel: BBC2 Air date: Tuesday 17th September BAFTA award winner Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, Humans) plays a cynical barrister in BBC2's brand new comedy about a cutthroat team of lawyers, based on the acclaimed tell-all book Defending The Guilty: Truth And Lies In The Criminal Courtroom by Alex McBride. Read more. The Name of the Rose Channel: BBC2 Air date: Friday 11th October The BBC has snapped up John Turturro's adaptation of The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco's dark murder mystery set in an abbey in the fourteenth century. Read more. Dublin Murders Channel: BBC1 Air date: Monday 14th October Cormoran Strike actor Killian Scott stars in this psychological crime thriller adapted from Tana French’s bestselling novel series Dublin Murder Squad. Read more World on Fire Channel: BBC1 Air date: Sunday 29th September Sean Bean, Helen Hunt, Lesley Manville and Blake Harrison star in this World War Two drama which tells the story of the first year of the global conflict, exploring the war’s impact on ordinary people from Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the United States. Read more Catherine the Great Channel: Sky Atlantic Air date: Thursday 3rd October 2019 View oEmbed on the source website Helen Mirren stars as the Empress of Russia in this four-part period drama full of "politics, passion and power", which delves into the "politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history" – Catherine the Great. Mirren's co-stars include Jason Clarke, Gina McKee and Rory Kinnear. Read more The Victim Channel: BBC1 Original air date: Monday 8th April Scottish actors Kelly Macdonald and John Hannah lead the cast of this new legal thriller which is told from the perspective of the plaintiff and the accused, and promises to offer "a constantly surprising and twisting perspective on who is really ‘the victim’". Read more Game of Thrones season 8 Channel: Sky Atlantic Original air date: 15th April The smash-hit fantasy is back for an eighth and final series, meaning the last battle for Westeros is almost upon us. But what will happen to Jon Snow and Daenerys? And can the denouement meet fan expectations? Read more Watch Game of Thrones on NOW TV for free with a 7-day free trial The X Factor Channel: ITV Air date: October 2019 Simon Cowell may have a new entertainment show on the BBC, but ITV's once-all conquering talent show isn't giving up the ghost any time soon. Trust Me series 2 Channel: BBC1 Original air date: Tuesday 16th April Trust Me returns to BBC One – but with a whole new cast and without Jodie Whittaker. The new series follows a different medical storyline at the centre of which is Corporal Jamie McCain (Harry Potter's Alfred Enoch), a survivor of a shock enemy attack. Ashley Jenson, Richard Rankin and John Hannah also star. Read more The Looming Tower Channel: BBC2 Original air date: Friday 26th April The Looming Tower is a political thriller charting the events in the run-up to 9/11 during the late 1990s. It stars Jeff Daniels as the chief of the New York FBI's Counterterrorism Centre, and follows internal rivalries between the FBI and the CIA. Read more Chernobyl Channel: Sky Atlantic Original air date: 7th May 2019 This five-part critically acclaimed drama tells the human story of the catastrophic nuclear accident at Chernobyl in 1986, and stars Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård and Jared Harris. Read more Watch Chernobyl on NOW TV for FREE with a 7-day free trial Years and Years Channel: BBC1 Original air date: 14th May 2019 <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2019/04/17879799-high_res-years-and-years-1-1e940ad.jpg" width="4096" height="2588" alt="The cast of Years and Years (L-R): Daniel (Russell Tovey), Ruby (Jade Alleyne), Edith (Jessica Hynes), Rosie (Ruth Madeley), Muriel (Anne Reid), Stephen (Rory Kinnear), Celeste (T'nia Miller), Bethany (Lydia West)" title="Years and Years generics" /> This family saga from Russell T Davies is led by Emma Thompson, who plays Vivienne Rook, an outspoken celebrity turned political figure whose controversial opinions divide the nation. Read more A Confession Channel: ITV Air date: Monday 2nd September The latest drama based on real events from writer Jeff Pope focuses on the disappearance of 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan in March 2011 and the lengths Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher (Martin Freeman) went to in order to catch her killer. Read more The Virtues Channel: Channel 4 Original air date: 15th May 2019 Shane Meadows reunites with This is England co-creator Jack Thorne and actor Stephen Graham for The Virtues. It stars Graham as Joseph, a troubled man who’s lost everything he ever loved and who travels to Ireland to confront his childhood demons. While there, he crosses paths with Niamh Algar's Dinah and a visceral love story begins. Read more Gentleman Jack Channel: BBC1 Original air date: 19th May 2019 Two of television’s most influential women unite – Suranne Jones on screen and Sally Wainwright behind the camera – to tell the remarkable story of Anne Lister, the Regency landowner. Read more Summer of Rockets Channel: BBC2 Original air date: 22nd May 2019 Stephen Poliakoff’s semi-autobiographical six-part series set in Britain during the Cold War stars Toby Stephens and Keeley Hawes. Read more Good Omens Channel: Amazon Prime Video Original release date: Friday 31st May An all-star cast – including David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Jack Whitehall, Anna Maxwell Martin, John Hamm, Derek Jacobi, Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch and many more – brings to life Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s epic. Read more Black Mirror season 5 Channel: Netflix Original release date: Wednesday 5th June 2019 View oEmbed on the source website Charlie Brooker delivers another dose of his dystopian anthology series, after Black Mirror's acclaimed interactive special Bandersnatch was released in December 2018. Read more Killing Eve season 2 Channel: BBC Original release date: Saturday 8th June The smash-hit, female-fronted spy thriller is as good as ever in this second series. Sandra Oh returns as Eve and Jodie Comer reprises the role of deadly assassin Villanelle, with Emerald Fennell taking over from Phoebe Waller-Bridge as showrunner. Read more Big Little Lies season 2 Channel: Sky Atlantic Original air date: Monday 10th June The mothers of Monterey return for a second series after the shocking climax of the season one finale. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Laura Dern all reprise their roles alongside new cast member Meryl Streep(!) Read more Watch Big Little Lies on NOW TV for FREE with a 7-day free trial Sanditon Channel: ITV Air date: 25th August 2019 Master adaptor Andrew Davies (War & Peace, Les Misérables) returns with a new adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Sanditon, which tells the story of a spirited and impulsive woman who moves from her country home to Sanditon, a fishing village trying to reinvent itself as a seaside resort. Rose Williams (Curfew, Changeland) leads the cast as Charlotte, and Kris Marshall also stars as an enthusiastic and happily married man who wants to put Sanditon on the map. Read more Temple Channel: Sky Air date: Friday 13th September 2019 For Mark Strong’s character Daniel Milton, a desperate mission to save his wife from life-threatening illness takes him deep underground into the tunnel network beneath Temple tube station in London. He is a talented surgeon, and sets up a literal "underground" clinic. But how far is he prepared to go for the woman he loves – and what will be the consequences? Read more The Capture Channel: BBC1 Air date: Tuesday 3rd September Strike star Holliday Grainger plays a detective in this new surveillance thriller, which promises to look at a "troubling world of misinformation, fake news, and the extraordinary technological capabilities of the intelligence services." Read more Scarborough Channel: BBC1 Air date: Friday 6th September Benidorm creator Derren Litten has penned a brand new seaside comedy, this time set in the North Yorkshire town of Scarborough and following a small group of local residents. Read more Jessica Jones season 3 Channel: Netflix Original release date: 14th June 2019 The Marvel series starring Krysten Ritter got a third and final season from Netflix, following Jessica and adoptive sister Trish as they are stalked by a new and dangerous villain. Read more Catch-22 Channel: Channel 4 Original air date: Thursday 20th June 2019 George Clooney stars in, directs and executive produces this adaptation of Joseph Heller’s tale about Yossarian, a US Air Force bombardier in World War II. Read more Beecham House Channel: ITV Original air date: Sunday 23rd June Tom Bateman, Lesley Nicol, Marc Warren and Leo Suter lead a huge ensemble cast for a new period drama set in India at the cusp of the 19th century. It follows the fortunes of the residents of an imposing and beautiful mansion called Beecham House. Read more Stranger Things season 3 Channel: Netflix Original release date: Thursday 4th July The sci-fi hit is back for a third series with all of the original cast returning to take us on a whole new set of supernatural adventures in the small town of Hawkins. Read more Dark Money Channel: BBC1 Original air date: Monday 8th July 2019 A four-part drama by writer Levi David Addai (Damilola, Our Loved Boy), about a London family that accepts a substantial pay-off from a renowned filmmaker to keep silent about the abuse of their youngest son. Read more The Left Behind Channel: BBC3, BBC1 Original air date: Wednesday 10th July 2019 Gethin (Sion Daniel Young) is a single, working class young man living in South Wales with his sister and her family. He scrapes by on zero-hours employment at a chicken shop, and is content to hang out with his friends and help raise his young niece. But increasing problems lead him to question how far he’s been ‘left behind’ in his own country – and he starts to pay attention to the extremist far-right views of those around him. Read more Poldark series 5 Channel: BBC1 Air date: Sunday 14th July 2019 <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2018/07/Poldark-s-4-episode-8-8801ab5.jpg" width="4284" height="2856" alt="WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 24/07/2018 - Programme Name: Poldark - Series 4 - TX: n/a - Episode: Poldark S4 - EP8 (No. 8) - Picture Shows: ***EMBARGOED TILL 24TH JULY 2018*** Ross Poldark (AIDAN TURNER) - (C) Mammoth Screen - Photographer: Mike Hogan" title="Poldark S4 - EP8" /> The fifth and final series of Poldark moves away from the novels by Winston Graham, as we see the cast cope with the devastating events at the end of the last series. Read more Lethal Weapon Channel: ITV Air date: Friday 26th July 2019 American buddy cop drama Lethal Weapon, based on the action film franchise of the eighties and nineties, returns for its third and final season. The drama is set within the LAPD in Los Angeles and stars Damon Wayans as Roger Murtaugh, with American Pie actor Seann William Scott joining the cast as former international CIA operative Wesley Cole – a man who “has been everywhere and seen everything." Read more Mindhunter season 2 Channel: Netflix Release date: 16th August 2019 The dark and complex drama that looks into the motives of killers achieved critical acclaim when it debuted on Netflix, and it’s coming back for a second series starring Jonathan Groff. Read more Keeping Faith/Un Bore Mercher series 2 Channel: S4C and BBC1 Air date: 12th May 2019 for Welsh-language version; 23rd July for English-language version Eve Myles is back for a second series of the hit Welsh drama about lawyer, wife and mother Faith Howells. The new episodes see Faith battling to keep her family and business together. Read more Fosse/Verdon Channel: BBC2 Air date: Friday 2nd August American biographical miniseries Fosse/Verdon is based on the troubled personal and professional relationship between director and choreographer Bob Fosse (played by Sam Rockwell) and his wife and unsung collaborator Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams), who was also a Broadway actor, dancer and singer. Having aired on FX in the States, it's now set for a BBC2 broadcast. Read more Catastrophe series 4 Channel: Channel 4 Original air date: Monday 7th January 2019 Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s comedy-drama ends with a fourth and final series. The concluding episodes are as brutally honest as ever and explore the reality of sex in long-term relationships as well as bidding a fond farewell to guest star Carrie Fisher's character. Read more Brassic Channel: Sky1 Air date: 22nd August 2019 Written by BAFTA-winner Danny Brocklehurst (Clocking Off, Accused), Brassic is a comedy which follows a group of working-class friends who find unconventional ways to win at life. This is England's Joseph Gilgun and Ripper Street's Damien Molony lead the cast. Read more Hold the Sunset series 2 Channel: BBC1 Original air date: 2nd August 2019 Starring John Cleese, Alison Steadman and Jason Watkins, Hold the Sunset is a sitcom about a pair of old friends who plan to get married and move abroad to a place in the sun. But their dream is disrupted when a grown-up son unexpectedly moves back home. Read more This Way Up Channel: Channel 4 Original air date: Thursday 8th August Comedian Aisling Bea is the creator and star of this new off-beat comedy which follows Aine, a woman who is trying to piece her life back together after a “teeny little nervous breakdown". Read more Stath Lets Flats Channel: Channel 4 Air date: 27th June 2019 Jamie Demetriou returns to write and star in a second run of this Bafta-nominated comedy in which he plays an idiotic lettings agent alongside his real-life sister Natasha. Read more This Time with Alan Partridge Channel: BBC1 Original air date: Monday 25th February View oEmbed on the source website The bumbling broadcaster returns to the BBC with a new six-part series after a spell at Sky. Alan fronts a live programme with “a heady mix of consumer affairs, current affairs, viewer interaction, highbrow interview and lightweight froth”. Read more The Time With Alan Partridge review – quite simply some of the best Partridge ever made Warren Channel: BBC1 Original air date: Monday 25th February Martin Clunes plays a fastidious driving instructor who moves from the South of England to Preston when his partner's father falls ill. A born pedant, he always thinks he knows best and causes chaos and disaster as he tries to adjust to his new life. Read more Fleabag series 2 Channel: BBC3 Original air date: Monday 4th March Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s anti-heroine returns for a second series that achieves the seemingly impossible feat of topping the first. Oscar winner Olivia Colman also returns as the evil godmother and Sherlock actor Andrew Scott joins the cast. Read more Derry Girls series 2 Channel: Channel 4 Original air date: Tuesday 5th March View oEmbed on the source website Lisa McGee’s coming-of-age comedy set during the Irish troubles is just as funny in its second series which features Bill Clinton’s 1995 visit to Derry. Read more Don’t Forget the Driver Channel: BBC2 Original air date: Tuesday 9th April Written by and starring Toby Jones, this new comedy follows a coach driver and single dad whose soul is thrown into disarray upon discovering a dead body on the serene Bognor Regis shoreline. Read more Year of the Rabbit Channel: Channel 4 Original air date: Monday 10th June 2019 <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2018/06/Year-of-the-Rabbit-Matt-Berry-as-Detective-Inspector-Rabbit-with-Freddie-Fox-and-Susan-Wokoma-266d5bc.jpg" width="8787" height="5865" alt="Year of the Rabbit - Matt Berry as Detective Inspector Rabbit with Freddie Fox and Susan Wokoma" title="Year of the Rabbit - Matt Berry as Detective Inspector Rabbit with Freddie Fox and Susan Wokoma" /> “Bonkers” period police comedy Year of the Rabbit follows Detective Inspector Rabbit (Matt Berry), a “hardened booze-hound cop in Victorian London,” and his two partners Wilbur Strauss (Freddie Fox) and Mabel Wisbech (Susan Wokoma). Read more Wild Bill Channel: ITV Original air date: Wednesday 12th June Rob Lowe stars as a high-flying US cop who shakes up the Lincolnshire Police Force in the UK and is determined to make his mark as the new Chief Constable. Read more Love Island Channel: ITV2 Air date: Monday 3rd June 2019 The nation’s guilty pleasure will return once again, and a whole new raft of impossibly fit singletons will be heading into the villa to find love. RELATED: Which Love Island couples are still together? The Voice UK Channel: ITV Original air date: Saturday 5th January The ITV singing show returned for an eighth series, launching at the same time and date as BBC1’s The Greatest Dancer. Olly Murs, Tom Jones, will.i.am and Jennifer Hudson made up the judging panel. Read more Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Channel: ITV Air date: 1st January 2019 Following the success of the ITV revival under The Grand Tour presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the game show will be back. Read more The Greatest Dancer Channel: BBC1 Original air date: Saturday 5th January Former X Factor judge Cheryl, Glee star Matthew Morrison and Strictly pro Oti Mabuse judged this brand new dancing competition masterminded by Simon Cowell – and greenlit for a second series by the BBC. Read more Dancing on Ice Channel: ITV Original air date: Sunday 6th January TOWIE legend Gemma Collins, Love Island’s Wes Nelson and Westlife’s Brian McFadden were among the celebrity contestants taking to the rink for the 11th series of the talent competition. Read more Shipwrecked Channel: E4 Original air date: Monday 28th January A reboot of the desert island dating show Shipwrecked, helmed by Strictly’s Vick Hope, made its way to screens after a seven-year hiatus. Read more Comic Relief’s Four Weddings and a Funeral Channel: BBC1 Original air date: 15th March Hugh Grant and the Four Weddings and a Funeral cast reunited after 25 years for a Red Nose Day sequel to the beloved rom-com. Richard Curtis wrote the script and the sequel was directed by original director, Mike Newell. Read more Read more: everything planned for Comic Relief 2019 Eurovision Channel: BBC1 Original air date: 18th May Eurovision 2019 took place in Tel Aviv, Israel and was hosted once again by Graham Norton. The Netherlands' Duncan Laurence took over from Israel's Netta Barzilai as the reigning champion. Read more Danny Dyer's Right Royal History Channel: BBC1 Original air date: 23rd January 2019 EastEnders star Danny Dyer digs deeper into his family tree after discovering his royal roots on Who Do You Think You Are? From the Vikings to the Tudors, Dyer dresses, eats and lives his way through his family’s history. Read more Our Planet Channel: Netflix Original release date: 5th April 2019 David Attenborough narrates an epic new natural history series on Netflix, which was filmed over four years in 50 different countries and comes from the team behind Blue Planet and Planet Earth. Read more
