I'm Susie Dent and in the age of AI I believe being a geek may never have been so important
We need to encourage our kids to celebrate, not mock, their intelligence, says Susie Dent.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. As someone who has spent decades charting language, I’ve learnt to push aside any personal bugbears when it comes to the evolution of our words. English has always been a democracy, going its own merry way without government from above. But one recent development has found its way under my skin, for very personal reasons. It is the appearance of the word “neek”, a blend of “nerd” and “geek” that describes someone with a strong – and, by extension, “uncool” – interest in a particular subject. It takes me back to my childhood, when I discovered that a love of learning was something to hide rather than celebrate, for fear of being labelled a swot. For a long time, I hid it away as something shameful, despite the pleasure it gave me and the encouragement of my teachers. Decades later, while filming our new series Secret Genius, Alan Carr and I discovered that not a lot has changed when it comes to the desire to fit in. The aim of our show was simple: to illustrate how genius can be found in any walk of life. Mensa estimates that there are over a million secret geniuses walking among us, which means most of us will know one of them: the friend who gets to the punchline of a joke way before the rest of us; the colleague who can make complicated calculations at the drop of a hat; or the partner who spots a pattern in an apparently random sequence. They might be a stay-at-home parent or a bus driver, pharmacist, paramedic, carpenter, train guard or singer – all professions represented in Secret Genius by people who have little idea just how brilliant they are. We are not talking about academic cleverness here, but rather an innate intelligence that sets someone apart from the crowd. Time and time again, the individuals (ranging in age from 20 to 63) we invited onto the show to participate in fiendishly clever and immersive puzzles told us of their struggles at school, of how they wanted desperately to fit in and so suppressed their natural intelligence, becoming instead the class joker, the constant interrupter or the quiet one who didn’t dare to engage. Each of them felt different, but each was unsure what to do with that difference other than to pretend it didn’t exist. All they needed from their peers was validation, but for many of our secret geniuses, the recognition they received on the show had come agonisingly late. It’s true that the trajectory of many of the words once used to belittle people for their intelligence is looking promising. “Geek” in particular has undergone one of the most dramatic shifts of any word in the dictionary, having started out as a 19th-century description of a performer of extreme acts at freak shows, including biting the heads off live snakes and chickens. The word broadened to include any kind of extreme behaviour, particularly an interest in a single subject, before arriving at today’s keen pursuer of knowledge who is no longer bizarre, but classy. So far so good, but the arrival of “neek” threatens to take us backwards. Ask any teenager: no one wants to be a neek. It’s time that intelligence in all its forms – especially the natural, curious kind – is shown to be cool. We need to encourage our children to celebrate, not mock, it and to feel fearless when it comes to expressing their interests and ambitions. In the age of AI, being a geek may never have been so important. There’s no doubt we’ve come a long way in recent years, yet as Secret Genius shows, there is still much to be done. As for Alan, I’ve long suspected he may be a genius himself. And if Celebrity Traitors taught us anything, it’s that he is extremely good at keeping secrets. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Bridgerton finally gets a lot more interesting by stepping into Downton Abbey territory in season four
The romantic drama is back with an upstairs-downstairs twist!
Add season four of Bridgerton to your watchlist. Four seasons in, standing firm as one of Netflix's biggest original series success stories and based on a fan-favourite collection of novels, Bridgerton doesn't really need to switch up its format. It's the series that many started off watching as a steamy guilty pleasure, with fans continuing to tune in each season to see what love story will unfold for each of the Bridgerton siblings. First, it was Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) then it was Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and more recently, Colin (Luke Newton). Now, all eyes are on the unserious lothario that is Benedict (Luke Thompson) and as we know, the course of true love never did run smooth. While this new season does certainly ground us in Benedict's quest to find his mysterious Lady in Silver, the real draw of this instalment is the fact that it goes where Bridgerton hasn't really ventured. It peeks behind the curtains, if you will, offering viewers a window into the goings-on of these lavish homes and wealthy families, while crafting an emotional and complex story for Sophie (Yerin Ha) in the process. Arguably, this season of Bridgerton always had the bones to be its most interesting. But it is TV after all and the small matter of execution always leaves fans slightly trepidatious at what's to come. By following Sophie's incredibly sad story, though, we ground the series in real human emotion. It's not just the airy fairy cloud of love and sex that is an escapist viewer's dream – instead, it's a version of the series that's a bit more realistic. Sure, many of us come to Bridgerton for that snippet of escapism, those hours of TV where we don't have to think about the nasty, mean world and can instead just get lost in wet shirt scenes and yearning. But, I'd say, four seasons in and the show was at a risk of becoming stale and predictable. Now, by venturing into the territory of Downton Abbey, Bridgerton has opened up its doors to new possibilities, characters and stories that make the tapestry of the Regency drama only richer. The first portion of the premiere episode follows Mrs Wilson (Geraldine Alexander) as she goes from the relative calm of preparing the Bridgerton household for the arrival of Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Eloise (Claudia Jessie) to downstairs, where the air is frantic, a luxurious feast is being prepared and bells ring to indicate just who has risen and may need attending to. View Green Video on the source website It's a slick ship she's running and it's clear that no stone is left unturned in this house. However, it's not long before lighthearted gossip starts to be exchanged from the corners of the room by Mrs Wilson, Celia (Sophie Lamont) and Footman John (Oli Higginson), the very people who know the Bridgerton's best. It's a dynamic that we've seen play out in Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes's hit drama that spawned six seasons, multiple Christmas specials and three films. There's something about the upstairs-downstairs of it all that strikes a chord with viewers and is an ideal storytelling device to really get to know the ins and outs of a household. What is behind the picture-perfect Bridgerton façade and who are those that work to maintain it? It's not a question that we've really ever been allowed to think about, seeing as blossoming romances, meet-cute sparks and Lady Whistledown have preoccupied previous seasons. While we do get whisked away to the masquerade ball, the premiere episode is bookended by the shift in focus of the hired help. At the end, Sophie is unmasked as her true self, a maid left to quickly change and go back to a life that clearly doesn't fill her with any happiness. Dressing up for the night and sneaking out ends up being "the most extraordinary night of my life", she admits — a new spin on Cinderella. The fairytale tropes get ever clearer the deeper we dig into Sophie's story in episode 2, where we learn that Lady Araminta (Katie Leung) is actually, technically, Sophie's stepmother. She married Sophie's father Lord Penwood but since Sophie was the illegitimate product of his affair with a maid, she was only ever seen as his ward. The deeper we get into the series, the more we find out about Sophie's troubled past and how the death of her father impacted her life, with Lady Araminta making Sophie her maid. That focus on power dynamics is something we see explored in other households this season too, as Mrs Varley (Lorraine Ashbourne) is faced with the prospect of leaving the Featherington's in the Great Maid War that's swept over the city. Varley lays out her case to Lady Featherington (Polly Walker) for a pay rise that reflects the rest of the industry, only to have it denied. Instead, she's given an old dress of Lady Featherington's after being told that money is scarce in the household. "We are not family," Varley has to remind her employer, a scene that really could be akin to any manager-employee meeting in a start-up company these days Overlooked and underpaid is a sentiment many viewers will relate to here with Varley, with Bridgerton venturing into conversations about wealth and class now more so than ever. In a slightly different way, we also have the changing dynamic between Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). Close friends with an emotional history of their own, the pair are on completely different plains when it comes to status. Danbury effectively asking for permission to leave London to return to her homeland is partly a testament to her commitment to the Queen, but is also reflects how those in the Ton have to look to the Queen and wider society before making any major life decisions. Those shifting power dynamics are part of a territory that Bridgerton season 4 brilliantly steps into in more ways than one. It's something that is also condensed into part 1's final moments where Benedict propositions Sophie to become his mistress, a thought he simply wouldn't have with a woman of equal social standing to him. It's a knotty landscape to navigate but Bridgerton pulls it off in the glossy and fun way it often does best, proving that venturing outside the box makes for the most interesting tales.
This year the BAFTAs have a great opportunity to differ from the Oscars in one key way
A win for I Swear's Robert Aramayo in the best actor category would be a welcome shake-up in an awards season which risks becoming stale.
Add I Swear to your watchlist. The BAFTA Film Awards will take place at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday 22 February 2026. See the nominees in full. When the BAFTA Film Award nominations were announced yesterday (Tuesday 27th January), there can't have been too many people shocked by most of the films and actors that made their way onto the shortlists. Although BAFTA broke from tradition this year in announcing their nods after the Oscars rather than before, in pretty much every other way the nominations still make the upcoming ceremony look more or less like a carbon copy of the Academy Awards – as is the case with so many of the "precursor" award shows that seem to serve primarily as dress rehearsals for the main event. Sure, there were a couple of minor changes to the line-up – for example, One Battle After Another's Chase Infiniti and Hamnet's Paul Mescal made it into their respective categories after missing out last week – but for the most part it's the same names (and in a few notable instances, the same snubs) as it has been all awards season. Of course, consensus is not necessarily a bad thing, and it's often the case that the films being honoured time and time again very much deserve their seat at the table. But it's always felt rather pointless to me to have so many different awards ceremonies only to repeatedly see the same winners crowned at every single one. Surely it would make more sense for each of these various voting bodies to have their own unique character and personality and opt for some slightly more offbeat picks, rather than just continuing to honour the big hitters that already look set to be rewarded with multiple Oscars? This is why the inclusion of five nods for Kirk Jones's incredibly moving true story film I Swear – about the life of Tourette's activist and campaigner John Davidson – is so welcome. It's exactly the kind of small British film which, like fellow nominees Pillion, The Ballad of Wallis Island, and My Father's Shadow, should be honoured by the BAFTAs and whose presence in the line-up we should celebrate. Not out of any tub-thumping sense of patriotism, of course, but because these are the kind of films which can otherwise get lost amid the more publicised awards season behemoths, and helps the BAFTAs carve out more of a distinct identity for itself. Now, I should say that I Swear is not my personal favourite movie of the year, and there's certainly a strong argument to be made that it's neither as technically accomplished nor as formally adventurous as the likes of Sinners, One Battle After Another or Marty Supreme – it undoubtedly follows a certain crowd-pleasing formula that has been mastered by a number of other British films before it. But it hits pretty much all the right notes in doing so, and has unsurprisingly prompted enthusiastic responses from just about all who have seen it – with the film still sitting on a perfect 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing, from 30 reviews. View Green Video on the source website And regardless of what you think of the film as a whole, there can be no denying one thing: Robert Aramayo is simply outstanding in the lead role. The actor – best known for playing Elrond in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – embodies Davidson to an almost uncanny degree, delivering an incredibly charismatic and empathetic performance. What's especially impressive is that there are so many facets to that performance. Not only was he tasked with mastering the tics which are such a prominent part of living with Tourettes, but the Yorkshireman also spoke in a near faultless Scottish accent – something which a great many notable non-Scottish actors before him have tried and failed to master. And that's before we even get to how well he performed the film's many emotional scenes with such heart and subtlety; it really is a quite remarkable lead turn. Speaking to RT at this year's British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) – where he took home the Best Actor Award – Aramayo admitted that it had been "incredibly tricky" to get everything right. "Also aging him," he explained. "Changing his experience and changing his relationship to the condition was also really difficult, so I felt like I was spinning a lot of plates. "I knew that the accent was going to be a big one," he added. "So I worked with this amazing coach called Mary Howland, and she really helped me try and lock it down as much as we could to the Galashiels area – because the Borders accent is so specific, so we did our best to be as specific as we could." You'd find few people who'd argue against the fact that all that preparation worked a treat. Aramayo is up for the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the ceremony, and while adding that trophy to his aforementioned BIFA victory would be very much well deserved, I see no reason why he can't go one better. Why shouldn't he prevail over A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet in the main best actor category as well? That would certainly be a statement from the BAFTAs, a welcome shake-up of an awards season that risks becoming a little stale. Chalamet already looks just about certain to win the Oscar anyway – does he really need the BAFTA too?
ER is coming to Netflix – and it's time we recognised it changed television forever
The classic US hospital drama set the gold standard back in 1994.
Add ER to your watchlist. We all have an example of a TV show like this, right? The one that holds an outsized importance in our affections? For me, it’s undoubtedly and wholeheartedly ER, the 15 seasons of which are coming to Netflix in the UK on 9 February. It’s a method of accessing the series that would have been inconceivable to the undergraduate version of myself who, back in the mid-1990s, was watching on a 14-inch portable TV with his girlfriend in manky digs. It felt, at the time, like an impossibly sophisticated drama. All that frantic talk of Chem-7s, CBCs, Coags, EKGs being clean or otherwise. No real idea what any of it meant, but it sure seemed as though we were eavesdropping on the way things truly worked at the sharp end of hospital life. And the acts of heroism on display, such as reckless Doug Ross (George Clooney) risking all to rescue a boy trapped in a storm drain as the rain waters rose. It felt filmic, almost mythic. Well, as much as anything can on a tiny, boxy Sony without Nicam Stereo. For the two of us, ER had staying power. We, like the nebbishy and lovable Dr Carter (Noah Wyle) were students when it began. But when it ended, a decade and a half later, we were bringing our second-born son home from hospital. Those real-life births, incidentally, made all-the-more fraught by us having witnessed on TV every late-stage pregnancy complication known to the medical profession. But such awareness mattered not. Each winter, we’ll still watch season one’s Blizzard because nothing says Christmas like a multi-car pile-up in the snow. And every festive season, we’ll tell our now-grown-up kids just how much ER meant to us when we were their age. They’ll smile indulgently for a second or two and then go back to thinking of us as they ordinarily do. As index fingers with a banking app attached. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/er-season-6-ec8f04f.jpg" width="3000" height="2000" alt="Anthony Edwards as Dr Mark Greene, Laura Innes as Dr Kerry Weaver and Noah Wyle as Dr John Carter in ER, rushing through a hospital ward with a patient on a gurney." title="Anthony Edwards as Dr Mark Greene, Laura Innes as Dr Kerry Weaver and Noah Wyle as Dr John Carter in ER" /> Yet a not insubstantial part of me is hoping that they’ll now somehow come to ER via streaming. In a Gen Z epiphany, they’ll abandon Grand Theft Auto and IShowSpeed and realise instead that kindly Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) can be as much a hero to their generation as ours. Because despite us merely dusting down the odd tinselly episode on an annual basis, ER is not just for Christmas. In fact, it ought to be given its due more vocally in general, especially by critics who believe the most recent golden age of TV dawned with the debut of The Sopranos in 1999. Spool back to 1994 and the birth of ER and you’ll find the true start of what’s now categorised prestige television. Before this time, dialogue had overlapped and morals had been compromised (Hill Street Blues), there’d been tonal ambiguity and attempts to make TV as art (Twin Peaks), even depictions of doctors as burnouts rather than paragons of virtue (St Elsewhere). But ER achieved what those others didn’t in being ambitious, serious, influential but also massively popular. Just think about it. Hill Street Blues was a critical darling, but its hold over audiences was never as strong. St Elsewhere had the ethical quandaries yet lacked the accelerative thrust. And Twin Peaks featured serialised storytelling of a type we’d rarely seen outside of soaps, but its surreal tone led to it being constrained by network interference. ER, on the other hand, could produce such devastating hours of TV as Love’s Labor Lost (in which Greene tragically misdiagnosed a pregnant patient – a mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his career), win Emmy awards for the results and still top the Nielsen ratings. And yet it’s never really spoken of in the same glowing terms as the Breaking Bads or The Wires of this world. Why? Perhaps its home on US network NBC rather than cable channel HBO has resulted in it now being overlooked? Did its increasingly grandiose set-piece stunts do it more harm than good (certainly, Dr Romano didn’t fare well from his two fateful encounters with helicopters)? Maybe the fact that it ended its run with a completely different regular cast to its original line-up has led to accusations that it outstayed its welcome? But watch its finale And In the End... and you’ll see how just effectively ER stayed thematically true to itself. Patients keep arriving on gurneys, while doctors continue to heal and teach. And making a return to Chicago’s Cook County General in its last on-screen appearance is Carter, once a callow trainee, now a seasoned mentor and someone passing on his wisdom in an unshowy manner to Mark’s daughter Rachel, these days a wannabe medic herself. “Dr Greene, you coming?” Carter asks as ambulances pull up to the bay and the cameras pan out. It’s the most beautiful piece of narrative symmetry: the shifts continue, as do the lessons, and characters are shown to matter because of what they hand down to the next generation. ER set that tone in 1994 and held its nerve until 2009. In fact, the only way it could have been more perfect would be for it to have aired solely on crummy, small portable TV sets.