The biggest and best movies released in August 2019
From Hobbs & Shaw to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – here are this summer's biggest cinema releases
Yes, the sun is beating down and the beer gardens are buzzing – but you know how you should spend your August? Inside a nice, air-conditioned cinema. The warm weather doesn't interrupt the movie release schedule and there's plenty in store – from summer blockbusters to kids' entertainment and indie gems – to entertain you. The biggest movie releases of 2019 Here's our pick of the best films released in UK cinemas this August: KP Nuts About Summer Blockbusters Quiz It's going to be a fantastic summer packed with amazing Hollywood movies. But how much do you know about the season's top films and their stars? In the Toy Story series, where does Woody famously have a snake? Taron Egerton plays Elton John in the biopic Rocketman. What is the name of the character Taron pays in the Kingsman films? In this summer’s live-action version of The Lion King, who is the voice of Pumbaa? In the new Richard Curtis/Danny Boyle film Yesterday, the main character is the only person who can remember the music of which band? Tom Holland stars in Spider-Man: Far From Home. But in which movie did he first play the web-slinging super hero? Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood stars which two A-list heartthrobs? Joaquin Phoenix plays which Batman villain in the franchise’s latest reboot? Hobbs & Shaw is a spin-off movie from which popular franchise? [copy] [copy] null [copy] null Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw – release date 1st August View oEmbed on the source website Box office titan Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson teams up with Jason Statham for this Fast & Furious spin-off as their characters take on Idris Elba's villainous Brixton. Expect plenty of big-budget action sequences and sarky one-liners... Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren, Eiza Gonzalez, Eddie Marson Animals – release date 2nd August View oEmbed on the source website Two best friends and flatmates share a hedonistic Dublin lifestyle fuelled by sex, drink and drugs. But their relationship changes when one falls in love and gets engaged to a teetotal pianist... Starring: Holliday Grainger, Alia Shawkat, Fra Fee Charming – release date 2nd August View oEmbed on the source website Prince Charming gets a breakout movie – but this one's nothing to do with Disney. The dashing character has been cursed at birth to make every woman he meets fall in love with him, but there's a catch. If he doesn't find true love by his 21st birthday, all love in the world will disappear... Starring: Demi Lovato, Wilmer Valderrama, Sia, Ashley Tisdale, Avril Lavigne The Angry Birds Movie 2 – release date 2nd August View oEmbed on the source website Once upon a time we were surprised to see a mobile phone game spawn a movie. Those days are no longer. Bolstered by the success of its first outing in 2016, Angry Birds returns for a sequel which sees the Birds and Pigs build an uneasy alliance to avert the threat of a new ice age. Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Maya Rudolph, Leslie Jones, Sterling K. Brown, Awkwafina, Rachel Bloom Blinded By the Light – release date 9th August View oEmbed on the source website From Gurinder Chadha, the director of Bend it Like Beckham, and based on Safraz Manzoor's memoir, this film tells the story of Javed, a British teen of Pakistani descent growing up in Luton in the late 1980s, whose life is transformed when he discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen. Starring: Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon Playmobil: The Movie – release date 9th August View oEmbed on the source website With the potential toy sales, it's a wonder it's taken this long for someone to make a Playmobil movie. The plot sees Marla (Anya Taylor-Joy) leap into a world of Playmobil in a bid to rescue her younger brother. Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gabriel Bateman, Meghan Trainor, Adam Lambert, Kenan Thompson The Art of Racing in the Rain – release date 9th August View oEmbed on the source website This has the potential to be every bit as tearjerking as Marley & Me. Enzo (a dog – voiced by Kevin Costner) reflects on life with his human parents Denny and Eve. Starring: Kevin Costner, Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – release date 14th August View oEmbed on the source website Quentin Tarantino's latest boasts a stellar cast (Brad Pitt! Leonardo DiCaprio! Margot Robbie!) and is set in a period of Hollywood infamy, following a fading movie star and his stunt double against the backdrop of the Charles Manson murders. Starring: Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Bruce Dern, Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning, Austin Butler Dora and the Lost City of Gold – release date 16th August View oEmbed on the source website Dora gets her own live-action outing. The eponymous explorer goes on a mission to save her parents and solve a mystery behind a lost Inca civilisation. Starring: Isabela Moner, Michael Peña, Eva Longoria, Benicio Del Toro Good Boys – release date 16th August View oEmbed on the source website Think Superbad but with kids. A trio of best friends start out wanting to learn how to kiss, but a few bad decisions trigger encounters with stolen drugs, the cops and some unfriendly frat boys. Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Brady Noon, Keith L. Williams, Will Forte, Molly Gordon, Stephen Merchant UglyDolls – release date 16th August View oEmbed on the source website Another animated adventure with a ridiculous number of famous voice actors. A gaggle of "ugly dolls" – factory offcuts – grapple with what it means to be imperfect and learn to embrace their difference. Starring: Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Pitbull, Emma Roberts, Wanda Sykes, Jane Lunch, Bebe Rexha, Charlie XCX, Ice-T Angel Has Fallen – release date 21st August View oEmbed on the source website The latest instalment in this franchise sees Secret Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) framed for an assassination attempt on the US president. He turns to unlikely allies to clear his name and sets out to uncover the real threat to the head of state's life. Starring: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Michael Landes, Danny Huston, Nick Nolte, Piper Perabo Crawl – release date 23rd August View oEmbed on the source website A father and daughter get caught in a category 5 Florida hurricane and – somehow – end up hunted by alligators... Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper Pain & Glory – release date 23rd August View oEmbed on the source website Director Pedro Almodovar's latest landed at the Cannes Film Festival where its lead, Antonio Banderas, picked up the Best Actor prize. He stars as film director Salvador Mallo whose career is on the wane and who is afflicted by various physical and mental ailments. Starring: Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia A Million Little Pieces – release date 30th August Husband and wife team Aaron and Sam Taylor-Johnson are the star and director of this film. The former plays a drug-addicted writer who spends two months in a rehab clinic and meets a host of interesting characters. Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Charlie Hunnam, Juliette Lewis, Billy Bob Thronton, Giovanni Ribisi Mrs Lowry & Son – release date 30th August View oEmbed on the source website After impressing as JMW Turner, Timothy Spall plays LS Lowry in a portrait of the artist and the relationship he shared with his mother (Vanessa Redgrave) who attempted to dissuade him from pursuing his artistic passion. Starring: Timothy Spall, Vanessa Redgrave The Mustang – release date 30th August View oEmbed on the source website Roman Coleman, who has spent the last 12 years in jail for an attack that left his partner brain damaged, enters a rehabilitation programme that tasks prisoners with training wild mustangs. Starring: Mathias Schoenaerts, Connie Britton, Bruce Dern, Jason Mitchell The Souvenir – release date 30th August View oEmbed on the source website Set in the 1980s, a shy film student embarks on a relationship with a charismatic yet untrustworthy man. Tilda Swinton stars alongside her real-life daughter, Julie. Starring: Tilda Swinton, Tom Burke, Tosin Cole, Honor Swinton-Byrne, Richard Ayoade
Outlander won't return to screens until 2020
For any Outlander fans holding out for an imminent release of series five, you're going to have to wait a while longer. Actually, a lot longer. The Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe drama kicked off its most recent series in autumn 2018 but US network Starz – which makes Outlander – has decided to hold its next batch of episodes back until the new year. Jamie and Claire are totally smitten in first look at the new series of Outlander How was North Carolina filmed in Scotland in Outlander series four? Scotland sees huge boost in tourism – thanks to Outlander That means Droughtlander will continue until 2020. It may not be the news viewers were hoping for but network execs have attempted to explain their logic. Speaking at the Television Critics Tour in Beverley Hills, Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey A Hirsch said: "Everything we do is based on delivery, trying to have something on the air to serve that premium female audience,” he told journalists, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. “We have some shows coming before like Power that serve the general market. It’s more about scheduling around that digital experience." https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ZUlCjJjFH/ Outlander fans are familiar with the waiting game. While series one was split between August 2014 and and April 2015, with series two following exactly a year later, viewers were forced to wait nearly 18 months – a period nicknamed Droughtlander – for series four, which kicked off in September 2017, reuniting the drama's two key characters Jamie and Claire who had been split in time for 20 years. Series five is expected to continue their journey in 18th century North Carolina and is based on author Diana Gabaldon's fifth book, The Fiery Cross.
The Voice Kids crowns its winner as live final suffers technical hitch
Viewers were full of praise for all four contestants – and Emma Willis's smooth presenting
Some TV stars get famous by lounging in the Mallorcan sun for an entire summer; others find recognition by belting out tunes live on the telly in front of four judges, some spinny chairs, and an audience of millions... all at an impressively young age. The Voice Kids is the sort of uplifting show that's needed in these choppy times. The junior spin-off to the main series showcases some serious talent – young vocal chords that were on display during Saturday's live final. The best TV shows still to air in 2019 The Voice Kids 2019: everything you need to know Listen to the RadioTimes.com Podcast now: subscribe on iTunes / subscribe on Google Podcasts Four singers took to the stage – Danny Jones' act Sam Wilkinson, Team will.i.am's Lil Shan Shan, Pixie Lott's Gracie-Jayne Fitzgerald and Keira Laver (mentored by Jessie J) – in a bid to be crowned series three's champion. After a public vote, it was Danny's act Sam who emerged as the winner after impressing with his solo performance of his own original track – Everything's All Right – before taking to the stage with the McFly singer for a rendition of Hey Jude by The Beatles. View oEmbed on the source website But the final was not without its difficulties with a technical hitch occurring as Gracie-Jayne was about to sing Nina Simone's Feeling Good as her solo performance. An awkward pause after the audience applause led host Emma Willis to re-emerge on stage to explain the delay. "Hi, so during live shows was have technical difficulties and that is what is happening right now and I think Gracie-Jayne couldn't hear the music," she said, adding: "When the band are ready, we're going to get going." Willis and Gracie-Jayne's calm handling of the situation did not go unnoticed by viewers: View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website And many took to Twitter after the show to praise its uplifting format and championing of young talent: View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website
The Handmaid's Tale renewed for series four
The Elisabeth Moss dystopian drama will return for a fourth season in 2020
Praise be, The Handmaid's Tale has been renewed for a fourth series. The Elisabeth Moss-starring dystopian series is based on Margaret Atwood's book of the same name, but has long bypassed the events of the original novel as Offred battles the totalitarian regime of Gilead, set in what was formerly the USA. The reviews are in for The Handmaid's Tale series three... and they're not great Meet the cast of The Handmaid's Tale season three Margaret Atwood announces sequel to The Handmaid's Tale "inspired by the world we've been living in" The Hulu drama, which airs on Channel 4 in the UK, also stars Alexis Bledel, Joseph Fiennes, Ann Dowd, O.T. Fagbenle, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley and Yvonne Strahovski, and has picked up a string of Emmys for its first two seasons. The renewal comes with three more episodes of its third series still to air on Hulu in the States. Atwood is about to unveil her long-awaited follow-up novel to her 1985 classic. The Testaments will be published worldwide on 10th September 2019, and will be set 15 years after Offred's final scene in the book which sees her bundled into a van, her fate up in the air. The new novel will be narrated by three female characters and will not be connected to the events of the television series which has instead chosen to extend Offred's storyline. The Handmaid's Tale airs on Sundays at 9pm on Channel 4
Britain's Got Talent: The Champions releases first teaser
Simon Cowell's talent show is back on screens this autumn – and welcomes some familiar faces
Britain's Got Talent returns to screens later this year – but with a twist. Instead of welcoming unknowns onto the stage, the talent show will invite back some familiar faces to compete in a special 'champions' contest. Previous contestants believed to be taking part include father-and-son dance duo Stavros Flatley and the stakes are higher, with Simon Cowell announcing he is doubling the prize money to £100,000. Filming is taking place right now and the team are back together, with Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon on the judging panel and Ant & Dec fronting the show... View oEmbed on the source website And to mark the start of auditions, Britain's Got Talent has released a brief teaser, introducing a few of the acts expected to be seen back on stage – including 2018 winner Lost Voice Guy. View oEmbed on the source website Britain's Got Talent: The Champions is due to air this autumn, going up against BBC1 giant Strictly Come Dancing. When is Britain's Got Talent: The Champions on TV? It follows the success of America's Got Talent: The Champions which aired in the States earlier this year and featured the likes of Susan Boyle and Paul Potts.
New Avengers: Endgame deleted scene reveals the fate of one major character
This mushy unseen footage settles at least one of the film's mysteries
**WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: ENDGAME** Avengers: Endgame took viewers on an emotional rollercoaster and tied up a ton of plot threads, but as the credits rolled there were a few lingering mysteries. Chief among them was the fate of Gamora. Zoe Saldana's character was killed off in Infinity War but a 2014 version of the character returned in Endgame, although her fate was unknown after the Avengers won their battle over Thanos; all we saw was Peter Quill/Star Lord staring wistfully at a photo of her before he, Thor and the rest of the Avengers boarded a ship (possibly headed on a mission to find her). The biggest movie releases of 2019 Every Marvel movie coming in the next few years Avengers: Endgame surpasses Avatar to become highest-grossing film of all time During promo for the film, the Russo Brothers had even joked that they were undecided on Gamora's status. "We don't know whether she was dusted or whether she survived," Joe told Business Insider. "That's probably a question that Guardians[3] will answer," joking that they were passing the buck to GoTG 3 director James Gunn – "we've done our job". But it turns out they were fibbing to fans, because a newly-revealed deleted scene shows Gamora alive and well in the moments after Tony Stark's death. The unseen footage is part of the bonus features for Endgame's upcoming DVD release and shows all of the Avengers react to the demise of Iron Man. Led by Hawkeye, one by one they take a knee in tribute – all but Gamora who is seen walking away from the scene. View oEmbed on the source website The sequence is a particularly mushy one, and it's not too hard to see why it didn't make the final cut of the movie which has gone onto become the highest grossing box office release of all time, toppling 2009's Avatar. The footage is just one of a number of extra clips packaged up for the DVD release – you can read more about the home entertainment bonus features here.
The biggest TV shows of the year are celebrated at the Hollywood ceremony
The 2019 Emmy Award winners will be revealed in a ceremony held on 22nd September, attracting the biggest stars from the world of television to the glitzy Hollywood event. But which TV talent has made the cut? How many British stars have made it onto the shortlist? And which major shows have been snubbed? Scroll down for the full list of nominees, revealed here as they're announced... Outstanding Comedy Series Barry Fleabag Russian Doll Schitt's Creek The Good Place The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Veep Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Bill Hader (Barry) Don Cheadle (Black Monday) Anthony Anderson (black-ish) Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek) Ted Danson (The Good Place) Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Christina Applegate (Dead To Me) Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek) Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Stephen Root (Barry) Henry Winkler (Barry) Anthony Carrigan (Barry) Alan Arkin (The Kosminsky Method) Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Tony Hale (Veep) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Sarah Goldberg (Barry) Sian Clifford (Fleabag) Olivia Colman (Fleabag) Betty Gilpin (GLOW) Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Marin Hinkle (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Anna Chlumsky (Veep) Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Matt Damon (Saturday Night Live) Robert De Niro (Saturday Night Live) John Mulaney (Saturday Night LIve) Adam Sandler (Saturday Night Live) Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Rufus Sewell (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Peter MacNicol (Veep) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Fiona Shaw (Fleabag) Kristin Scott Thomas (Fleabag) Sandra Oh (Saturday Night Live) Emma Thompson (Saturday Night Live) Maya Rudolph (The Good Place) Jane Lynch (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Alec Berg (Barry) Bill Hader (Barry) Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag) Mark Cendrowski (The Big Bang Theory) Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Daniel Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Alec Berg and Bill Hader (Barry) Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle (PEN15) Allison Silverman (Russian Doll) Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler (Russian Doll) Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan (The Good Place) David Mandel (Veep) Outstanding Drama Series Better Call Saul Bodyguard Game of Thrones Killing Eve Ozark Pose Succession This Is Us Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) Jason Bateman (Ozark) Billy Porter (Pose) Sterling K Brown (This Is Us) Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us) Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) Robin Wright (House of Cards) Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) Laura Linney (Ozark) Mandy Moore (This Is Us) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SEries Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul) Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul) Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) Michael Kelly (House of Cards) Chris Sullivan (This Is Us) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) Julia Garner (Ozark) Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Michael McKean (Better Call Saul) Glynn Turman (How To Get Away With Murder) Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid's Tale) Kumail Nanjani (The Twilight Zone) Michael Angarano (This Is Us) Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Apocalypse) Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones) Cicely Tyson (How To Get Away With Murder) Laverne Cox (Orange Is The New Black) Cherry Jones (The Handmaid's Tale) Phylicia Rashad (This Is Us) Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Benioff and DB Weiss (Game of Thrones) David Nutter (Game of Thrones) Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones) Lisa Bruhlmann (Killing Eve) Jason Bateman (Ozark) Adam McKay (Succession) Daina Reid (The Handmaid's Tale) Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special Stephen Frears (A Very English Scandal) Johan Renck (Chernobyl) Ben Stiller (Escape at Dannemora) Jessica Yu (Fosse/Verdon) Thomas Kail (Fosse/Verdon) Ava DuVernay (When They See Us) Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Non-Fiction Program Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Free Solo) Chris Smith (FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened) Dan Reed (Leaving Neverland) Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG) Tim Wardle (Three Identical Strangers) Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction Series 30 for 30 American Masters Chef's Table Hostile Planet Our Planet Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction Special FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened Jane Fonda in Five Acts Leaving Neverland Love, Gilda Minding the Gap The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen's Game of Games) Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman (Making It) RuPaul (RuPaul's Drag Race) James Corden (The World's Best) Marie Kondo (Tidying Up With Marie Kondo) Outstanding Lead in a Limited Series or Movie Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal) Jared Harris (Chernobyl) Benicio del Toro (Escape At Dannemora) Sam Rockwell (Fosse/Verdon) Mahershala Ali (True Detective) Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us) Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Patricia Arquette (Escape at Dannemora) Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon) Amy Adams (Sharp Objects) Joey King (The Act) Aunjanue Ellis (When They See Us) Niecy Nash (When They See Us) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal) Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl) Paul Dano (Escape At Dannemora) Asante Blackk (When They See Us) John Leguizamo (When They See Us) Michael K. Williams (When They See Us) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Emily Watson (Chernobyl) Margaret Qualley (Fosse/Verdon) Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects) Patricia Arquette (The Act) Vera Farmiga (When They See Us) Marsha Stephanie Blake (When They See Us) Outstanding Television Movie Bandersnatch Brexit Deadwood King Lear My Dinner With Hervé Outstanding Limited Series Chernobyl Escape At Dannemora Fosse/Verdon Sharp Objects When They See Us Outstanding Narrator Sir David Attenborough (Our Planet) Juliet Stevenson (Queens of Mystery) Charles Dance (Savage Kingdom) Angela Bassett (The Flood) Liev Schreiber (The Many Lives of Nick Buoniconti) Anthony Mendez (Wonders of Mexico) Outstanding Competition Programme American Ninja Warrior Nailed It! RuPaul's Drag Race The Amazing Race The Voice Top Chef Outstanding Structured Reality Program Antiques Roadshow Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Queer Eye Shark Tank Tidying Up With Marie Kondo Who Do You Think You Are? Outstanding Variety Talk Series Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Jimmy Kimmel Live! Last Week Tonight With John Oliver The Daily Show With Trevor Noah The Late Late Show With James Corden The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Peter Gould and Thomas Schnauz (Better Call Saul) Jed Mercurio (Bodyguard) David Benioff and DB Weiss (Game of Thrones) Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) Jesse Armstrong (Succession) Bruce Miller and Kira Snyder (The Handmaid's Tale) Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special Russell T Davies (A Very English Scandal) Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin and Jerry Stahl (Escape At Dannemora) Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin (Escape At Dannemora) Steven Levenson and Joel Fields (Fosse/Verdon) Ava DuVernay and Michael Starrbury (When They See Us) Outstanding Animated Program Big Mouth Bob's Burgers BoJack Horseman Come Along With Me (Adventure Time) The Simpsons
Are Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig the perfect pairing for a feminist take on Barbie?
The filmmakers are behind some celebrated female-led movies – can they work their magic on Barbie?
“Barbie” and “feminist” aren’t often found in the same sentence, unless said sentence is being used to decry the unhealthy and unrealistic body image associated with the popular brand of doll. So, in an era where female representation in film is under increasing scrutiny, the long-gestating Barbie movie has always sounded a peculiar product. It’s had a string of names attach and then depart since it was first announced in 2014, with Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway both due to star at various points in its journey. An array of writers has also worked on the script, from Juno’s Diablo Cody to Jenny Bicks (The Greatest Showman) in what was once touted as Barbie’s journey to the real world after her "unique nature" jarred with her fellow dolls. Greta Gerwig to co-write Margot Robbie's Barbie movie Margot Robbie is developing a TV series about female WWII codebreakers Emma Watson shares first picture from Greta Gerwig's Little Women But the latest twist in its journey is perhaps the most intriguing. Margot Robbie was first thought to be circling the film in late 2018 and has since signed on to star and produce under her production banner LuckyChap. She's now been joined by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach as the film’s new writers. The pair have previously teamed up on Frances Ha, Mistress America and Greenberg, and Gerwig is, of course, the writer and director behind 2018 critical darling Lady Bird. Since then, she’s been hard at work on the much-hyped Emma Watson and Saoirse Ronan-starring Little Women which releases in January 2020. Between them, she and Robbie are responsible for some of the most successful female-led films of the last two years. The Australian actress broke through in The Wolf of Wall Street but has played a savvy hand since, setting up her LuckyChap production company with husband Tom Ackerley and producing (and starring in) I, Tonya. She's gone on to negotiate a first-look deal with Warner Bros, starting with Birds of Prey – a DC spin-off for her Suicide Squad character Harley Quinn. Suffice to say, Robbie, Gerwig and Baumbach bring some serious pedigree to the Barbie story – and the sway to pull in a young, female audience who were once unlikely to give the film much of a look in (this writer included). The biggest upcoming movie releases What they do with the Barbie property is another question. The movie is being made in conjunction with Mattel so the toy giant will have creative control over the script – and an eye on the shelves of product they could potentially shift upon its release. In 2016, the company overhauled their Barbie model – in the face of falling sales, they rebranded with tall, petite and curvy variants on the doll’s original buoyancy aid breasts and minuscule waist proportions. They also introduced a range of skin tones, with 33 new dolls in total. It's the start of a long process and it would take the most skilled of marketeers to repackage Barbie as a "woke" feminist. It's also of little surprise that Robbie – a movie star with movie star good looks – will lead this cinematic retelling. But I find it hard to believe she and Gerwig would sign on to a project without a bit of bite. So, perhaps (and it's still a "perhaps") they represent the latest step in the brand's journey to represent real women – tall, short, thin, curvy, the lot – in the households of millions of young girls worldwide.
The Islander has exited the villa, RadioTimes.com understands
Amy Hart has quit the Love Island villa, RadioTimes.com understands. The air stewardess has exited the series after five weeks, the last of which has been particularly turbulent since her "half boyfriend" Curtis Pritchard chose to split with her following her stint in Casa Amor. Meet the Love Island contestants Who is Amy Hart? Meet the Love Island contestant and former Miss United Kingdom How to be cast on Love Island – according to former Islanders Amy and professional dancer Curtis had previously been one of the villa's solid pairings, ever since they coupled up on day one. But the introduction of six new female islanders to the boys' villa saw Curtis' head turn and he decided to pursue newcomer Jourdan (who ultimately shrugged off his advances in favour of Danny). When Amy re-entered the main villa, she was relieved to find Curtis still single – but her joy was short-lived and, rather than reciprocate her declaration of love, Curtis decided to end their romance. It wasn't long before fellow Islander Maura had confessed her feelings for him, and the first look for the episode airing on Monday 8th July shows Maura reveal to Amy that she had made her interest known. View oEmbed on the source website Amy becomes the fifth islander to leave the villa in 24 hours, after the double dumping that takes place during the episode airing Monday 8th July. ITV have yet to comment, and it is not yet known how and when Amy's exit will be shown to viewers on screen. Love Island airs at 9pm on ITV2
6 things we learned from the new Poldark series 5 trailer
New characters! New romance! A LOT of drama!
Poldark is about to return for its fifth – and final (sob) – series, and to whet the appetites of the show's many fans, a brief teaser trailer has been released stuffed full of clues as to what to expect from the BBC drama's last outing. Brand new Poldark image reveals Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson in series five The best TV shows airing in 2019 RadioTimes.com newsletter: get the latest TV and entertainment news direct to your inbox How will Aidan Turner and co bid us adieu? There are a few hints in the new footage, which flashes between images of Turner's Ross Poldark, and shots of beloved wife Demelza, his friends Dwight and Caroline, and his greatest foe – George Warleggan. View oEmbed on the source website Here are some big moments we've pulled from the trailer... 1. New face, who 'dis? Poldark has seen not one, not two, but three actors play Geoffrey-Charles Poldark, the orphaned son of Francis and Elizabeth. The latest, Freddie Wise, can be glimpsed in the new trailer as young GC grows into a handsome gentleman. And we're not the only ones to notice. It looks like the Poldark heir has caught the attention of a young lady who coquettishly bids him farewell as he boards a train. We're almost certain she is new character Cecily Hanson (played by Lily Dodsworth-Evans) daughter of Ralph Hanson – a slave owner who builds an alliance with George Warleggan. Geoffrey Charles, meanwhile, has followed Ross into the army – will his attraction to Cecily throw him off course? The pair aren't the only new actors joining the Poldark cast – Kerri McLean has also climbed aboard, playing Kitty Despard – the wife of Ross's old army colonel Ned. It looks like she's ended up rather friendly with Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson)... 2. Ross is back in parliament Aidan Turner's character had a ropey ride of it in London, but he's back in the halls of Westminster in series five, as shown in the trailer... And as usual, he's all about the drama. There's this rather dramatic fencing match. And this very dramatic clifftop embrace with Demelza. There are also glimpses of an aimed pistol with George Warleggan's finger on the trigger and some telling wavy wisps of Poldark hair in the foreground. Uh-oh. 3. Grieving George Speaking of George Warleggan (played by Jack Farthing), this first look has him looking understandably glum. Ross's foe lost his wife Elizabeth at the end of series four. His other half had taken a potion in the hope of inducing her eight-month pregnancy – all part of an elaborate plot to convince her husband that he is the biological father of their first child Valentine (he's not). In series five, we find George in league with aforementioned slave trader Ralph Hanson (Peter Sullivan), although he's struggling to stay engaged after Elizabeth's death and it falls to his uncle Cary (Pip Torrens) to expand the Warleggan empire together. 4. No happy ever after for Morwenna? The last time we saw Morwenna (Elise Chappell), she was finally exchanging vows with the love of her life, Drake Carne (Harry Richardson). Having escaped her abusive marriage after the death of her husband, Reverend Ossie Whitworth (Christian Brassington), viewers were delighted to see she and Drake united at last. But the new footage shows a distraught Morwenna clutching her stomach in tears. Has she lost a child? Does her distress have something to do with her new husband Drake? 5. ANOTHER tragedy? The trailer also offers up a brief glimpse of Ross Poldark carrying a young boy who looks in a bad way. His eyes are shut and Ross has a panicked look in his eye – is he dead? And could this be Valentine, the son Ross shares with Elizabeth? 6. Plenty of drama What would a series of Poldark be without buckets of drama? This final run is no different with yet another pistol aimed (at who, we don't know)... ...and a fizzing bomb flying through an open window! Who is left scurrying in its wake? It's not long till we find out, with Poldark confirmed to return to our screens at Sunday 14th July at 9pm on BBC1.