Bridgerton finally gets a lot more interesting by stepping into Downton Abbey territory in season 4
Four seasons in, standing firm as one of Netflix's biggest original series success stories and based on a fan-favourite collection of novels, Bridgerton doesn't really need to switch up its format. It's the series that many started off watching as a steamy guilty pleasure, with fans continuing to tune in each season to see what love story will unfold for each of the Bridgerton siblings. First, it was Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) then it was Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and more recently, Colin (Luke Newton). Now, all eyes are on the unserious lothario that is Benedict (Luke Thompson) and as we know, the course of true love never did run smooth. While this new season does certainly ground us in Benedict's quest to find his mysterious Lady in Silver, the real draw of this instalment is the fact that it goes where Bridgerton hasn't really ventured. It peeks behind the curtains, if you will, offering viewers a window into the goings-on of these lavish homes and wealthy families, while crafting an emotional and complex story for Sophie (Yerin Ha) in the process. Arguably, this season of Bridgerton always had the bones to be its most interesting. But it is TV after all and the small matter of execution always leaves fans slightly trepidatious at what's to come. By following Sophie's incredibly sad story, though, we ground the series in real human emotion. It's not just the airy fairy cloud of love and sex that is an escapist viewer's dream – instead, it's a version of the series that's a bit more realistic. Sure, many of us come to Bridgerton for that snippet of escapism, those hours of TV where we don't have to think about the nasty, mean world and can instead just get lost in wet shirt scenes and yearning. But, I'd say, four seasons in and the show was at a risk of becoming stale and predictable. Now, by venturing into the territory of Downton Abbey, Bridgerton has opened up its doors to new possibilities, characters and stories that make the tapestry of the Regency drama only richer. The first portion of the premiere episode follows Mrs Wilson (Geraldine Alexander) as she goes from the relative calm of preparing the Bridgerton household for the arrival of Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Eloise (Claudia Jessie) to downstairs, where the air is frantic, a luxurious feast is being prepared and bells ring to indicate just who has risen and may need attending to. View Green Video on the source website It's a slick ship she's running and it's clear that no stone is left unturned in this house. However, it's not long before lighthearted gossip starts to be exchanged from the corners of the room by Mrs Wilson, Celia (Sophie Lamont) and Footman John (Oli Higginson), the very people who know the Bridgerton's best. It's a dynamic that we've seen play out in Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes's hit drama that spawned six seasons, multiple Christmas specials and three films. There's something about the upstairs-downstairs of it all that strikes a chord with viewers and is an ideal storytelling device to really get to know the ins and outs of a household. What is behind the picture-perfect Bridgerton façade and who are those that work to maintain it? It's not a question that we've really ever been allowed to think about, seeing as blossoming romances, meet-cute sparks and Lady Whistledown have preoccupied previous seasons. While we do get whisked away to the masquerade ball, the premiere episode is bookended by the shift in focus of the hired help. At the end, Sophie is unmasked as her true self, a maid left to quickly change and go back to a life that clearly doesn't fill her with any happiness. Dressing up for the night and sneaking out ends up being "the most extraordinary night of my life", she admits — a new spin on Cinderella. The fairytale tropes get ever clearer the deeper we dig into Sophie's story in episode 2, where we learn that Lady Araminta (Katie Leung) is actually, technically, Sophie's stepmother. She married Sophie's father Lord Penwood but since Sophie was the illegitimate product of his affair with a maid, she was only ever seen as his ward. The deeper we get into the series, the more we find out about Sophie's troubled past and how the death of her father impacted her life, with Lady Araminta making Sophie her maid. That focus on power dynamics is something we see explored in other households this season too, as Mrs Varley (Lorraine Ashbourne) is faced with the prospect of leaving the Featherington's in the Great Maid War that's swept over the city. Varley lays out her case to Lady Featherington (Polly Walker) for a pay rise that reflects the rest of the industry, only to have it denied. Instead, she's given an old dress of Lady Featherington's after being told that money is scarce in the household. "We are not family," Varley has to remind her employer, a scene that really could be akin to any manager-employee meeting in a start-up company these days Overlooked and underpaid is a sentiment many viewers will relate to here with Varley, with Bridgerton venturing into conversations about wealth and class now more so than ever. In a slightly different way, we also have the changing dynamic between Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). Close friends with an emotional history of their own, the pair are on completely different plains when it comes to status. Danbury effectively asking for permission to leave London to return to her homeland is partly a testament to her commitment to the Queen, but is also reflects how those in the Ton have to look to the Queen and wider society before making any major life decisions. Those shifting power dynamics are part of a territory that Bridgerton season 4 brilliantly steps into in more ways than one. It's something that is also condensed into part 1's final moments where Benedict propositions Sophie to become his mistress, a thought he simply wouldn't have with a woman of equal social standing to him. It's a knotty landscape to navigate but Bridgerton pulls it off in the glossy and fun way it often does best, proving that venturing outside the box makes for the most interesting tales. Bridgerton season 4 part 1 is streaming now on Netflix, with Part 2 arriving on 26th February. Seasons 1-3 are available to watch on Netflix now. You can buy the <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bridgerton-Collection-Inspiration-Netflix-Original/dp/0349430187?tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2381335" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored" data-geniuslink="https://buy.geni.us/Proxy.ashx?TSID=114542&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FBridgerton-Collection-Inspiration-Netflix-Original%2Fdp%2F0349430187%3Ftag%3Dradtim0b-21%26ascsubtag%3Dradiotimes-1612614&dtb=1">Bridgerton book series on Amazon. Add Bridgerton to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The BAFTA Film Awards have a great opportunity to differ from the Oscars in one key way
When the BAFTA Film Award nominations were announced yesterday (Tuesday 27th January), there can't have been too many people shocked by most of the films and actors that made their way onto the shortlists. Although BAFTA broke from tradition this year in announcing their nods after the Oscars rather than before, in pretty much every other way the nominations still make the upcoming ceremony look more or less like a carbon copy of the Academy Awards – as is the case with so many of the "precursor" award shows that seem to serve primarily as dress rehearsals for the main event. Sure, there were a couple of minor changes to the line-up – for example, One Battle After Another's Chase Infiniti and Hamnet's Paul Mescal made it into their respective categories after missing out last week – but for the most part it's the same names (and in a few notable instances, the same snubs) as it has been all awards season. Of course, consensus is not necessarily a bad thing, and it's often the case that the films being honoured time and time again very much deserve their seat at the table. But it's always felt rather pointless to me to have so many different awards ceremonies only to repeatedly see the same winners crowned at every single one. Surely it would make more sense for each of these various voting bodies to have their own unique character and personality and opt for some slightly more offbeat picks, rather than just continuing to honour the big hitters that already look set to be rewarded with multiple Oscars? This is why the inclusion of five nods for Kirk Jones's incredibly moving true story film I Swear – about the life of Tourette's activist and campaigner John Davidson – is so welcome. It's exactly the kind of small British film which, like fellow nominees Pillion, The Ballad of Wallis Island, and My Father's Shadow, should be honoured by the BAFTAs and whose presence in the line-up we should celebrate. Not out of any tub-thumping sense of patriotism, of course, but because these are the kind of films which can otherwise get lost amid the more publicised awards season behemoths, and helps the BAFTAs carve out more of a distinct identity for itself. Now, I should say that I Swear is not my personal favourite movie of the year, and there's certainly a strong argument to be made that it's neither as technically accomplished nor as formally adventurous as the likes of Sinners, One Battle After Another or Marty Supreme – it undoubtedly follows a certain crowd-pleasing formula that has been mastered by a number of other British films before it. But it hits pretty much all the right notes in doing so, and has unsurprisingly prompted enthusiastic responses from just about all who have seen it – with the film still sitting on a perfect 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing, from 30 reviews. View Green Video on the source website And regardless of what you think of the film as a whole, there can be no denying one thing: Robert Aramayo is simply outstanding in the lead role. The actor – best known for playing Elrond in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – embodies Davidson to an almost uncanny degree, delivering an incredibly charismatic and empathetic performance. What's especially impressive is that there are so many facets to that performance. Not only was he tasked with mastering the tics which are such a prominent part of living with Tourettes, but the Yorkshireman also spoke in a near faultless Scottish accent – something which a great many notable non-Scottish actors before him have tried and failed to master. And that's before we even get to how well he performed the film's many emotional scenes with such heart and subtlety; it really is a quite remarkable lead turn. Speaking to RadioTimes.com at this year's British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) – where he took home the Best Actor Award – Aramayo admitted that it had been "incredibly tricky" to get everything right. "Also aging him," he explained. "Changing his experience and changing his relationship to the condition was also really difficult, so I felt like I was spinning a lot of plates. "I knew that the accent was going to be a big one," he added. "So I worked with this amazing coach called Mary Howland, and she really helped me try and lock it down as much as we could to the Galashiels area – because the Borders accent is so specific, so we did our best to be as specific as we could." You'd find few people who'd argue against the fact that all that preparation worked a treat. Aramayo is up for the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the ceremony, and while adding that trophy to his aforementioned BIFA victory would be very much well deserved, I see no reason why he can't go one better. Why shouldn't he prevail over A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet in the main best actor category as well? That would certainly be a statement from the BAFTAs, a welcome shake-up of an awards season that risks becoming a little stale. Chalamet already looks just about certain to win the Oscar anyway – does he really need the BAFTA too? The EE BAFTA Film Awards will take place at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday 22nd February 2026. I Swear is available to rent and buy on Prime Video. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's The Rip proves the upsides and downsides of using real-life Hollywood friends
When real-life bromance meets movie rivalry, the stars’ off-screen friendships become the real story we’re watching.