BBC pay: eight key takeaways from the 2019 annual report
Who are the highest earners among BBC talent? Who's taken cuts and who's been bumped up? And what does the gender pay gap look like now?
Another year, another bumper BBC report publishing the salaries of its top talent. As has become the custom, journalists pore over the pay packets – some big, some disappointingly small. The BBC has taken some heat for the gender pay gap shown in the last two reports (the corporation has been required to publish the pay of all stars' earning in excess of £150,000 since 2017) but has further narrowed the gap between its male and female talent in its 2018/2019 version. Whereas last year, its top earners fell at 66:34 in favour of men, this year that figure stands at an improved 55:45. Along with the reduced gender pay gap, there are a number of other key takeaways from this year's list – read on while we unpack them... Pay cuts for: John Humphrys, Huw Edwards and Nicky Campbell As revealed in the press in the days leading up to the report's publication, a number of key male presenters have taken further pay cuts in order to level out that pay gap. They include Today presenter John Humphrys whose salary has dropped from within the £400,000–£409,000 band to £290,000-£294,999 (last year's report was published in increments of £10,000; this year it's in chunks of £5,000). BBC News presenter Huw Edwards is another to take a cut, going from £520,000-£529,999 to £490-£494,999, as does Nicky Campbell who was once earning £410,000-£419,999 but is now paid £340,000–£345,999. BBC women increase their pay packets In a year when the BBC has appointed a number of women to senior roles, it makes sense that some female talent enters – or climbs up – the list. One key newcomer is Zoe Ball, who took over from Chris Evans on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show at the start of the year and is now paid £370,000-£374,999. (Chris Evans still tops the Radio 2 salaries with an annual wage of £1,250,000-£1,254,999 for the half a year spent fronting his show before departing the BBC for commercial rival Virgin Radio). Claudia Winkleman – who was the highest paid woman last year, placing 13th on the list – sees her salary remain at a similar rate at £370,000-£374,999, while Vanessa Feltz, who presents Radio 2's 5am show and Radio London's Breakfast Show, rises from £330,000-£339,999 to £355,000-£359,999. Gary Lineker remains BBC's top earner – and doesn't take a pay cut It's the second year in a row that Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has topped the list of BBC salaries (Chris Evans was the highest earner in the first year of the report's release, but took a pay cut and subsequently dropped below Lineker). According to the 2018/2019 report, Lineker earned £1,750,000-£1,754,999. It's notable that while a number of key talent have accepted a drop in their renumeration to even out the gender imbalance, Lineker has remained on the same pay. Meanwhile, his MotD co-star Alan Shearer has seen his pay cheque go up from £410,000-£419,999 to £440,000-£444,999. Defending the high pay packets of his top talent, BBC director-general Tony Hall recently wrote in the Huffington Post: "I accept they get big salaries – in total around 1% of our content spend. But they also front some of the biggest shows on TV and radio: programmes that account for 40% of viewing and listening to the BBC. They would earn significantly more elsewhere – and recent departures to commercial rivals show this argument isn’t hollow." Evans and fellow radio presenter Eddie Mair are among those stars who have defected to commercial stations in the past year. Laura Kuenssberg leapfrogs Jon Sopel Amid another year of crisis in Westminster, the BBC has recognised the long hours of its Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg by bumping up her salary from £220,000-£229,999 to £250,000-£254,999, seeing her overtake North America Editor Jon Sopel for the first time (he's had a more modest increase from £230,000-£239,999 to £240,000-£244,999). The BBC's Europe Editor Katya Adler – who appears with Kuenssberg on hit BBC podcast Brexitcast – has also seen her salary rise from £170,000-179,999 to £205,000-£209,999. But she remains on less than BBC Media Editor Amol Rajan who pulls in £210,000-£214,999. Top new jobs for BBC women = higher salaries With the departure of Evan Davis and David Dimbleby from Newsnight and Question Time respectively, the BBC have appointed two women to the high profile current affairs posts – and adjusted their salaries accordingly. Emily Maitlis inherited the lead presenter role on Newsnight, and has seen her salary grow from £220,000-£229,999 to £260,000-£264,999, while Fiona Bruce came through an intense audition process to land Dimbleby's gig on Question Time, and is now paid £255,000-£259,999 (it's worth noting that this reflects just ten editions of Question Time – her figure is likely to rise once she's been in the job for a longer period). Maitlis made headlines when the 2016/2017 figures were published in July 2017 thanks to her absence from the list altogether. Her salary, which was not revealed as it was less than £150,000, added fuel to the sexism row and she was subsequently offered a new contract and appeared on last year's list. The Today programme reduces its pay gap Radio 4's Today programme has also come under fire in the past for the imbalance in pay for its male and female presenters. Humphrys' cut means he and co-presenter Nick Robinson are now level on £290,000-£294,999 (both presented 140 episodes of Today in the past year and Robinson also fronts his Political Thinking podcast and presented BBC documentaries, plus episodes of Panorama and NHS at 70). They are still on significantly higher salaries than Mishal Husain, who only fronted 100 editions of Today but also presented 40 days of BBC News bulletins and 12 episodes of Our Home Correspondent. She has received a significant increase, up from £220,000-£229,999 to £255,000-£259,999, but earns at least £30,000 less than her colleagues. Meanwhile, Justin Webb and Martha Kearney – who presented 150 and 140 episodes of Today respectively, both pull in £245,000-£249,999 – a major pay rise for both (Webb was previously on £160,000-£169,999 and Kearney earned £200,000-£209,999). Sue Barker v Jon McEnroe Much was made of John McEnroe's BBC salary when it emerged last year that he was paid ten times the amount spent on Martina Navratilova. The tennis correspondent and multiple Grand Slam champion also drew criticism for appearing in the same pay bracket as Sue Barker (£190,000-£199,999), who leads the BBC coverage of Wimbledon every year. The 2018/2019 report reveals that Barker is, in fact, paid marginally more – on £195,999-£199,999, compared with McEnroe's £190,000-£194,999. But Navratilova does not appear on the list. Who's missing from the list? And why? Read the full list of BBC pay and you might notice there are a number of rather famous BBC faces who do not appear. That's because many of them are paid via BBC Studios – the corporation's commercial arm. It is not underpinned by the BBC licence fee and is therefore not required to publish its top salaries. So, if you're wondering about the salaries of Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, Luther's Idris Elba and Casualty's Derek Thompson, you'll be left in the dark. Claudia Winkleman's salary is also likely to be much higher thanks to her Strictly Come Dancing earnings which also fall under the BBC Studios umbrella.
Rob Lowe would return to The West Wing "in a minute...we talk about it all the time"
The Wild Bill star says the cast are all waiting on Aaron Sorkin...
Much has been said about a West Wing reboot since Donald Trump was voted into the White House. Since the US elected its controversial president, fans have been clamouring for creator Aaron Sorkin to pick up his pen and write some more Pennsylvania Avenue wish fulfilment. And according to West Wing star Rob Lowe, the cast would be there in a shot should they get the call-up... The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin is serious about a remake with Stirling K Brown Did Theresa May copy her speech from The West Wing's Jed Bartlet The best TV shows airing in 2019 Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, Lowe said he would return to The West Wing "in a minute". "I think we all are kind of standing behind Aaron Sorkin going, 'THINK!!!'" In the past, Sorkin has suggested he will revive his critically acclaimed political drama – but only if he comes up with a good enough idea, a stumbling block Lowe knows only too well. "I know he would do it if he could think of it. We talk about it all the time. I don't know what it would look like." Lowe also expressed his reservations about the realism of a series that, when it aired from 1999-2006, was looked upon as liberal idealism. "It was always wish fulfilment, even when it was on. Now it would seem like science fiction – that would be my only qualm." The West Wing cast met for dinner – but are they "talking reboot"? Lowe's role in The West Wing followed his teen idol years in the 1980s which saw him catapulted to global fame as part of Hollywood's "Brat Pack", thanks to roles in hit films The Outsiders and St Elmo's Fire. But it was also a period that saw the actor mired in controversy – thanks in part to the leak of an infamous sex tape in 1988. "I definitely have moments where I look back and go, 'Where were my parents? What was everybody thinking?" he reflects. "But when you go through an adventure where a lot of it's good, a lot of it isn't so good, with perspective and time, you look back on it and go, 'Do you know what, not a lot of people get to do that.' "It is a journey that two or three people a decade get to go through." Still, Lowe says he has no regrets. "The thing is that I can't argue with the results and I really think that everything has led me to where I am and I've never been happier. "I've never had my fingers in more pies, I've never had more opportunity and never been more fulfilled or healthy so I don't think I'd want to change anything because I might not end up sitting here right now." Indeed, one of those many "pies" is new ITV drama Wild Bill in which Lowe plays the eponymous "fish out of water" cop who is sent from America to head up a police force in Boston, Lincolnshire. Meet the cast of Wild Bill Since his West Wing days Lowe has starred in Brothers and Sisters and Parks and Recreation, and most recently appeared in Code Black and The Grinder – but his appearance on ITV primetime will no doubt raise a few eyebrows among viewers. "I was looking for something different and good," he explains. "I wanted a larger than life character, I wanted something gritty, I wanted something that allowed me to be highly verbal and I wanted something that wasn't American network television." Lowe also serves as an executive producer on the series, which he calls "a character study dressed up as a procedural." "It would be a good companion piece to Better Call Saul or maybe the second season of Fargo," he adds. "It's very serious but it's very weird and not afraid of being funny in the weirdness." And should it return for a second series, the actor has an eye on a more exotic location than chilly Lincolnshire: "In season two Wild Bill will go to the Bahamas. He's going to become the police force. There's a terrible coconut theft ring that needs to be cracked and Wild Bill needs to do it!" Wild Bill airs on Wednesdays at 9pm on ITV from 12th June
The creators of Home Fires on what would have happened after THAT plane crash
Creator Simon Block and exec producer Francis Hopkinson tell RadioTimes.com how they've been "blown away" by fan support and are having conversations about the series' future
Series get cancelled all the time. It’s how television works – some shows capture public imagination, soar in the ratings and executives fall over themselves to recommission. Others disappear with barely a ripple and their axing slips by, largely unnoticed and little mourned. But then there are those shows whose abrupt demise has their fans up in arms. We’ve seen it before with Ripper Street, The Hour and In the Flesh – and now we've witnessed a similar outpouring from the viewers of Home Fires. Home Fires returns! Cancelled ITV drama to continue with three new novels RadioTimes.com newsletter: get the latest TV and entertainment news direct to your inbox After two series, ITV have made the decision not to renew the period drama led by Samantha Bond and Francesca Annis. In reaction, fans took to social media and the Radio Times website in their droves to make their thoughts felt – thousands have voted in our poll, with an overwhelming 98% against ITV’s decision to cancel the drama, and we’ve received hundreds of comments from upset viewers. An online petition calling for its return has over 11,500 signatures and the Women's Institute has thrown its weight behind the campaign. RadioTimes.com spoke to creator Simon Block and executive producer Francis Hopkinson – both of whom were surprised by ITV’s decision not to commission a third series. “It’s always difficult to gauge how things are going to go so you don’t quite know what the criteria for whether something’s going to carry on or not,” says Block. “It had held its audience, it had won its slots, figures were strong as far as I was told so in that sense I guess it was a surprise in that it went against what we were expecting based on the criteria we were told things get judged by.” But while disappointed by ITV’s call, Block is encouraged by the reaction among fans: “I’ve been blown away. When the news came out that it had been cancelled, suddenly everything went ballistic and you really get a sense of how passionately people feel about it. That was really a bit of a shock.” In fact, the reaction is such that Hopkinson is actively exploring other avenues through which the drama can live on. “It’s something we’re talking about. I think the audience profile was very good – upmarket and female – and that’s an audience that a lot of advertisers want so there is some interest.” “We’re talking to everyone,” he adds, although “it’s just initial discussions at this stage.” There’s certainly a precedent set for axed shows finding a second life on other platforms. Take Ripper Street, for example, which was cancelled by the BBC in 2013 after two series, news that was met with uproar by the show’s considerable fan base. Two months later – armed with a swelling of support – the show struck a deal with Amazon for a revival. With a third series all mapped out, Block is also interested in continuing Home Fires on a different channel or platform. “If somebody said we’d like to make it somewhere else then that’s what we were planning to do anyway. If ITV didn’t want it and someone else wanted it, then of course we’d be interested in pursuing that. “What’s brilliant about the audience we’ve got is they’re certainly wanting to make their voice felt about how disappointed they are that it’s been cancelled. So on the basis that you could take them somewhere else and they would follow you to another channel then of course we’d all be interested in doing that – but whether that’s likely to happen is another question.” Chief among many of the fans’ concerns is the gaping cliffhanger at the end of last Sunday’s series finale. The (now final) episode saw a fighter plane crash into the house of butcher Bryn Brindsley as his wife was in labour with no indication of who survived and who perished. Hopkinson maintains there was no hesitation around the open-ended series conclusion: “we thought we were coming back so we felt we were fairly safe. Maybe that was our mistake, feeling confident about it.” “You have to write anything with some degree of confidence in what you’re writing,” explains Block. “If you were trying to write it in a way that in any way pre-judged the possibility that it wouldn’t go again then there’s a danger that you short change the audience by half tying things up. “I don’t think the channel encouraged us to do that at all – they wanted us to be bold and dramatic and go for things. You go into it with that spirit, not with a semi-defeated ‘well it might not go again’.” With the possibility of a revival still out there, neither Block nor Hopkinson want to spill exact plans for series three, but both offer teasing details of what any new episodes might have in store… “Pat doesn’t manage to escape from Bob and her romance with Marek continues at a distance,” hints Hopkinson. “We do lose a couple of much-loved characters who everyone’s grown to love and there is an illicit romance. And more WI action as well. That’s all I’m going to tell you because it might come back.” We did, however, squeeze a few more details out of Block. “One of the characters [doctor Will] is very ill so there’s a limit to how long you can credibly continue with that character surviving,” he adds. “We’ve got a female character who’s gay and at the end of the second series she gets married and we intend to play that out properly and show how she’s struggling to be open about her sexuality while at the same time she’s being scrutinised within a close community. “One of the interesting things from Twitter was that a lot of people seemed to think we were marrying that character off and therefore turning her straight for the convenience of ITV and that’s the opposite of what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to show and reflect how difficult it was for a gay woman at that time in a small rural community to be open about her sexuality so a lot of people got married because it’s safer, people don’t question you.” The Home Fires creators were thinking long term, too, with plans to extend the series to VE Day – and possibly even the years afterwards. “We hoped it would keep on coming back and we hoped we’d be able to follow the characters through the war and beyond.” For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 But, at least for now, the Home Fires story is ending prematurely and, as its creators explore ways to move forward, they’re also enormously grateful for the wave of support from fans. After speaking on the phone, Simon Block sent me an email to that effect – a message for the show's fans: “The audience’s reaction to the news of the cancellation has been stunning. Everyone on the show - and at the channel - has worked very hard to have the audience emotionally invest in the characters and what they’re going through, and they’ve done that fantastically week after week. They’ve genuinely taken the show to their hearts and then suddenly it’s as if they’ve received a breakup text out of the blue, simply saying, ‘Thanks. Bye’. “What people like me forget at our peril is that without the audience a show like Home Fires doesn’t really exist, except on a shelf somewhere in an unlit room. It only truly bursts into life when it ignites an audience’s imagination, as they develop a relationship with the characters - empathising with some, identifying with others, reviling Bob! In that sense it’s the audience's show as much as ours, and that’s what I think they want to voice at the moment. And I support that 100%. For a writer who stares out of the window for 90% of his working life the reaction has been very affirming.” The support is certainly there but the question remains – will Home Fires rise from the ashes?
12 tweets that perfectly sum up how everyone's feeling about the end of Game of Thrones
After eight bloodthirsty seasons, Game of Thrones is finally coming to an end. And fans are NERVOUS. Why? Well, if you spend any time on the internet you'll know things have been off the boil in the most recent series now the TV show has outstripped George RR Martin's novels – and dedicated viewers have been more than a little peeved by how the final series has played out. After Game of Thrones, what happens next? Was Game of Thrones always doomed to disappoint its fans? Everything we know about the Game of Thrones spin-off series So, with the conclusion to the battle for the Iron Throne looming – and multiple character arcs due to be tied up – there is some understandable anxiety among fans... View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website Some fans just aren't ready: View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website While others are channelling their nerves into some impressive baking. View oEmbed on the source website While season eight has had an expectedly high death count, fans are bracing themselves for the demise of yet more of their favourite characters... View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website While others are holding out hope that Jaime and Cersei might rise from the rubble of the Red Keep... (NB at least half of that theory isn't as outlandish as you might think) View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website Whatever happens, the brief preview we've been given points in the direction of one final, bloody showdown... View oEmbed on the source website And one thing's for sure. There will be memes. View oEmbed on the source website RadioTimes.com will be live-blogging the Game of Thrones series finale – check back for updates and reaction from 2am GMT.
Yes, Kirstie Allsopp heard Graham Norton mention her on Eurovision
The Eurovision commentator gave the Location Location Location presenter a shoutout during his live coverage
Graham Norton's savage commentary and Eurovision are a match made in heaven – and the broadcaster was on zinging form for the 2019 Song Contest, providing BBC viewers with his acerbic take on this year's weird and wonderful acts. One such viewer was Kirstie Allsopp who got a shock when she heard her name mentioned by Norton as he mocked Albania's entry. Eurovision 2019 FULL results: Netherlands win while the UK finishes last Eurovision Song Contest 2019 – as it happened Everything we know so far about Eurovision 2020 Casting his judgement on Jonida Maliqi and her song Ktheju tokës (English translation: Return to the Land), Norton labelled her "Albanian Kirstie Allsopp," unaware that the Location Location Location presenter was tuning in... View oEmbed on the source website And he had a point. View oEmbed on the source website The nickname soon caught on... View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website And even Allsopp had to admit Norton had nailed it: View oEmbed on the source website In fact, she was pretty darn delighted by the whole thing. View oEmbed on the source website Miss Eurovision last night? Read more about the results here and relive the highs and lows of the 2019 contest here.
Graham Norton gives his savage first impressions of this year's Eurovision acts
The commentator has been doing some prep ahead of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest
What would Eurovision be nowadays without Graham Norton's sarky commentary? So seriously is the broadcaster taking this year's competition that he's skipped an episode of his chat show for the very first time, instead choosing to focus his energy on preparing for the 2019 Song Contest. Everything you need to know about the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest Meet the 26 acts competing at this year's Eurovision Jack Whitehall wins rave reviews as he stands in for Graham Norton And you'll be pleased to hear he's spent his time wisely, making this preview video of his first impressions of some of the acts due to compete in the Grand Final, taking place on Saturday 18th May. View oEmbed on the source website Particular highlights are his reaction to music videos from Russia's Sergey Lazarev ("Someone's listened to Enya"), Azerbaijan's Chingiz ("Has he forgotten to put a shirt on?") and San Marino act Serhat ("He's really old enough to know better, isn't he?") The UK's Michael Rice gets a surprisingly upbeat reaction from Norton who is seen mildly bopping as he notes the song, Bigger Than Us, sounds "really good". The same could not be said for Iceland's BDSM synth punk trio Hatari, although Norton notes that at least their trip to Tel Aviv will be a "lovely break for their neighbours". View oEmbed on the source website Eurovision 2019 kicks off on BBC1 from 8pm on Saturday 18th May. There will be live coverage on RadioTimes.com throughout the evening.
John Barrowman taught David Tennant to floss and it did not go well
The Torchwood actor gave his Doctor Who co-star a dance lesson at Mega-Con
Merry Christmas, Doctor Who fans. Okay, it's May but it might as well be the festive season because this video is better than any present you've ever asked for. David Tennant and John Barrowman reunited recently at Mega-Con, a fan convention taking place in Orlando, Florida. The Doctor Who co-stars are good friends and posed for these adorable pictures the last time they hung out at a Comic-Con event, so we were hoping for something special this time around. And boy did they deliver. When is Doctor Who back on TV? David Tennant explains why Crowley has red hair in the Good Omens TV series Watch a very hyper David Tennant dance his way off stage in Chicago Barrowman – a veteran on the fan circuit – is known for his flamboyant performances and dance moves, so it should come as no surprise that he's an expert flosser. David Tennant is an award-winning actor, famed for his roles in Broadchurch, Jessica Jones and, of course, his four-and-a-half-year tenure on Doctor Who. But dancing? Well, he's not so good at that... How do we know? This frankly awesome video of Barrowman attempting to teach his friend how to floss. You'll note that the Captain Jack actor is a pro, nailing his movement and rhythm. Tennant, meanwhile, spends the entire video looking a bit like a drunk grandma recovering from a hip replacement. View oEmbed on the source website Enjoying his superior flossing abilities, Barrowman shared the video on his Instagram page with the caption: "You might be the Doctor but I’m Captain Jack Flosser," along with the hashtag #groovingwhovian. And he wasn't the only one amused by his co-star's valiant dad-dancing... View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website Better luck next time, David.
Jack Whitehall wins rave reviews as he stands in for Graham Norton
The comedian guest-presented the BBC chat show while Norton prepared for Eurovision
Jack Whitehall had big shoes to fill when he signed on to guest present the Graham Norton Show. The BBC1 chat series is wildly popular with viewers – and the celebrities it features – but for the very first time, its host was absent from a recording as Norton prepped for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. Jack Whitehall to guest-host the Graham Norton Show Everything you need to know about the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest Who are the 26 acts performing in the Eurovision final? Instead, it was Whitehall tasked with stringing together a jovial conversation between a sofa of disparate celebs unlikely to have met before. The line-up included actors Gwendoline Christie and Luke Evans, fellow comedian and children's book writer David Walliams, footballer Peter Crouch and up-and-coming singer Sam Fender – and Whitehall more than pulled it off. So much so that some viewers were tipping him for his own rival talk show... View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website Kirstie Allsop and Alex Jones were won over: View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website As were plenty of other viewers, some a little surprised by just how much they enjoyed seeing Whitehall at the wheel... View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website View oEmbed on the source website Of course, it's not the first time Whitehall has demonstrated his hosting abilities – he won praise from viewers and critics alike for presenting the Brit Awards for the past two years. He's also found some success in Hollywood, appearing in Mother's Day and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and bagging roles in Jungle Cruise (opposite Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and Amazon's upcoming Good Omens. But if he ever needs someone to bring him back down to Earth with a bump, he can always rely on his father... View oEmbed on the source website
His Dark Materials has finally released its first full trailer – and it was worth the wait
Jack Thorne's adaptation of Philip Pullman's book was announced back in November 2015
It was back in November 2015 that the BBC first announced they planned to adapt Philip Pullman classic His Dark Materials. In the years since, the eight-part series has acquired a writer (National Treasure and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child scribe Jack Thorne) and a seriously star-studded cast that includes the likes of James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. His Dark Materials TV series has officially finished filming Meet the cast of His Dark Materials The best TV shows airing in 2019 But – besides a brief teaser back in February – we've seen previous little of the fruits of their labours. Until now. A new 45-second trailer – featuring dialogue from the drama for the first time – gives us a better glimpse than ever into Pullman's alternative universe and the hefty CGI budget the BBC signed off on for the series (look out for impressive digitally realised polar bear Iorek Byrnison). View oEmbed on the source website The footage also offers up a first proper glimpse of some key characters, including protagonist Lyra (played in the BBC series by Logan's Dafne Keen), Mrs Coulter (Wilson on deliciously evil form), Lord Asriel (McAvoy), The Master (portrayed by The Wire's Clarke Peters) and Texan balloonist Lee Scorseby (Miranda). The series is set in a pre-industrial world where people are constantly accompanied by 'dæmons': a physical manifestation of a person's soul, which takes the form of an animal. Orphan Lyra and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, are living in an Oxford college when the arrival of glamorous Mrs Coulter upends their happy existence and they are forced to confront a world of child abduction and experimentation – as shown in the trailer's nightmarish peek at the ominous machine ripping children from their dæmons. Also starring James Cosmo, Anne-Marie Duff and Georgina Campbell, His Dark Materials is due on TV screens later in 2019.
The shifting timeline of Doctor Foster episode 4 – explained
There were lots of twists and, er, swerves in the penultimate episode – but how did the different time frames knit together to reveal Gemma's grand plan?
Episode four of Doctor Foster was pretty confusing. Switching back and forth in time – and from character to character – it slowly knitted together the tale of how Gemma broke apart Simon's life, block by block. Doctor Foster series 2 episode 4 recap: Is this the end of the road for Simon? Where is Parminster? Is the town in Doctor Foster a real place? Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter The time-frames and how Gemma's plot came together The episode began at 8am on a Wednesday with Kate receiving an envelope containing Simon's tie. He wriggled free from her accusations, but his new wife looked unconvinced, opening a drawer and perusing the package Gemma had handed her at the wedding party in episode one (Simon's speech from his first wedding, apparently). It's from this moment that Gemma's intricate plan played out – she had her friend Carly (more on her below) bump into Kate to plant doubts in her mind, before later arranging for her colleague Sian to let slip that Simon's old house was now on the market. Kate, of course, could not resist hunting for more evidence – especially after finding the photo of Gemma on Simon's phone – and waiting for her at the 'For Sale' house was a) Gemma's new address, written in multiple locations to be sure it was found, and b) neighbour Anna who delivered her own account of Simon and Gemma's aggressive sexual reunion. The estate agent was tipped for his role in the business and Kate was on her way to the hotel where she found Gemma... and – to her surprise – her young daughter Amelie. It's at this point, we hauled back to 8am the same morning with Kate's mum, Susie, receiving a text from Gemma asking her to meet. She went along where Gemma presumably convinced her about her night of passion with Simon. Switch scene to Simon's office where he received a phonecall from his ex-wife threatening to "destroy everything". It's a call that was made from the hotel where – as we then saw – Gemma was based with Amelie, Kate's parents, and now... Kate. We'd caught up with the earlier timeframe. Except Gemma's grand plan didn't work as she'd hoped. Kate pretended she knew about Simon's infidelity and marched off home where she confronted her husband and got him to admit his misdemeanours. But Simon's confession didn't sit right and Kate made a late-night visit to Gemma's hotel before the doctor drove the pair of them back to Parminster and finally convinced her to ditch her cheating spouse once and for all. We then jumped forward to the next day where Simon was struggling to access his bank account. His suspicions were raised further when he found out Kate's godfather Mark wasn't at work and – upon getting a text from wife to "come home now" – he began to panic. He drove home to find his house packed up and Kate, Amelie and her parents all set to move to France. Simon now had nothing but the clothes on his back and no sooner had his family upped and left then Gemma appeared in the drive for her former husband to take out all his frustration on. He shouted and screamed but she drove off, only for Tom to convince her to head back and offer Simon a hotel. Rather than thanking her, he stole her phone and marched off in search of his son, pursued by Gemma who swerved towards his miserable figure at the last minute. Some key questions: Who was Carly? It's been two years since series one so you might not recall Carly, played by Claire-Hope Ashitey. She was a patient of Gemma's and was paid by the suspicious doctor to befriend young Kate and find out more about her. With her affair with Simon eventually exposed, it's no wonder Kate wasn't exactly pleased to see her old chum. What did Simon tell Tom? Simon continues to allude to what he told Gemma's son about her. He continues to claim Tom will never trust her like he once did, but viewers remain clueless as to exactly what information was passed on. And whether it's even true... Did Gemma swerve to kill Simon? The big question. After studying the end-footage several times, Gemma is most certainly driving towards the right of her husband when she swerves her car sharply to the left, presumably ploughing it into her ex-husband. With one more tense hour to come, we're not convinced she's finished him off for good. But did Gemma intent to hit Simon? Did she actually do so? They're all questions hanging over our heads for the next week... View oEmbed on the source website This article was originally published in September 2017
Bafta Television Awards 2019 - as it happened
Re-live our live coverage of Britain's prestigious television awards, held at London's Festival Hall on Sunday 12th May