It may come as a shock to learn that, despite playing the "it’s for work" card, I occasionally lose control of the TV remote, which is how I ended up sitting through The Rip, a heist-based, gun-heavy, F-bomb-flooded thriller that I will describe, without apology, as "probably a film for boys". On the plus side, it starred – nay, was almost rescued by – Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and when I wasn't watching another shootout through my eyelids, it got me thinking about them and how we feel when film-star friends appear together on-screen. It’s almost 30 years since this golden pair arrived in our lives. The story of how two longtime friends co-wrote Good Will Hunting, defying all their Hollywood doubters and going on to score box-office millions and an Oscar each for best screenplay, has become as rich in mythology and inspiration as the film itself. The film’s most moving moment comes when Affleck's blue-collar loyal friend Chuckie tells Damon’s maths genius Will he's worth more than the life he’s settling for: "You’re my best friend. I call for you every day. The best part is when I knock on your door and I think maybe you won’t be there." Cut to 2026, and The Rip proves that day has not yet come – the Affleck-Damon alliance still tight in life as on screen. View Green Video on the source website A similar challenge is posed by the George Clooney-Brad Pitt pairing in Wolfs. As in The Rip, the film sets two solitary operators in competition and seemingly reluctant comradeship. Except, of course, they’re played by two of the world’s most recognisable men, famous for being handsome, successful and, most pertinently, great friends ever since they dazzled together in Ocean’s Eleven. Studios have long used the same trick to seduce audiences, repeatedly pairing equal and sort-of opposites like Paul Newman and Robert Redford, or channelling the unstoppable-force-meets-unmovable-object charisma of Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. We happily sit through hours of fictional rivalry and mistrust, even when we’ve seen the stars sharing a red-carpet joke or hanging out in a boat on Lake Como. Does it matter? Well, it means we can’t fully immerse ourselves in the narrative. If it’s hard enough to believe in any screen character when the face belongs to George "grinning, gravelly" Clooney, it’s almost impossible when he’s squaring up to Brad Pitt. Their widely documented, endlessly photographed real-life friendship means we can never take on-screen conflict between them entirely seriously. Nor are we meant to. We’re not really investing in the stories of The Rip’s competing cops or Wolfs’ mutually suspicious fixers. What we’re immersing ourselves in are these real-life bromantic backstories: Affleck and Damon, the former leaning on the latter through years of rehab; Pitt and Clooney, bonded by decades of practical jokes on film sets. There’s nothing remotely reluctant about any of these partnerships. Anyone who’s worked on a film set will tell you about the long days of downtime between takes – and how much more bearable those hours are when spent playing cards and swapping stories with your besties. The best moment in The Rip's five days running time (OK, just under two hours) is a quiet action-free scene shared by the two stars. "Great work today, man," says Damon. "You, too," says Affleck. Thirty years on, one still calls and the other’s still there. Read more: The Rip ending explained: who was the traitor in the Netflix thriller? Is Netflix crime thriller The Rip based on a true story? The Rip is streaming now on Netflix. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
We all have an example of a TV show like this, right? The one that holds an outsized importance in our affections? For me, it’s undoubtedly and wholeheartedly ER, the 15 seasons of which are coming to Netflix in the UK on 9 February. It’s a method of accessing the series that would have been inconceivable to the undergraduate version of myself who, back in the mid-1990s, was watching on a 14-inch portable TV with his girlfriend in manky digs. It felt, at the time, like an impossibly sophisticated drama. All that frantic talk of Chem-7s, CBCs, Coags, EKGs being clean or otherwise. No real idea what any of it meant, but it sure seemed as though we were eavesdropping on the way things truly worked at the sharp end of hospital life. And the acts of heroism on display, such as reckless Doug Ross (George Clooney) risking all to rescue a boy trapped in a storm drain as the rain waters rose. It felt filmic, almost mythic. Well, as much as anything can on a tiny, boxy Sony without Nicam Stereo. For the two of us, ER had staying power. We, like the nebbishy and lovable Dr Carter (Noah Wyle) were students when it began. But when it ended, a decade and a half later, we were bringing our second-born son home from hospital. Those real-life births, incidentally, made all-the-more fraught by us having witnessed on TV every late-stage pregnancy complication known to the medical profession. But such awareness mattered not. Each winter, we’ll still watch season one’s Blizzard because nothing says Christmas like a multi-car pile-up in the snow. And every festive season, we’ll tell our now-grown-up kids just how much ER meant to us when we were their age. They’ll smile indulgently for a second or two and then go back to thinking of us as they ordinarily do. As index fingers with a banking app attached. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/er-season-6-ec8f04f.jpg" width="3000" height="2000" alt="Anthony Edwards as Dr Mark Greene, Laura Innes as Dr Kerry Weaver and Noah Wyle as Dr John Carter in ER, rushing through a hospital ward with a patient on a gurney." title="Anthony Edwards as Dr Mark Greene, Laura Innes as Dr Kerry Weaver and Noah Wyle as Dr John Carter in ER" /> Yet a not insubstantial part of me is hoping that they’ll now somehow come to ER via streaming. In a Gen Z epiphany, they’ll abandon Grand Theft Auto and IShowSpeed and realise instead that kindly Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) can be as much a hero to their generation as ours. Because despite us merely dusting down the odd tinselly episode on an annual basis, ER is not just for Christmas. In fact, it ought to be given its due more vocally in general, especially by critics who believe the most recent golden age of TV dawned with the debut of The Sopranos in 1999. Spool back to 1994 and the birth of ER and you’ll find the true start of what’s now categorised prestige television. Before this time, dialogue had overlapped and morals had been compromised (Hill Street Blues), there’d been tonal ambiguity and attempts to make TV as art (Twin Peaks), even depictions of doctors as burnouts rather than paragons of virtue (St Elsewhere). But ER achieved what those others didn’t in being ambitious, serious, influential but also massively popular. Just think about it. Hill Street Blues was a critical darling, but its hold over audiences was never as strong. St Elsewhere had the ethical quandaries yet lacked the accelerative thrust. And Twin Peaks featured serialised storytelling of a type we’d rarely seen outside of soaps, but its surreal tone led to it being constrained by network interference. ER, on the other hand, could produce such devastating hours of TV as Love’s Labor Lost (in which Greene tragically misdiagnosed a pregnant patient – a mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his career), win Emmy awards for the results and still top the Nielsen ratings. And yet it’s never really spoken of in the same glowing terms as the Breaking Bads or The Wires of this world. Why? Perhaps its home on US network NBC rather than cable channel HBO has resulted in it now being overlooked? Did its increasingly grandiose set-piece stunts do it more harm than good (certainly, Dr Romano didn’t fare well from his two fateful encounters with helicopters)? Maybe the fact that it ended its run with a completely different regular cast to its original line-up has led to accusations that it outstayed its welcome? But watch its finale And In the End... and you’ll see how just effectively ER stayed thematically true to itself. Patients keep arriving on gurneys, while doctors continue to heal and teach. And making a return to Chicago’s Cook County General in its last on-screen appearance is Carter, once a callow trainee, now a seasoned mentor and someone passing on his wisdom in an unshowy manner to Mark’s daughter Rachel, these days a wannabe medic herself. “Dr Greene, you coming?” Carter asks as ambulances pull up to the bay and the cameras pan out. It’s the most beautiful piece of narrative symmetry: the shifts continue, as do the lessons, and characters are shown to matter because of what they hand down to the next generation. ER set that tone in 1994 and held its nerve until 2009. In fact, the only way it could have been more perfect would be for it to have aired solely on crummy, small portable TV sets. ER is coming to Netflix UK on Monday 9 February 2026. Add ER to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
I'm Clive Myrie, and my new BBC ancestry series left me angry about history – but with a constructive way to use it