It's that time of year again. The 2019 British Academy Television Awards are upon us, bringing together the best of TV talent at London's Royal Festival Hall where the industry's top actors and creatives hope to get their hands on the coveted Bafta statues. BAFTA TV Awards 2019: FULL list of winners Who's nominated? Killing Eve and A Very English Scandal lead the charge (you can see the full shortlist here), with Bodyguard and Mrs Wilson also up for multiple awards. The ceremony begins at 6:45pm and BBC1 doesn't start airing coverage till 8pm, but don't worry – we've got you covered with live minute-by-minute reporting on the red carpet, a full winners list, backstage gossip and in-depth analysis all within the forum of this live blog... 22:13: Right, Bafta fans. It's been a pleasure. I'm going to leave you in the hands of my colleague, Eleanor Bley Griffiths, who has rounded up all the winners for you here. And – finally – this gif of Helen McCrory because it really was my highlight of the evening. Goodnight! View oEmbed on the source website 21:56: "It's just the dream," says Jodie Comer backstage. She's a bit giddy, too. We've also just heard that Taylor Swift loves Doctor Foster and JC bumped into Dame Helen Mirren in a lift. PWB has joined her on stage. "It just feels amazing," she says. "It just feels like the biggest journey and I feel so proud of everyone". She gets the inevitable Bond question, but says... "I've made a promise to myself that I'm not going to talk about Bond tonight, I'm just going to talk about Killing Eve." 21:49: You've seen it! I'm enjoying re-living this... View oEmbed on the source website 21:41: Patrick Melrose's Benedict Cumberbatch has showed up backstage and says he "doesn't know what's going on" – he put money on Hugh Grant. "I guess I've never been prouder of something I've been nominated for than this". He also admits to forgetting to thank his mum and dad and just sounds rather deliriously happy... Where is Benedict Cumberbatch's Bafta going? "We have a mantlepiece, but I don't know – it might go into the production office." 21:31: SPOTTED backstage – a lovely hug between Benedict Cumberbatch and his friend Rob Rinder as they wait to take the winners' photo. 21:30: N'aww, isn't this lovely? Sandra Oh didn't waste a second in congratulating her co-stars Jodie Comer and Fiona Shaw on their Bafta wins. A HUGE night for Killing Eve. View oEmbed on the source website 21:26: Some great quotes coming from Joan Bakewell in the press room backstage – "men have sacked me, women have given me jobs". Meanwhile, Jessica Hynes has said Olivia Colman is "perfect" for the part of Queen Elizabeth II – "she will nail it" – and Julia David is hinting there may be a second series of camping, even though it was always considered to be a one-off. 21:21: Right, time to tally up the winners. I was about to attempt to tally up the winners after nearly six hours of live-blogging but am happy to say the lovely folks at Bafta have just sent me an email round-up. Hurrah! Killing Eve: 3 Patrick Melrose: 2 A Very English Scandal: 1 Bodyguard: 1 Mrs Wilson: 0 The real hero of the night: Helen McCrory in her sunglasses 21:16: **LAST AWARD OF THE EVENING KLAXON** Best Actress. And the nominees are... Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard) Ruth Wilson (Mrs Wilson) My money's on Killing Eve... Steve Coogan gets to present this one. And the Bafta goes to Jodie Comer for her wondrous performance as Villanelle – her first award from the British Academy. What a triumph after so many awards bodies have overlooked her. She tears up as she thanks "inspiration" Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Stephen Graham – "Stephen, if I didn't owe you a pint before, I do now". It sounds like he hooked her up with some good contacts a few years ago... She ends by saying: "I would love to dedicate this award to my Nana Frances who sadly passed away the first week of filming." Gosh, I'm about to cry now. What a lovely speech. 21:09: And now on to the final two big awards of the night – first, Best Actor. Will it be – Benedict Cumberbatch (Patrick Melrose), Chance Perdomo (Killed By My Debt), Hugh Grant (A Very English Gentleman) or Lucian Msamati (Kiri)? Here's a handy Photoshop I mocked up earlier... There was a moment there where I thought we might be shown English Scandal's Vaseline scene (we weren't). Presenter Helen McCrory is up on stage and – after forgetting her reading glasses – pops on her sunglasses. What a hero. The award goes to... Benedict Cumberbatch. It's seventh time lucky at Bafta. "I think I'm going to fall over. I breathe rarefied air but i'm very used to being a bridesmaid, not the bride," he tells the audience. After giving a BIG shoutout to author Edward St Aubyn – "thank you for your wit, your courage" – he saves a thank you for his wife. "You are my rock. I had to go pretty weird for this one... and it was very nice to come home and feel stable again." 21:07: Kirsty Wark has presented to Joan Bakewell who comes up on stage to recall her "exhilarating" journey in the industry. "Creativity is the human spark that gives meaning to life," she tells a room of creative people, and – along with many others tonight – praises a "golden age of television". 21:04: This year, the Bafta Fellowship goes to the terrific Joan Bakewell. And let me tell you, there's a lovely montage of clips mocked up for your viewing pleasure. In other news, Jessica Hynes has been backstage in the press room where she's continued to extoll the virtues of her co-star David Tenant – "brilliant" as a wayward father. She's hoping to make more There She Goes but sadly, there really is no more W1A and Siobhan Sharpe: "It's run its course as far as I know". 20:58: Another biggie here (we're nearing the end now...) Best Drama Series and the contenders are... Bodyguard v Informer v Killing Eve v Save Me Julia Styles and James Norton have teamed up for this one and the winner is... Killing Eve! A second Bafta of the night! And an opportunity for a Phoebe Waller-Bridge acceptance speech! Phoebe takes a while to make it up on stage and the first word she utters is an expletive. Lovely. She speaks a hundred miles a minute BUT I can tell you she thanked author Luke Jennings, Sally Woodward-Gentle and... some other people. Oh, and Jodie Comer almost swallowed a wasp in Tuscany, apparently. Thank goodness Bafta Fellowship is up next. A break for this frazzled live-blogger who is really starting to resemble this... View oEmbed on the source website 20:57: Oh, look. Piers Morgan lost twice but he's still claiming victory. What a surprise. View oEmbed on the source website 20:53: Best Entertainment Performance. Can Ant & Dec really do it? Or will their Saturday Night Takeaway turn be bested by Would I Lie To You? panellists David Mitchell and Lee Mack, or The Mash Report's Rachel Parris? Rooting for Rachel Parris over here... Bandersnatch co-stars Asid Chaudhry and Will Poulter are on stage... and they hand out the prize to Lee Mack. Lee's pretty miffed he hasn't been able to watch the football but cheered by the fact he's been singled out over David and Rob Bryden. "It's bad enough I get paid more but this is going to kill them!" 20:48: Danny Dyer and Holly Willoughby (what a combo!) are on stage to present Must-See Moment. Danny's miffed about missing out on the shortlist for calling David Cameron a "twat". "They told me not to read it out," he says – of course they did! Anyway, you can watch all the nominees here but, for brevity's sake, here they are in a handy bullet-pointed list: (A little tip – flick over the channel for a minute or so if you don't want to see some massive spoilers) Bodyguard – Julia Montague assassinated Coronation Street – Gail's monologue on the suicide of Aidan Connor Doctor Who – Rosa Parks, the Doctor and her companions ensure history remains intact Killing Eve – Eve stabs Villanelle Peter Kay's Car Share – The Finale Queer Eye – Tom completes his transformation And the winner is... Bodyguard! This is the ceremony's only viewer-voted award and it's no big surprise it's gone to last year's biggest show. Jed Mercurio hasn't made it, neither has Richard Madden, but Keeley is on stage looking like a fairy princess. She gets a formal apology for being killed off for a second time (yes, she really is dead). 20:43: Derry Girls fans, this is your moment. Best Scripted Comedy is about to be announced – the girls and James are up against Mum, Sally 4EVer and Stath Lets Flats. Can they win their first Bafta? Nope, this one's going to Julia Davis' Sally 4Ever (another award for Sky!) which co-stars her real-life husband Julian Barratt. "There's no way I thought this was going to happen," says a shellshocked Julia as she accepts the prize and does an "Olivia Colman" thanking her babysitter. She beat some big comedy shows there, a huge win for the Sky comedy. And for any miffed Derry Girls fans, here's a pic of your gang looking all scrubbed up... 20:40: Now we're onto Best Sport Coverage? Will it be 2018 Six Nations: Scotland v England (BBC), 2018 World Cup Quarter Final: England v Sweden (BBC), England's Test Cricket – Cook's Farewell (Sky Sports) or Winter Olympics (BBC)? It is, of course, World Cup fever that sweeps this category (nearly a year on) and the BBC team make their way up on stage for their World Cup Quarter Final: England v Sweden Bafta-winning coverage. It's the last Match of the Day of the season on TV tonight so none of the presenters make it up onto the ceremony's stage. 20:36: Father and son Bradley and Barney Walsh are here to present Soap & Continuing Drama. It's EastEnders for the win – seeing off competition from last year's winner Casualty, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks. Danny Dyer gets a mention (but doesn't speak – boo!) and Kate Oates is also thanked "for leaving Coronation Street. A few months into the new job and she's already turning around EastEnders' fortunes with some coveted silverware... 20:34: Some press room tidbits for you. David Walliams is very keen on taking part in X Factor's celebrity special – he wants to do a duet with Wagner (please, NO) – meanwhile, Louis Theroux is saying he'd love to do another feature film documentary. And while Inside No.9's live special was praised far and wide, Best Male Comedy Performance winner Steve Pemberton says he won't do another one any time soon... 20:29: We've swiftly rolled into Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme. Can This Country's Daisy May Cooper make it two consecutive awards? Or will she be bested this time by Jessica Hynes (There She Goes), Julia Davis (Sally 4Ever) or Lesley Manville (Mum)? While we're waiting, let's remember the back of Daisy May's dress again... Mo Gilligan and Lolly Adefope are here to present this category stuffed with talent. And the Bafta goes to... Jessica Hynes. Her second Bafta TV Award (her first was for W1A) and she makes her way up to the stage and praises her co-star David Tennant ("I don't know if you've heard of him, he's 'coming through'") – "he's a phenomenal actor, a kind and brilliant person to work with." 20:25: Now, time for Best Reality & Constructed Factual. Last year this went to Love Island, but in 2019 it doesn't get a look in. Instead we've got Dragons Den v I'm a Celebrity v Old People's home for 4-Year-Olds v The Real Full Monty: Ladies' Night. Joe Sugg and Shirley Ballas are on stage, with a terrible joke about Joe's romance with dance partner Dianne Buswell, before they swiftly move on to announce I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! as the winner. Dec has gone up on stage for this one, as has Ant, but it's Holly Willoughby who stands centre stage with her presenting partner (hurrah!) Dec thanks the "dedicated" production team and Holly for doing a "fantastic job" standing in for Ant who has "reluctantly come up here tonight because he's still part of the team, obviously". Medic Bob has also made an appearance, all the way from Australia! Good on Medic Bob. 20:21: We're onto the sad part of the evening, where we remember everyone we've lost in the last year. Among the images flashing up on screen are those of Andre Previn, Clive Swift, Luke Perry, Leslie Grantham, Mya-Lecia Naylor, Jeremy Hardy, Rachel Bland, John Bluthal, Dame June Whitfield. Once the montage has finished, Graham adds Freddie Starr and Brian Walden (whose death was announced earlier today) to the list. 20:19: Meanwhile, backstage in the press room, Fiona Shaw has been explaining how Phoebe Waller-Bridge has moved on from Killing Eve "with great regret" and telling everyone she'd like to be in a James Bond film (yes PLEASE!) You're lucky I have no time to mock up a fancy Photoshop. 20:15: Suranne Jones and Sir Lenny Henry step out on stage to hand out the Special Award to Nicola Shindler who set up Red Production Company in 1998 and – among others – created Banana, Butterfly, Casanova, Clocking Off, Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax, Ordinary Lies, Queer as Folk, Scott and Bailey, Trust Me and Unforgiven. Lenny had to take a deep breath after reading that lot out and I didn't get time to write them all down...! 20:10: Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme is up next. The nominees: Peter Mullan (Mum) Jamie Demetriou (Stath Lets Flats) Alex Macqueen (Sally4Ever) Steve Pemberton (Inside No.9) Leonie Elliot and Samson Kayo (who was nominated in this category last year) stroll out on stage to present. "The Bafta goes to... Steve Pemberton" which will make a LOT of Inside No.9 fans very happy after years without recognition from the Academy. Pemberton, of course, thanks his un-nominated co-creator who he's already given a shout-out on the red carpet. "I feel totally bereft tonight without Reece Shearsmith standing next to me. Everything we do on Inside No. 9 we do together and that includes this award." He also thanks "the runners all the way down to the executive producers," which gets a huge round of applause from the audience. A masterclass in acceptance speeches. 20:07: Another brief interlude for me to fawn over ANOTHER lush backstage picture. We need more Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Fiona Shaw mutual appreciation in our lives. 20:05: Next on the list is Best Specialist Factual – this is the Bros category, people! When the Screaming Stops is up against Grayson Perry: Rites of Passage, Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley and Superkids: Breaking Away From Care. Louis Theroux takes the stage to present this one and – rather cheekily – plugs his own documentary, Mothers on the Edge, which is about to kick off on BBC2. Once he's done, he announces Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley as the winner, and the historian takes to the stage looking resplendent in a white, purple and green Suffragette sash. View oEmbed on the source website "We have loved making this programme but we have also, all of us, been left with a sense of unfinished business," says Worlsey. "Our favourite people at the Women's March last year were the ones dressed as Suffragettes." 20:03: A brief interlude for us all to reflect on the positive impact TV can have on our lives, with footage from EastEnders, The Undateables, School For Stammerers, DIY SOS: The Big Build and more included in this montage of clips, with contributions from Sir David Attenborough, of course. Meanwhile, over in the press room, Huw Edwards has been marking The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance's win with yet more teasing of his Strictly Come Dancing involvement. 19:59: Best Entertainment Programme time. Will Ant & Dec be up on stage? They're nominated for Britain's Got Talent and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, but face competition from Strictly Come Dancing and Michael McIntyre's Big Show. Awkwardly, Bafta host Graham Norton has been snubbed from this year's shortlist but he gamely welcomes Sex Education stars Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa to the stage to hand out the prize to Britain's Got Talent, the show's third win. Ant & Dec take to the podium and thank the crew and – of course - all the people who come along to audition. "There really is no show without them". 19:54: Now for the second of the four big acting prizes. Best Supporting Actress. Will it be Keeley Hawes (Mrs Wilson), Billie Piper (Collateral), Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) or Monica Dolan (A Very English Scandal)? What. A. Category. And what presenters: Line of Duty co-stars Martin Compston and Stephen Graham are up on stage to present. Graham pulls a KitKat out of his pocket instead of his glasses before opening the envelope and reading Fiona Shaw's name. This could be the start of a big night for Killing Eve... Fiona's first Bafta win from her first ever nomination. She's described the role as "probably the greatest pleasure of my life," and jokes that people have started to suspect she is a spy. But her final thanks go to show creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her "glass shattering genius and wayward imagination." 19:50: Best Features is up next. Do Bake Off have it wrapped up? They're vying for the Bafta against Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, Who Do You Think You Are? and Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip. We must be running short of time because presenter Matt Berry has been told to "crack on" and he duly does, announcing the winner as Who Do You Think You Are? with Cumberbatch's best mate Robert Rinder up on stage to accept the prize, recalling his grandfather, a child Holocaust survivor. 15 series in and still winning awards. Bafta is clearly feeling the love for long-running shows tonight. 19:49: On a Sherlock-y side-note (sorry for anyone after Channel 4's acceptance quotes) I thought you lot might enjoy this. Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch feeling the love at Bafta tonight... (You're welcome) 19:47: Now, it's time for Best News Coverage. Piers Morgan & co have a 50/50 chance here, with two GMB noms for On a Knife Edge? and the Thomas Markle Exclusive. They're up against Cambridge Analytica Uncovered and Bullying and Harassment in the House of Commons (Newsnight). No Bafta for Piersy tonight, Cambridge Analytica Uncovered (from Channel 4) has the win. 19:42: Next on the list is Best Single Documentary. Driven: The Billy Monger Story is up for this one, against Gun No. 6, My Dad, The Peace Deal and Me and School for Stammerers. Peter Jones and Victoria Coren-Mitchell are on stage to present this one, awarding the Bafta to Gun No. 6 which followed the story of a single handgun involved in 11 separate shootings and three murders. Quite a feat of filmmaking. 19:38: Now, time for a biggie. Best Single Drama. And the nominees are... Bandersnatch Care Killed By My Debt Through the Gates (On The Edge) Kudos to Craig Parkinson who stars in both Killed by My Debt and Bandersnatch fame. And the winner is... Killed By My Debt. The first award of the night for BBC3 and a wonderful single film based on a tragic true-life story, with the family of the victim up on stage tonight. "Thank you to everybody who's helped bring this to the nation's attention," they say at the podium. You can still watch the film here. Star Chance Perdomo is up for the prestigious Best Actor prize later tonight. 19:36: Fun tidbit from the press room – apparently Jamie Redknapp was supposed to be here tonight to collect the Bafta for League of Their Own but he's stuck in a taxi after watching the football! 19:33: Best Short Form Programme is next on our list, with Bovril Pam (Snatches: Moments from 100 Years of Women's Lives) starring Jodie Comer, up against The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk, Missed Call and Wonderdate (co-created by Fleabag producer Lydia Hampson). Pure's Charlie Clive and Anthony Welsh present the Bafta to Missed Call – the first film to be shot entirely on an iPhone (or so the voiceover announcer has just told me) 19:30: Current Affairs sees a shortlist of Football's Wall of Silence (Al Jazeera Investigations), Iran Unveiled: Taking on the Ayatollahs (Exposure), Massacre at Ballymurphy and Myanmar's Killing Fields (Dispatches) WINNER: Myanmar's Killing Fields (Dispatches) The team pays tribute to the Rohingya community who risked their lives to record the footage that made this film. 19:29: Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch has been backstage in the Winners' Press Conference. and says it has been "great to see Andrew Scott" – he's a dear friend and he's always excited to see him. He also jokes he'll be enjoying some champagne and class A drugs to celebrate. 19:26: Time for Best Factual Series. Seriously challenging my touch-typing speed here as we tear through the categories at breakneck speed...! The nominees here are: 24 Hours in A&E, Life and Death Row: The Mass Execution, Louis Theroux's Altered States and Prison. Graham introduces Naga Manchetty and "Sofa" Raworth to present. Make that "Sophie Raworth!" The Bafta goes to... Louis Theroux's Altered States! That's the BBC's second award tonight. And some nice promo for Louis's new documentary – airing tonight! 19:23: Now, Best Live Event. Fighting it out are Open Heart Surgery: Live, The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, The Royal Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Stand Up to Cancer. Bobby and Jane stay on stage for this one, presenting the award to The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. Huw Edwards is up on stage to collect. "The entire production really was constructed to pay tribute to a truly remarkable generation of people," he says. 19:18: Time for Best International Show. The nominees are... 54 Hours: The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis The Handmaid's Tale Reporting Trump's First Year: The Fourth Estate (Storyville) Succession The winner: Succession. And as I mentioned below, Succession is written by Fresh Meat and Peep Show scribe Jesse Armstrong who has been nominated for a massive 12 Baftas over the course of his career. Jane Krakowski and Bobby Berk are up on stage to present to the cast and crew, with Keeley Hawes' husband Matthew Macfadyen among them (will their family silverware collection grow further tonight?) Also, on a side-note, that's 3/4 awards so far for Sky who are surely cracking open the champagne by now. 19:14: Now, we're onto Best Supporting Actor. It'll be Alex Jennings (Unforgotten) up against Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal), Kim Bodnia (Killing Eve) and Stephen Graham (Save Me). "I won’t win but I suppose it’s nice to be nominated again," Graham said earlier on the red carpet. Will he be pleasantly surprised? Nope (although we're sure he'll be up again next year for Line of Duty) – the prize goes to Ben Whishaw. Paloma Faith and Emma Corrin (The Crown's new Princess Diana) instead dish the award out to director Stephen Frears as Whishaw is acting on Broadway. "I'm sorry I'm not Ben," he quips. "He didn't send me a speech he's useless." 19:11: "Good evening, I'm world-famous TV star David Schwimmer," quips the Friends actor, up on stage with Nick Mohammed. They're definitely not up there to promote their upcoming sitcom Intelligence. Definitely. Tune into BBC1 later if you want to see Mohammed's sly dig at the diversity of the Friends cast... Anyway, they're here to present Best Comedy Entertainment Programme. Nominees are: The Big Narstie Show Would I Lie to You? The Last Leg A League of Their Own WINNER: A League of Their Own Nine years and 13 series in – not a bad achievement. And they get to meet FRIENDS STAR DAVID SCHWIMMER (not that I'm jealous). This second win also marks 2/2 awards for Sky so far. Their night's off to a flyer. 19:04: We're starting off with Best Mini-Series, and we're treated to Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Andrew Scott as presenters. "Just because something feels perfect, doesn't mean it should last forever," she says with a giggle at her citation autocue. "It's not the length of a thing but what you do with it that matters," adds Scott. Wink wink. It's A Very English Scandal v Kiri v Mrs Wilson v Patrick Melrose in this category. And the winner of Best Mini-Series is... Patrick Melrose! Benedict Cumberbatch is up on stage alongside the show's creators to accept their prize. They give the books by Edward St Aubyn a good plug while they're up there. 19:01: While we reflect on a montage of the last year in TV, here's a Keeley Hawes appreciation post. Doesn't she look marvellous? If tonight goes in her favour, she could walk away with TWO acting prizes tonight. 18:57: Well, that was rather lovely. "It almost seems a shame to follow it with some snarky ill-spirited jokes," quips Graham Norton in his opening speech. He's already managed a sly dig at Seann Walsh. 18:54: Kicking off proceedings is a performance from Gareth Malone and the Kensington Aldridge Academy choir. 18:52: Right, it's awards time here at Festival Hall. Stay tuned for some winners – and inevitable typos... 18:46: Benedict Cumberbatch has let slip on the red carpet that his wife, Sophie Hunter, is a MASSIVE Bros fan. "My wife was obsessed with them as a teenager and is very excited to meet them," he revealed, adding sheepishly: "She’s going to hate me for saying that.” The Sherlock actor also revealed he's been obsessed with Fleabag, Succession and Killing Eve, whose star, Jodie Comer, he had just bumped into. “I literally just met him in the lift before and I was overwhelmed by it,” she revealed. 18:32: "When you were shooting it, you knew it was special but then to see the final edit was incredible," said Jodie Whittaker of her Bafta Must-See Moment-nominated Doctor Who episode Rosa. Who are the Bafta Must-See Moment nominees? The Thirteenth Doctor has reunited with her co-stars Mandip Gill, Tosin Cole and Bradley Walsh on the red carpet and they're reflecting on their first full series which aired last autumn: "I definitely watched every episode, not with my family but with my friends," said Mandip. "We don't know what it looks like – it's a completely different show to what you're filming." One for Doctor Who fans – here's a sneak peek of Jodie in her glad rags... View oEmbed on the source website 18:27: "This is the first time we've seen each other since the show's aired," says Fleabag's Andrew Scott who has joined Phoebe Waller-Bridge on camera. The two lit up screens earlier this year in the ridiculously good second – and final (sob) – series. But Waller-Bridge has her hands full, executive producing Killing Eve's upcoming second and third series – its first is up for a whopping SIX awards, although not without controversy (more on that below). "I've got my thank you list sorted, just in case," she admits. Surely she'll be up on stage at some point this evening...? 18:21: Matt and Luke Goss are on the red carpet, repping their documentary When The Screaming Stops. "We're just really honoured that everyone really seemed to love it," they say. They've already won a Bafta Craft Award and tonight they're up for Specialist Factual. And they're promising a new film for their fans... “We’re definitely in talks about a new film. It’s going to be a very different type of movie,” they promise Clara Amfo. 18:16: Sherlock fans, look out for a reunion between Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott on the red carpet tonight. View oEmbed on the source website Andrew's been speaking to Kim on the red carpet and says he's "excited" to see Benedict Cumberbatch for a drink. Hopefully they'll discuss another series... 18:12: Here's an insight into how one goes about grabbing a snack while pinned into a glamorous outfit – luckily Jodie Comer (aka Killing Eve's Villanelle) has two willing assistants... View oEmbed on the source website 18:10: Last year, Daisy May Cooper turned up in a giant Swindon jersey: <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2018/10/GettyImages-958354856-15fff0c.jpg" width="6174" height="4116" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 13: Daisy May Cooper with the award for Scripted Comedy for 'This Country', poses in the press room at the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on May 13, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images)" title="Daisy May" /> This year she's somehow topped it, turning up in a giant bin bag dress with a pigeon perched on her head – an outfit she claims is worth "about five quid". View oEmbed on the source website Apparently, her mum made it with her friend – and here's a sneak peek at the creation from behind. 17:59: Kim's been getting, erm, up close and personal with Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones. He promises us Black Mirror series five is "imminent". The Netflix show's interactive special Bandersnatch just sneaked into the Bafta eligibility period with its release at the very end of December. It represents just one of just two nominations for Netflix, up for Best Single Drama (Queer Eye is up for Must-See Moment). 17:52: Want a sneak peek at where some of the night's biggest stars are sitting tonight? Bafta shared a look at the seating plan inside London's Royal Festival Hall at the end of last week... View oEmbed on the source website ... and Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan was OUTRAGED (surprise, surprise...) View oEmbed on the source website Incidentally, Good Morning Britain has landed its first ever Bafta nominations at this year's ceremony. The ITV show is up for Best News Coverage, making up half of the shortlist with On a Knife Edge and their Thomas Markle exclusive. If they win, Piers will be sure we know about it... 17:44: Kim has been talking to Shirley Ballas on the red carpet. View oEmbed on the source website She's currently the only woman left on the Strictly Come Dancing panel and she says there's a "hole in my heart" now Darcey has departed. Who will replace her on the show? Here's a look at the runners and riders. 17:41: A quick look at who could win their second consecutive award this year – 2018 winners Daisy May Cooper, The Handmaid’s Tale and Casualty are all hoping to take home Bafta gongs twice in two years. Interestingly, The Handmaid's Tale is up against Succession for Best International Show – but UK comedy fans will be interested to hear that it's writer Jesse Armstrong (of Peep Show and Fresh Meat fame) behind the breakout US hit starring Matthew Macfadyen and Brian Cox. 17:38: Line of Duty may not be eligible for this year's ceremony – nominees must have aired between 1st January and 31st December 2018 – but star Martin Compston has still scrubbed up for a night on the town. "I'm delighted Line of Duty is over," he said on the red carpet – apparently it's a wee bit stressful starring in one of the biggest shows on TV. View oEmbed on the source website Compston is presenting one of the awards later tonight, joining a star-studded gaggle of citation readers including Asa Butterfield, James Norton, Julia Stiles, Sheridan Smith and DAVID SCHWIMMER(!) [Here's an indication of how much I love Ross from Friends...] View oEmbed on the source website 17:36: The cast of Derry Girls are on the red carpet with Kim: View oEmbed on the source website They say Derry Girls is a win for Ireland – and that they hope to go to Spain for series three. And they were pretty surprised by the suggestion that James might join a rival gang when the show returns. 17:33: Let's take a look at some other nominees to watch... Doctor Who may have been snubbed in all categories except Must-See Moment, but one of the show's former stars, Billie Piper, is up for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Collateral – although she's facing stiff competition from Keeley Hawes (Mrs Wilson), Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) and Monica Dolan (A Very English Scandal). Another nominee to look out for is Rachel Parris. She's up for her Best Entertainment Performance for her contributions to The Mash Report – and viral videos like this... View oEmbed on the source website Parris – who was among Radio Times' 2018 TV 100 – is up against some big hitters in the comedy world, though, with Would I Lie to You?'s Lee Mack and David Mitchell also nominated, alongside entertainment giants Ant & Dec. And speaking of Ant & Dec, they're in the mix for three awards: Britain's Got Talent and Saturday Night Takeaway are also both shortlisted for Best Entertainment Programme. Whether they win any is another matter – there was some backlash in January when they took home a 18th consecutive National Television Award for Best Presenter, despite Ant spending much of the year off-screen after his drink driving conviction in April 2018. "It's nice to be back on the red carpet," they've said to Clara Amfo tonight. 17:19: Steve Pemberton ends a long Bafta drought for Inside No. 9 with recognition in the Best Male Comedy Performance category. But he's not happy his co-creator and co-star has been overlooked. "It's really a shame my colleague, Reece Shearsmith, who I do all the series with hasn't been nominated alongside me," he's told Clara Amfo on the red carpet. READ MORE: Bafta TV Awards: Who's been snubbed? 17:15: Right, I'm back! And The Greatest Dancer's Globe Girls have made a pretty dramatic entrance. View oEmbed on the source website They've told Kim on the red carpet that they don't want Greatest Dancer judge Oti Mabuse to take over Darcey Bussell's spot on the Strictly Come Dancing panel. They'd prefer she kept dancing on the show instead. 16:51: We'll be taking a very brief blog hiatus for 15 minutes while I scurry inside the media centre at Royal Festival Hall. One year they had these adorable chocolate mini Baftas and it would be sad to tell you how much I'm hoping they make a reappearance. In the meantime, EVERYONE should watch this video of Olivia Colman the night she won not one but TWO Bafta TV Awards and gave another of her heroically good speeches: View oEmbed on the source website 16:51: Kim has nabbed our first red carpet interviewee, Gareth Malone, who will perform as part of tonight's ceremony... View oEmbed on the source website 16:42: As for the coveted Best Drama category, it's a BBC-dominated shortlist with Killing Eve, Bodyguard and Informer all vying for the trophy, but repping Sky are Lennie James' drama Save Me (which he wrote and starred in with Suranne Jones). If Killing Eve's acting nominees start picking up prizes (Fiona Shaw and Kim Bodnia are also nominated), it will be the favourite to convert here. 16:45: Now, let's turn our attention to Best Actress. No unknowns here – instead we get a head-to-head of four fantastic performances watched by millions upon millions of viewers over the past year. Killing Eve's Sandra Oh has been nominated by all major American awards bodies in the past year for her role as MI5 agent Eve Polastri, but her co-star Jodie Comer (who plays assassin Villanelle) has been largely overlooked (much to the chagrin of viewers). Luckily, Bafta have righted that wrong, recognising both in their Leading Actress category. But Keeley Hawes lead last year's biggest TV drama Bodyguard (well, half of it) and is hoping to convert her second Leading Actress nomination (she's previously made the shortlist for Line of Duty). And Ruth Wilson will also be hoping to make it up on stage on her second time of asking (she was last nominated in 2007 for Jane Eyre). Her family biopic Mrs Wilson was a critical hit just before Christmas. 16:32: The race for Best Actor is an interesting one. Bafta has a habit of delivering shock winners when it comes to its high profile categories – relative unknowns Molly Windsor and Georgina Campbell have both caused upsets in the Best Actress category in recent years. This year's Best Actor shortlist is made up of two heavyweights – Hugh Grant and Benedict Cumberbatch – alongside Killed By My Debt's 22-year-old lead Chance Perdomo and Kiri's Lucian Msamati. Cumberbatch – who is attending tonight's ceremony – will be hoping to make it seventh time lucky (that's right, he's been nominated by Bafta TV seven times – six in the Leading Actor category and once for Supporting!) Surely it's his turn to finally pick up the prize for his haunting portrayal of Patrick Melrose? 16:20: Before I start to resemble this... View oEmbed on the source website ... I suggest we have a proper look at this year's nominations. First up, a numbers breakdown. I got up extra early this morning to make this first Photoshop and I'm rather pleased with it. (Side-note – see here for an idea of just how bad my Photoshopping can get...) Why is Killing Eve nominated? Killing Eve leads the charge with six nominations but they haven't come without controversy. Bafta rules have traditionally stated that any nominated programme must have aired in the UK first. Killing Eve broadcast in the US five months before it launched on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer – so, why is it eligible for the major categories? The British Academy have justified their decision by citing "the significant contribution from key UK talent throughout the production" which we've taken to mean the book's original author, Luke Jennings, and showrunner Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The decision to include the show so prominently in the shortlist (it makes up half of the Best Actress nominations) has raised some eyebrows... Who else is up for the big Bafta Awards? Also vying for the night's major prizes are A Very English Scandal, up for four categories after taking home four prizes at the Bafta Craft Awards earlier this year. And then we have the explosive Bodyguard and Ruth Wilson's family biopic Mrs Wilson – each with three nods. 16:06: One thing's for sure – the red carpet won't look this calm for much longer... View oEmbed on the source website 16:00: First up, some timings for you... The red carpet kicks off in a few moments with the first guests expected to make an appearance at 4:15pm. If you're looking out for the biggest stars, they usually make their way down towards the end, before the ceremony begins at 6:45pm. If you're planning to watch the events on BBC1, be warned that TV coverage begins at 8pm, finishing at 10pm. The BBC edit down the two hour and 45 minute ceremony into a two-hour broadcast and won't show every winner. Here at London's Royal Festival Hall, the awards will conclude at 9:30pm before all the guests are shipped off to a swanky after party to quaff champagne and while the night away. 15:55: Good afternoon! My name's Susanna Lazarus, RadioTimes.com's Associate Editor, and I'll be guiding you through tonight's Bafta coverage. I'll be joined by my colleagues Eleanor Bley-Griffiths and Kimberley Bond, who has the lucky job of nabbing interviews with the crème de la crème of TV talent on the red carpet. Stay tuned for awards analysis, full details of all the winners, backstage chats – and some dodgy Photoshopping and inevitable typos as I attempt to hit my 90 words per minute touch-typing record.