Use your identity as a positive force, writes Clive Myrie, who has embraced his African roots.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. In a confusing world, we search for our origins. Within many of us there is a deep yearning to find our roots, to discover where our own unique stories begin. This yearning is behind the remarkable popularity of ancestry DNA tests and the success of television shows like Who Do You Think You Are? In making my series African Adventure, I’ve fed penguins in South Africa and explored the wonderful and chaotic exuberance of Lagos in Nigeria. But I’ve also experienced a traditional naming ceremony in Ghana, where I was metaphorically welcomed back into the African fold and given an African name – an origin. As well as this new name, I had a flag made by a craftsman of the Fante people, who still practice this ancient folk-art in Ghana. It’s beautiful, vibrant with colour and designs that include symbols representing my Jamaican history. It’s hanging above my desk at home and I take pleasure in this layer being added to my identity. You might think I have enough identity already. I was born in Bolton in Lancashire, so I’m a Northerner and proud of it. But I’m also very proud of being British and then there are my Caribbean roots, that come courtesy of my Jamaican parents. Thanks to them I remain Caribbean in my bones; I love West Indian food and Jamaican culture. So, do I have room for another Clive Myrie? My answer is yes, for if you want to be true to who you are, then you really do need to know who you are. In my case, I have parents from Jamaica but before them my ancestors were African. I’m not sure exactly where from, but a DNA test suggests somewhere on what was once called the Gold Coast, most likely modern Ghana or Nigeria. Whichever it was, they were sent across the Atlantic as slaves on the terrible Middle Passage journey to the Caribbean. In my new series, I’ve visited the slave fort in Ghana where my ancestors could well have been kept in appalling conditions before they were taken through the “Gate of No Return” and loaded onto ships. Unlike my ancestors, I was free to come and go as I wished; being there was painful for me and some of the American tour group I joined at the fort were in tears. Experiences like that can make you very angry about history, about how your ancestors have been treated. But what is that anger going to do for you? Instead, I prefer to use my emotions constructively, to find out more about those people, keep their stories alive (for we should never forget what happened) but also to find out more about who I am. Today identity is often used in a negative way; you can see it in the ethno-nationalism playing out across the western world. But you can also use identity as a positive force, to say, “This is who I am, just as important and as individual as anybody else.” And you can afford the same privilege to others; respect their right to the same dignity you would claim for yourself. For we are all essentially the same flesh and blood. As the Jewish Shylock says to his Christian tormentors in The Merchant of Venice, “If you prick me, do I not bleed?” Making African Adventure has been emotional and powerful. We’ve all come from somewhere and I may well have come from this part of West Africa; knowing that makes me feel a little more grounded, a little more connected to the people of Africa and more knowledgeable about who I am. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Clive Myrie's African Adventure begins on BBC Two and iPlayer from Monday 26 January at 6:30pm. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Resident Evil Requiem preview: Remixing the greatest hits
Did you enjoy piecing together a whole police station's worth of puzzles in Resident Evil 2? Did you enjoy the unsettling shift to first-person in Resident Evil 7? Did you enjoy Leon’s big kicks in Resident Evil 4? Did you enjoy being chased by a giant creature in Resident Evil 8? Did you enjoy protecting a weaker ally as you made your way through hordes of enemies in Resi 4? Did you enjoy seeing a tall woman in a white dress in Resi 8? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions — or all of those questions — boy does Resident Evil Requiem have something in store that will play to your tastes! In fact, the game is starting to feel like a greatest hits album that’s determined to replay your favourite bits from the last few entries in the franchise. Indeed, RE9 has no shortage of baggage, and it’s got no problem with letting you rummage through said baggage and pull out whatever you like. At a preview event for the game, I got to spend three hours playing it, and by the end, my right arm was sore from all the [insert meme here of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the TV because he spotted something he recognised]. You can hear my thoughts on the Radio Times Gaming podcast feed or YouTube channel, or keep scrolling for the written version! Our demo began with Leon S Kennedy, the beloved backflipping hero of Resi 2 and 4, arriving at a medical facility. Of course, it didn’t take long for the alarms to go off and for zombies to burst in. We soon got to see how action-oriented Leon’s chunk of the game will be, with the combat’s over-the-top nature even going so far as to let Leon parry a chainsaw attack with a small knife. Yep, you read that right — there are zombies wielding chainsaws in this game! And in a neat bit of coding, if one zombie drops the chainsaw, someone else can pick it up (either Leon himself or another enemy). All of this was feeling very RE4, which made for a jarring change when Leon’s segment ended and the player’s viewpoint switched to Grace (the other major playable character that we saw in this demo). As Capcom’s PR person explained, Leon’s sections are designed to be played in third-person, while Grace’s are made with first-person in mind. You can switch perspective if you wish, and you’ll see some extra animations if you do play the whole thing in third-person, but we opted to stick to the script and play Grace’s bits in first-person. The transition from Leon to Grace was handled in a cut-scene, and it wasn’t possible to swap back once that hand-off had taken place. (So if you were expecting to swap between characters at your will, think again! This seemed to be a very 'one character per chapter' situation). In Grace’s section of the demo, she was alone in the medical facility. She has one small gun, but much less ammo and fewer skills than Leon. Unluckily for her, there are plenty of zombies loitering about. In classic RE2 police station fashion, Grace will have to use her wits — and your hopefully-endless supplies of patience — to explore the facility, find clues, solve puzzles, and gradually work out how to escape. There were two security doors to open, three wristbands to locate (each with a different level of access assigned to it), a number of blocked doors to reckon with, a selection of symbol-based puzzles to unravel, and ultimately three glass quartz to find. These quartz, at long last, would open the last door and let the story switch back to Leon. Although this Grace segment did feel very familiar, it did also pack some surprises. For one thing, a number of the zombies in this segment seem to be stuck in little loops of human behaviour. For example, a zombie might be obsessed with turning the lights off, meaning you can lure him into a specific spot if you flick a light switch. View oEmbed on the source website This sort of trickery makes up for the fact that Grace’s sections are very light on ammo. One important tip is that the giant baby, glimpsed in a recent RE showcase, cannot fit through normal-sized doors. So, if you think carefully, you can lure the baby away from the path you’re trying to follow at any given point. Another fun addition in Grace’s gameplay is the fact that she can — checks notes — collect blood from fallen zombies and use it to craft items. This is a bit of an arduous process, which will see you sticking a device into zombie corpses, putting crafting recipes in a 3D printer, and ultimately putting the pieces together to make ammo and other helpful gubbins. If Leon’s gameplay is all about swashbuckling action, Grace’s is all about using your brain to solve the overarching puzzles. Often, solving one thing will have a knock-on effect on something else, and once you’re rolling in the right direction, it can feel very satisfying. (There may well be frustrating sections along the way, though, especially if you get the wrong end of the stick and can’t find your path to progression.) Eventually, we were switched back to Leon, and the difference was again quite jarring. We were thrust into a boss battle and found grenades, shotgun ammo and lots of other things that would’ve been quite helpful five minutes ago when Grace was running for her life. One thing that did get on my nerves was this: in an odd piece of game design, during Grace’s segments, she comes across a number of warped wardrobes that she simply can’t open; when Leon visits the same locations later, he can use an axe to open these wardrobes and plunder the powerful weaponry and heavy ammo within. This makes it feel a little like Grace is being shortchanged, and players are being forced to play differently with each character (rather than having our own agency to approach things in our own way). Despite that little qualm, however, I had fun in these three hours with Resident Evil Requiem. It does feel like the game is trying to do a lot, attempting to appeal to all sorts of different players at the same time, and for the most part it all hangs together, despite some jarring transitions here and there. Certainly, we’ve seen enough to be very hyped for Resident Evil Requiem's full launch… well, except for the fact we’ll have to face the giant baby again. Resident Evil Requiem launches 27th February for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. You can order your copy now. Read more on upcoming games: Romeo is a Dead Man preview: Brilliantly baffling James Bond: 007 First Light is "like a hand fitting into a glove" Why High on Life 2 added skateboarding, explained by the developer Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Call the Midwife's Nonnatus House jeopardy storyline has lost its edge – and here's why
If Nonnatus House is in danger, why does Call the Midwife feel so safe?