Bafta TV Awards 2019: who are the nominees?
The crème de la crème of British television will unite on Sunday 12th May – but who is up for the major awards?
Who has been nominated for a Bafta TV Award? With the Oscars out the way and summer approaching, the awards ceremony schedule ticks over to television with Britain's prestigious event. The biggest stars from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Netflix, Amazon and beyond will grace the red carpet before they vie for the night's silverware. LIVE COVERAGE: Bafta TV Awards – as it happens But who is competing against who? From Bodyguard to Killing Eve, which of 2018's big hitters are in contention for Bafta's coveted TV prizes? See below for a FULL list of nominations: Bafta TV Awards nominations Killing Eve and A Very English Scandal lead Bafta TV Awards 2019 nominations Bafta TV nominations 2019: who missed out? Virgin Media's Must-See Moment (voted for by the public) Coronation Street – Gail's monologue on the suicide of Aidan Connor Doctor Who – Rosa Parks, the Doctor and her companions make sure historical moments remain Killing Eve – Eve stabs Villanelle Peter Kay's Car Share – The Finale Bodyguard – The bomb during Julia Montague's speech Queer Eye – Tom completes his transformation Leading Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose, Sky Atlantic Chance Perdomo, Killed By My Debt, BBC3 Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Lucian Msamati, Kiri, Channel 4 Leading Actress Jodie Comer, Killing Eve, BBC1 Keeley Hawes, Bodyguard, BBC1 Ruth Wilson, Mrs Wilson, BBC1 Sandra Oh, Killing Eve, BBC1 Comedy Entertainment Programme The Big Narstie Show, Channel 4 The Last Leg, Channel 4 A League of their Own, Sky One Would I Lie to You?, BBC One Current Affairs Football's Wall of Silence (Al Jazeera Investigations), Al Jazeera English Iran Unveiled: Taking on the Ayatollas (Exposure), ITV Massacre at Ballymurphy, Channel 4 Myanmar's Killing Fields (Dispatches), Channel 4 Drama Series Bodyguard, BBC1 Informer, BBC1 Killing Eve, BBC1 Save Me, Sky Atlantic Entertainment Performance Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, ITV David Mitchell, Would I Lie To You?, BBC1 Lee Mack, Would I Lie To You?, BBC1 Rachel Parris, The Mash Report, BBC2 Entertainment Programme Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, ITV Britain's Got Talent, ITV Michael McIntyre's Big Show, BBC1 Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1 (Entertainment Programme is given in honour of Lew Grade) Factual Series 24 Hours in A&E, Channel 4 Life and Death Row: The Mass Execution, BBC3 Louis Theroux's Altered States, BBC2 Prison, Channel 4 Features Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip, ITV The Great British Bake Off, Channel 4 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, BBC2 Who Do You Think You Are?, BBC1 Female Performance in a Comedy Programme Daisy May Cooper, This Country, BBC3 Jessica Hynes, There She Goes, BBC4 Julia Davis, Sally4Ever, Sky Atlantic Lesley Manville, Mum, BBC2 International 54 Hours: The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis, BBC4 The Handmaid's Tale, Channel 4 Reporting Trump's First Year: The Fourth Estate (Storyville), BBC2 Succession, Sky Atlantic Live Event Open Heart Surgery: Live, Channel 5 Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, BBC1 The Royal Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, BBC1 Stand Up to Cancer, Channel 4 Male Performance in a Comedy Programme Alex Macqueen, Sally4Ever, Sky Atlantic Jamie Demetriou, Stath Lets Flats, Channel 4 Peter Mullan, Mum, BBC2 Steve Pemberton, Inside No. 9, BBC2 Mini-Series A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Kiri, Channel 4 Mrs Wilson, BBC1 Patrick Melrose, Sky Atlantic News Coverage Bullying and Harassment in the House of Commons, Newsnight, BBC2 Cambridge Analytica Uncovered, Channel 4 Good Morning Britain: On a Knife Edge, ITV Good Morning Britain: Thomas Markle Exclusive, ITV Reality & Constructed Factual Dragons' Den, BBC2 I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, ITV Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds, Channel 4 The Real Full Monty: Ladies' Night, ITV Scripted Comedy Derry Girls, Channel 4 Mum, BBC2 Sally4Ever, Sky Atlantic Stath Lets Flats, Channel 4 Short Form Programme Bovril Pam (Snatches from Women's Lives), BBC4 The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk, BBC iPlayer Missed Call, Real Stories Wonderdate, BBC iPlayer Single Documentary Driven: The Billy Monger Story, BBC3 Gun No. 6, BBC2 My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me, BBC1 School for Stammerers, ITV (Single Documentary is given in honour of Robert Flaherty) Single Drama Black Mirror – Bandersnatch, Netflix Care, BBC1 Killed by my Debt, BBC3 On the Edge – Through the Gates, Channel 4 Soap & Continuing Drama Casualty, BBC1 Coronation Street, ITV EastEnders, BBC1 Hollyoaks, Channel 4 Specialist Factual Bros: After the Screaming Stops, BBC4 Grayson Perry: Rites of Passage, Channel 4 Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley, BBC1 Superkids: Breaking Away from Care, Channel 4 (Specialist Factual is given in honour of Huw Wheldon) Sport 2018 Six Nations: Scotland v England, BBC1 2018 World Cup Quarter Final: England v Sweden, BBC1 England's Test Cricket, Sky Sports Cricket Winter Olympics, BBC2 Supporting actor Alex Jennings, Unforgotten, ITV Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Kim Bodnia, Killing Eve, BBC1 Stephen Graham, Save Me, Sky Atlantic Supporting actress Billie Piper, Collateral, BBC2 Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve, BBC1 Keeley Hawes, Mrs Wilson, BBC1 Monica Dolan, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 British Academy Television Craft Awards: nominations and winners A Very English Scandal, Killing Eve and Patrick Melrose win big at Bafta Craft Awards Breakthrough Talent WINNER: Akemnji Ndifornyen, Composer, Producer and Writer, Famalam, BBC3 Dawn Shadforth, Director, Trust, BBC2 George Christou, Witer, Through the Gates (On the Edge), Channel 4 Lizzie Kempton, Director, Manchester Bomb: Our Story, BBC3 Costume Design WINNER: Suzanne Cave, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Charlotte Holdich, The Long Song, BBC1 Marianne Agertoft, The City and The City, BBC2 Phoebe de Gaye, Killing Eve, BBC1 Director: Factual WINNER: Ben Anthony, Grenfell, BBC1 David Soutar, Bros: After the Screaming Stops, BBC4 James Rogan, Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation, BBC1 Paddy Wivell, Prison, Channel 4 Director: Fiction WINNER: Stephen Frears, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Harry Bradbeer, Killing Eve (Episode 1), BBC1 Mahalia Belo, The Long Song, BBC1 Thomas Vincent, Bodyguard (Episode 1), BBC1 Director: Multi-Camera WINNER: Barbara Wiltshire, Inside No.9 Live, BBC2 Bridget Caldwell, The Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance, BBC1 Julia Knowles, Helen Scott, Simon Staffurth, The Royal Wedding: Prince Harry And Meghan Markle, BBC1 Liz Clare, The Voice UK, ITV Editing: Factual WINNER: Will Gilbey, Bros: After The Screaming Stops, BBC4 Ben Brown, Grenfell, BBC1 Emma Lysaght, Louis Theroux: Altered States (Choosing Death), BBC2 Matt Lowe, Drowning In Plastic, BBC1 Editing: Fiction WINNER: Pia Di Ciaula, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Gary Dollner, Killing Eve (Episode 1), BBC1 Steve Singleton, Bodyguard (Episode 1), BBC1 Tony Kearns, Bandersnatch (Black Mirror), Netflix Entertainment Craft Team WINNER: Nigel Catmur, David Cole, Kate Dawkins, Kevin Duff – The Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance, BBC1 Dave Davey, David Tench, Dominic Tolfts, Kevin Duff –The Voice UK, ITV Lisa Armstrong, Jason Gilkison, Mark Kenyon, Richard Sillitto – Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1 Tim Telling, Tom Neenan, Steve Andrews, Ben Blease – The Mash Report, BBC2 Make Up & Hair Design WINNER: Vickie Lang, Vanity Fair, ITV Daniel Phillips, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Konnie Daniel, Mrs Wilson, BBC1 Nicole Stafford, The Little Drummer Girl, BBC1 Original Music WINNER: David Holmes and Keefus Ciancia, Killing Eve, BBC1 Cho Young-Wuk, The Little Drummer Girl, BBC1 Murray Gold, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Hauschka, Patrick Melrose, Sky Atlantic Photography: Factual WINNER: Lindsay Mccrae, Dynasties: Emperor, BBC1 Alastair McCormick, Peter Keith, Ryan Atkinson – Earth’s Natural Wonders: Surviving Against The Odds, BBC1 Jaimie Gramston, Michael Palin In North Korea, Channel 5 Stuart Bernard, The Mighty Redcar, BBC2 Photography & Lighting: Fiction WINNER: Woo-Hyung Kim, The Little Drummer Girl, BBC1 Balazs Bolygo, Collateral, BBC2 James Friend, Patrick Melrose, Sky Atlantic Julian Court, Killing Eve (Episode 7), BBC1 Production Design WINNER: Helen Scott, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Kristian Milsted, Killing Eve, BBC1 Maria Djurkovic and Tatiana Macdonald, The Little Drummer Girl, BBC1 Tom Burton, Patrick Melrose, Sky Atlantic Sound: Factual WINNER: Sound Team, Later Live…With Jools Holland, BBC2 Doug Dreger, Rowan Jennings – Michael Palin In North Korea, Channel 5 Kate Davis, Steve Onopa, Mark Simms – Amy Winehouse: Back To Black (Classic Albums), BBC2 Tim Owens, Graham Wild, Kate Hopkins – Dynasties: Chimpanzees, BBC1 Sound: Fiction WINNER: Sound Team, Killing Eve, BBC1 Sound Team, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 Sound Team, The Little Drummer Girl, BBC1 Simon Farmer, Dan Johnson and Marc Lawes, Bodyguard, BBC1 Special, Visual & Graphic Effects WINNER: Adam McInnes, John Smith, Kevin Horsewood – Troy: Fall Of A City, BBC1 Duncan Malcolm, Jean-Clement Soret, Clayton Mcdermott – Bandersnatch (Black Mirror), Neflix Kent Houston, Freefolk, Asa Shoul – The Alienist (Episode 1), Netflix Simon Frame, Martin Oberlander, Adam Inglis – Britannia, Sky Atlantic Titles & Graphic Identity WINNER: Alan Smith, Mark Roalfe – The 2018 Winter Olympics, BBC1 Allison Brownmoore, Anthony Brownmoore, Joe Nowacki – Take Your Pills, Netflix Matt Willey, Killing Eve, BBC1 Steve Small, Kristian Andrews, Nikki Kefford-White – Black Earth Rising, BBC2 Writer: Comedy WINNER: Daisy May Cooper, Charlie Cooper – This Country, BBC3 Peter Kay, Sian Gibson, Paul Coleman – Peter Kay’s Car Share: The Finale, BBC1 Stefan Golaszewski – Mum, BBC2 Writing Team, Cunk On Britain, BBC2 Writer: Drama WINNER: David Nicholls, Patrick Melrose, Sky Atlantic Lennie James, Save Me, Sky Atlantic Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve, BBC1 Russell T. Davies, A Very English Scandal, BBC1 When are the Bafta TV Awards on TV? How can I watch?