Nonnatus House is in peril. As the National Health Service undergoes widespread restructuring to create a more unified system in Call the Midwife, the status of smaller, community-led programmes and initiatives remains under threat. And with more people choosing hospital births over home ones, questions about how much longer it will survive remain ever present. But for now, it does survive, continuing to provide essential care to the people of Poplar – although Sister Julienne has been informed that funding will cease from the end of the year if they don't ditch their religious garb. A deliberate nudge towards extinction? Or simply a way to keep them in line? Only time will tell. "That's fine in itself," Jenny Agutter said of the order to ditch their habits. "But it's actually a bigger question, which is that Sister Julienne sees the nuns as being missionaries in the East End. And she, as a nun, is very much aware of the fact that the first service they have is to God. The habit is very much to do with showing that they are a part of serving the community. "So it's not just a matter of identification, it's a matter of knowing what one's role is and what they're meant to be doing, and feeling that one’s no longer wanted." <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/BBC-CTM-d6eea96.jpg" width="4284" height="2856" alt="A nun in a blue habit and white apron gently tends to a baby lying on a weighing scale in a clinic setting, smiling down at the infant. A young woman, likely the baby’s mother, stands beside her smiling, holding a leaflet and wearing a brown top and patterned skirt with a shoulder bag. Behind them, other women and nurses sit among yellow privacy screens in a brightly lit maternity hall." title="Call The Midwife s14" /> But of course, this jeopardy is nothing new. Funding pressures have always been a part of Nonnatus House's story, and it wasn’t that long ago that Matthew stepped in to rescue them, before he was sunk by his own financial woes and left for New York to start afresh. Yet there was one big difference that made that all feel far more grave back then: the future of the show itself wasn't mapped out to the extent it is now. When the last major threat to its future was delivered by the evil Dr Threapwood – every staff member would be placed in the direct employment of the health service, and Nonnatus House could be closed down "as and when deemed appropriate"– Call the Midwife hadn't been renewed for another season. Following that sobering declaration, fans were forced to sit with the uncertainty for more than two weeks before receiving news of seasons 14 and 15’s renewals. Read more: Call the Midwife's Sister Veronica makes a startling admission – raising huge questions Call the Midwife legend Judy Parfitt reveals the show’s upcoming hiatus "shakes" her a bit: "It'll be hard for all of us" And while changes to health care, and the historical decline of nuns in particular, are still hanging over Call the Midwife – and are only going to increase – we now know that the BBC series is returning for a prequel series in lieu of the traditional Christmas special, as well as a movie set overseas, with Australia looking likely. And it’s not stopping there, with season 16 set to arrive after that. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. So while we're certainly not expecting another 16 seasons – it's long been acknowledged that the BBC series will end sooner rather than later – Call the Midwife isn't going anywhere any time soon. And that inevitably undermines the sense of jeopardy whenever the precarious nature of Nonnatus House's future is raised, although it should be noted that decisions about how much to announce, and when, sit with broadcasters and streamers, not creators. It may also be that this has been a running theme for quite some time and has naturally lost its edge as a result. Waning interest is something our own analytics have also picked up on when we've covered the subject of late. But while history dictates that the order will have to take a step back from delivering healthcare in the community – creator Heidi Thomas could fudge the facts to extend the show's lifespan – there's still plenty of life in this old dog yet. And when the day to say goodbye does finally arrive, Thomas will no doubt turn her attention to a new setting and new characters that audiences will fall in love with. Because as central as Nonnatus House is to Call the Midwife, it's the characters and themes, more than anything else, that continually draw us back. Call the Midwife season 15 continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 18th January 2026 at 8pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
LEGO Smart Brick preview: These next-gen blocks rock
We go hands-on with the first genuinely new LEGO upgrade in decades.
There have been a few major innovations in LEGO's history: LEGO Technic in 1977, and the minifigure a year later, but those are nearly 50 years ago now. In the interim, the LEGO brand has kept its place as the world's favourite toy mainly by pairing up with kids' favourite intellectual property, including Star Wars, Marvel, Minecraft and Super Mario. Enter the Smart Play system, out this year, which incorporates modern digital technology such as sensors, speakers and lights to offer the first new way to play with LEGO in decades. We went hands on at the CES conference in Las Vegas to find out more! So, what actually is this new range? The Smart Play system incorporates the Smart Brick itself, which is the hub of the whole experience thanks to the built-in sensors, speakers, lights and custom chips it houses. Check out LEGO Smart Play at LEGO These allow it to be aware of data such as movement, as well as proximity to other Smart products. Those include the Smart tags and Smart minifigures, both of which tell the Smart Brick how to behave — for example, make duck noises if the tag is attached to a duck, or mimic Darth Vader's breathing and vocals if it's a Smart minifigure of the Sith Lord. The real genius, though, is how LEGO's engineers have programmed the Smart Brick to enhance LEGO play and make it more fun and interactive. Maarten Simons, the Design Manager on the project for the last few years, started our CES session with a relatively simple demonstration, attaching a Smart Tag to the Smart Brick to play simple musical notes and flashing lights when you tilt and move the brick around. Another Smart Tag tells the brick to be a car, making engine noises as you move, tyre screeching noises as you go round a corner, and a crashing noise when you hit something. There were similar demos with a helicopter, a duck and a dinosaur. However, things get a lot more fun when you combine multiple LEGO items that feature Smart Bricks, as they interact with each other in both predictable and surprising ways. For example, we watched Simons surprise the aforementioned dinosaur with a birthday cake covered in candles, upon which the dinosaur's brick flashed green with excitement, made the sound of streamers. When you then blow the candles out on the cake, the Smart Brick on it emits a "Happy Birthday" song, upon which the dinosaur flashes with excitement once again. It's simple, but super fun, and just five minutes into our demo we can already tell kids are going to love it. And that's way before we've even seen the Star Wars packs that are coming out. We're getting ahead of ourselves, however. There are other Smart features, such as a tag that allows the Smart Brick to sense colour: if it sees blue, it will make underwater sounds; or if it sees yellow, it will make beach noises; green will make it assume it's on grass; while red will cause a fire alarm. You can also link multiple bricks by shaking them to pair, upon which a second brick will match whatever the first brick is sensing, up to five meters away, using its own low latency BrickNet wireless technology. Next up, we got to see how LEGO minifigures interact with the Smart Brick. Smart-enabled minifigures feature a symbol on their back to denote their Smart status — it's a circle encapsulating speaker, sparkle and mystery symbols signalling what they can make a Smart Brick do. When they're placed near a Smart Brick, the brick will react differently to which side they're placed. This allows for interesting play possibilities, which was demonstrated with a police car featuring a Smart tag, and cop and robber minifigures. If the robber approaches the police car, the car alarm goes off, but if the cop is driving towards the robber, his siren will start wailing. The Smart Bricks can also measure distances away from each other, using colours to denote how far apart they are. This allows LEGO builders to do things like create a defensive bubble around certain objects, and set an alarm if anything breaks that perimeter. Similarly, the bricks can tell if they're facing each other, and light up accordingly. A fun demo we played that took advantage of these features was a mother duck and her four ducklings — the ducklings would talk among each other, but when the mother turned around to face them, they'd behave and stay quiet. When the dinosaur from earlier comes in, the ducklings then sing him a birthday song. We then played a game of duck curling with the ducklings (on skateboards). Standard! A gold trophy with a Smart tag was the target to get closest to, and each player would shake a duck to activate it, and then push it towards the trophy. The player with the closest duck is then recognised at the end with lights and sounds (in our case, the green duck) and then fireworks once the duck is placed in the cup of the trophy. With those cute demos over with, it was time for Star Wars, and one of the first Smart-enabled sets to go on sale. We saw Darth Vader's TIE Fighter (£60), Luke Skywalker’s Red Five X-wing (£80), and the Throne Room Duel sets (£140), and saw how they can all interact together. The X-wing houses Luke and R2-D2 minifigures, and as you fly the X-wing around by hand, the Smart Brick will make engine noises, and if you perform a barrel roll (that's a neat trick), there'll be a loud wooshing sound followed by a cute wail from R2-D2. There's also a button at the rear of the ship to fire the lasers, which is where the TIE fighter comes in, as you can fire back and forth between the two ships. If one ship "hits" the other using its lasers, the opposing ship will flash red, sound alarms, and finally mimic an explosion once you hit critical damage. The throne room allows you to put Luke and Vader down opposite each other and have an interactive lightsaber battle in front of the Emperor sat on his throne. You can hear lightsaber sounds as their laser swords clash, which is pretty cool, it has to be said. On a technical level, each pack will come with a couple of Smart Bricks, and a charger which can charge up two bricks at once. Each brick should offer about 45 minutes of play time, and take about 2 hours to fully recharge. The bricks will go to sleep when they're not being used, however, which will help kids who might not be the best at remembering to recharge every time they finish playing. LEGO's new Smart system is great fun, and you could see how much it delighted a room full of middle-aged, probably somewhat tired and jaded journalists having to contend with a packed Las Vegas. It's a safe bet, then, that it will be mightily popular with children, who will no doubt love doing things with this tech that its designers haven't even dreamt of. LEGO's debut Smart Play kits are available for pre-order now, and will be released on 1st March 2026. Read more on LEGO: Best LEGO deals for January 2026 New LEGO sets for 2026 revealed How to get the new LEGO Zelda Ocarina of Time set Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Forget the doof-doofs – The Traitors' cliffhangers may have just outplayed the soaps
The Traitors is giving us a whole different slice of melodrama.
When lists are compiled of seismic TV cliffhangers, it’s to drama that critics ordinarily turn, be it The Walking Dead's Negan with his baseball bat, JR’s bullet to the guts in Dallas or EastEnders' Kat redrawing the Slaters’ family tree with the three words, "Yes, I am!" But if last night’s edition of The Traitors proved anything, it’s that fiction no longer has a stranglehold on unresolved friction. If the job of a cliffhanger is to compel an audience to keep watching, then the fate of the treacherous Rachel ought to be offered up in a masterclass on heightened stakes. Yet, what marks it out as different to acclaimed deferred payoffs from the past is the key ingredient of irrational human behaviour. Real people are unpredictable at the best of times, but put them under pressure at a roundtable where money and safe passage are at risk, and the messiness becomes momentous. Which is not to say that The Traitors is free from editorial manipulation. Each episode is as expertly designed and layered as Claudia’s wardrobe on a windswept Scottish morning. And those tasked with editing each show must have felt a whopping amount of job satisfaction when work was completed on Thursday’s jaw-dropper. But, for viewers, the tension crucially doesn’t feel manufactured. That sense of the Faithful and Traitors having agency over their fates puts events in a state of real flux, something that can’t really be said whenever a line-up of suspects is issued for the latest soap whodunnit. In those instances, the resolutions have usually been predetermined by a storyline team bound by the usual rules of characterisation, foreshadowing and the necessity of scheduling a big reveal to coincide with either a major anniversary or the festive season. And canny soap fans, being well-schooled in such tricks, are sometimes able to outsmart the writers. But in the case of knee-jerk Faithful James, it’s impossible to rely on convention. We can speculate, argue, and maybe take a side, but guaranteeing the outcome of this particular narrative? It’s a fool’s errand and one that will likely leave the average person blushing harder than Stephen under a studio light. Yes, it’s packaged up with hooting owls and Fleetwood Mac songs given gothic makeovers. However, the effect is to make The Traitors' suspense feel lived rather than pre-plotted. All drama, be it in the castle or in soapland, is in the business of staging peril. But the state of anticipation in which we’ve been left ahead of tonight’s final has the livewire feel of danger unfolding in real time. As such, Kat Slater may just have newfound competition on those countdowns of last-minute TV jolts. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. The Traitors season 4 concludes on Friday 23rd January at 8:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Seasons 1-3 are available to watch on iPlayer. Add The Traitors to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Oscars should be about celebrating groundbreaking films – so why has Brad Pitt's unremarkable F1 movie been nominated?
The inclusion of the formulaic sports movie from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski is utterly baffling.
The term "Oscar-bait" is one that has been thrown around for decades when awards season rolls around. Traditionally, it was used to describe a film that was made with the express purpose of winning awards but with little thought for its lasting legacy beyond that. These films tended to be relatively safe true story period pieces or perhaps inspirational tales about an underdog overcoming terrible odds, and were generally defined by solid but unremarkable filmmaking and sentimental scripts that tended towards the formulaic. In other words, they were in-the-moment crowd-pleasers that pulled on the heartstrings but did little to truly shake up the film world. In recent years, however, the old criteria for what was considered an "Oscars film" has begun to shift, and the sorts of movies described above have largely been absent from the, admittedly, still imperfect best picture line-ups. Recent trends point to an Academy that is now more inclined towards auteur-driven cinema, international features and even films belonging to once awards-resistant genres like horror – just look at the monumental, record-breaking success of Sinners in today's nominations for one example of the latter. In keeping with these changes, this year's list of 10 films up for best picture includes plenty of nominees that deserve to be there – including Joachim Trier's incredibly moving family drama Sentimental Value and Paul Thomas Anderson's thrilling masterpiece One Battle After Another. And then, there's F1. View Green Video on the source website The racing picture's inclusion in the list has been treated by many pundits as baffling and – in this writer's opinion – with good reason: how on Earth is such a middling blockbuster worthy of a place among the finest 2025 had to offer? The film – which is directed by Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski and stars Brad Pitt – was made in conjunction with the governing body of the titular sport, and that is very much apparent while watching: it plays as a branding exercise designed to increase the popularity of Formula One, rather than any sort of spectacular cinematic achievement. If nothing else, it must surely break the record for the highest amount of product placements in an Oscar-nominated movie. And while it might be unfair to disregard F1 outright – the racing scenes are filmed well, and the nominations in the editing and sound categories are perhaps fair enough – it seems bizarre to recognise a film which such a formulaic approach to storytelling as one of the year's best, especially when so many more audacious and interesting films have been left completely empty-handed (for example, Mona Fastvold's The Testament of Ann Lee, Lynne Ramsay's Die My Love, and Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice). In our 3-star review of the film ahead of it's release in the summer, we described it as "two-dimensional" and said of Pitt's central character: "There isn’t a great deal of depth to Sonny, a character forever teetering on the precipice of cliché." And cliché is exactly the word that comes to mind for just about the entirety of F1's bloated and predictable runtime: it's an empty spectacle, a well-crafted corporate exercise masquerading as a film. Frankly, it's more suited for an Advertising Award than an Academy Award. Of course, it's always worth mentioning that, as easy as it is to get swept up in – and as much fun as it can be to observe and debate – awards season has always fundamentally been a rather silly pursuit. In reality, it means little more than an excuse for Hollywood types to throw a bunch of glamorous parties and congratulate themselves, even if they do occasionally recognise some pretty deserving films in the process. So perhaps its a fool's errand to get too up in arms about any particular inclusions or omissions: a great film is a great film, and one's enjoyment of it or lack thereof needn't be dictated by how many accolades it is up for. But it's still interesting to keep track of these trends, and perhaps F1's inclusion points towards a new type of Oscar-bait: the populist choice. With fears that the ceremony is no longer as relevant as it once was – and viewing figures dwindling – there seems to be a recent push to recognise at least one overtly commercial movie alongside the more artistic fare every year (at risk of inviting the wrath of its passionate fanbase, I'd put last year's inclusion of Wicked in the same category.) And so, perhaps in this new era of the Oscars we're going to have to get use to seeing some pretty unremarkable – but undeniably high-grossing – films in the best picture line-up, often at the expense of more groundbreaking movies. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Oscars completely snubbed the year's most daring film – and it doesn't make sense
Oscar nominations are out – there's just one problem...
Every Oscars season, us film fans are met with the inevitable snubs: from films of certain genres not being considered serious enough, to quiet, brilliant performances being dropped in favour of louder ones that sit within the rigid framework of what the Academy considers 'worthy'. Of course, we’re also then often met by the rogue choices that leave everyone blinking in disbelief at their television screens. (I, for one, received a few surprised texts when one certain Best Picture nominee was read out this afternoon…). This year, however, one particular snub has stuck out like a sore thumb – Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee. And not only was Ann Lee snubbed – it was completely ignored from the nominations list, with its name not falling under a single category in this year’s slate. That’s right. Daniel Blumburg’s staggering, hypnotic score (which I actually have on in the background while writing this) was erased; Woman Clothed by the Sun, one of the most angelic original songs of the year (I challenge anyone to listen to it and try to tell me it’s inferior to any of the five nominees) was blanked, Fastvold’s writing and brilliant direction were both nowhere to be seen. Not even Best Actress, which once seemed the only category Ann Lee could get a look in, served plaudits. It is that latter snub for Best Actress that perhaps is the most shocking. Until about a month ago, Amanda Seyfried receiving an Oscar nomination for pouring her entire heart and soul into playing Mother Ann Lee felt almost inevitable. And yes, while the Best Actress category is undoubtedly stacked this year, Seyfried’s Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe nominations had me convinced that her flawless performance as the founding leader of the Shaker movement would get at least a small nod. To be clear, The Testament of Ann Lee isn’t some kind of niche, underground film that only four of your biggest cinephile friends have seen (not that obscurity would have made its snub acceptable, but you get my point). Instead, the film boasted a fantastic ensemble (with Seyfried joined by the likes of Lewis Pullman and Thomasin McKenzie), a respected director, and a career-best performance in Seyfried – a previous Oscar nominee, no less. Mona Fastvold herself is no stranger to the Oscars. In 2024, she left her creative fingerprints all over The Brutalist, which went on to be nominated for 10 awards at the Oscars the following year – including Best Picture. (Though admittedly, Brady Corbet was the director at the helm of The Brutalist, and the Oscars don’t have the best track record with celebrating female filmmakers). Ann Lee’s complete exclusion is even more surprising given its massive achievement. With such a small budget covering such an epic scope, the cinematography, music, performances and structure all work so deliberately and so uniquely together to create a film that is truly unlike any cinematic experience I have gone through – and it’s a magnificent shame that the Academy considers it unworthy of even the smallest recognition. View Green Video on the source website Of course, the Oscars have never been particularly intelligent in recognising work that does something completely new. Instead, they are so frequently occupied by films that repeat the same patterns, aesthetics and ideas over and over again, largely ignoring those that have the ability to reshape the way we see cinema. Because Ann Lee is billed as a musical about a religious leader, and it does take its risks, it therefore falls out of that comfort zone. But every risk the film takes pays off greatly – and in a cinematic landscape that is made up predominantly of regurgitated remakes and gratuitous sequels, each risk is more than welcome. The film’s huge ambition is what makes it so incredible. Ann Lee may truly be one of the most individual films I have ever seen. On my first watch, I found myself in desperate need to rewind and watch it all over again – and on my second watch, it made me sob – and honestly, even now, I struggle to articulate exactly why. There is just something so unflinchingly raw, strange and beautiful in its craft that it just goes straight through you. And while, yes, it may be less 'accessible' than films such as Hamnet and Frankenstein, such accessibility should not be a measure of its greatness. Now, I’m not saying that Ann Lee should completely sweep the awards board. As much as I’d personally welcome that, it’s an unrealistic expectation. A historical film so deeply concerned with female spirituality, leadership and music perhaps was never going to be an easy sell in an environment that prioritises films that do not favour those things. But to ignore the film completely – this year, the Academy have genuinely left me baffled. (In other, more Ann Lee-related terms, I Hunger and Thirst for the Academy to take this film seriously). The Testament of Ann Lee will be released in UK cinemas on 20th February. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Death in Paradise season 14 teased an exciting Catherine development – but season 15 won't deliver
There's much to look forward to in Death in Paradise season 15. From Selwyn officially stepping back into his role as commissioner, to Mervin's ongoing personal growth – he's set to meet his half-brother Solomon for the first time – the theme of the murder mystery's upcoming chapter is undoubtedly new beginnings Well, for some, anyway. For Catherine, Saint Marie's much-loved mayor and owner of the best bar in town, the word stagnation springs to mind – particularly given what was hinted at in season 14. "I've started seeing someone," she previously confided in Naomi and Darlene, a twinkle in her eye. But it was "early days, we're having fun." And that was all we got. Catherine kept her cards close to her chest as we were left to wonder, with justified anticipation, what the writers had in store for her. Surely they would pick up where they left off? We assumed, with confidence, that her mention of a new romantic partner – and one shrouded in so much secrecy, we should add – would eventually lead somewhere. That teasing moment was brief, sure, but it was a moment nonetheless. Read more: Death in Paradise confirms season 15 departure of long-running fan-favourite Death in Paradise season 15 confirms special guest stars – from Happy Valley to EastEnders icons Because to not take things any further would be completely pointless and random — why mention it at all? It would also feel like a feeble attempt to remind us that she has a personal life and isn't just a vessel for other people's problems. But more than that, it would be genuinely irritating, not to mention entirely at odds with good storytelling, especially given that a section of the fandom has been calling for Catherine to find love for quite some time – and not without reason. She briefly dated Adrian Dunbar's Aidan Miles in the first season of the show, but that crashed and burned when he was arrested for murder. Such is life in Saint Marie… There has also been some casual dating here and there, but the details are so hazy — that tells you all you need to know. But those tantalising season 14 comments were obviously laying the groundwork for a new chapter in Catherine's life. The patience of viewers and actor Élizabeth Bourgine herself – "I think Catherine should be dating and have a love story," she told Virgin Radio UK in 2024 – was surely about to be rewarded? Or so I thought. Frustratingly, Bourgine has since confirmed that there is nothing of the sort in Catherine's immediate future. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/Catherine-8dba90d.jpg" width="4284" height="2856" alt="A woman wearing a colorful purple dress, headscarf, and layered jewelry stands inside a church, smiling calmly with her hands clasped. Behind her, a young woman in a red shirt and a man in a light blue uniform stand between wooden pews decorated with red flowers, while another person in a light-colored robe faces her in the foreground." title="Death in Paradise s15" /> "I keep on asking for a romance for Catherine. She's desperately wanting one… or two, so I hope one day she'll have a lovely one, [but] it will not be in this series. I'm sorry, but no, not yet… maybe later," she told RadioTimes.com and other press. So there you have it. While there's a possibility of some dating – and perhaps even a relationship – further down the line, there's nothing to speak of in season 15, although Don Gilet did joke about Catherine giving Mervin the "glad eye", which would be one hell of a development. "Let's just keep them wanting that because it's quite an interesting idea," he teased, as Bourgine chuckled. "Don’t sound so disgusted!" he added in faux annoyance. "Stop it!" But on a more sincere note, why include any mention of Catherine's love life if there were no plans to explore it? While there has always been a legitimate case for revisiting that side of the character, the writers have since turbocharged the idea, only to steer us into a dead end, as we're left wondering: when? Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. Perhaps the real love story is her enduring friendship with Selwyn, who she fought tooth and nail to save when his job was under threat. But while heartening, so much of what we see from Catherine in that dynamic – and others – is in service to the needs of those around her. She spends much of her time supporting everyone else, which certainly has its place on the show and is a key part of her personality, but it can come at the expense of her own characterisation. Not that we'd ever want to reduce her to someone who is desperate for a man, but her desire to meet someone has become part of the fabric of her story and would deliver rich, well-earned storytelling. To the show's credit, Catherine is set to become more involved in the various investigations this year – "She's a hub of information; she knows the people and their business." And she also has a "backstory" with the station's new sergeant, Mattie Fletcher, which will become clearer over the course of the season. As for Catherine's love life, though, that will have to keep waiting. Death in Paradise season 15 premieres on 30th January at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Add Death in Paradise to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How Blake's 7 was massively ahead of its time when it first aired – and why it fits perfectly in the modern TV landscape
Decades before TV embraced anti-heroes, moral grey areas and brutal endings, Blake’s 7 was already rewriting the rules.
When Blake’s 7 launched on BBC One in 1978, it barely resembled the sleek, prestige science fiction audiences now expect. The budget was tight, the sets sometimes wobbled and the production constraints were obvious. Yet nearly 50 years later, the series looks less like a curiosity of its era and more like a quietly revolutionary text – one that anticipated where television drama, and science fiction in particular, would eventually go. With a reboot now in development, Blake’s 7 is returning to a TV landscape it helped to shape – and its renewed relevance has little to do with nostalgia. Instead, it lies in how boldly the show embraced anti-heroes, moral ambiguity and brutal consequences at a time when genre television still preferred comforting certainty. Creator Terry Nation – also the inventor of that great Doctor Who menace, the Daleks – once described Blake's 7 as "The Dirty Dozen in space", and that framing proved crucial. This was never a story about noble explorers or spotless rebels. Series protagonist Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas) begins as an idealistic freedom fighter opposing a totalitarian Federation, but the series steadily dismantles his moral authority. As his obsession deepens, Blake becomes reckless and absolutist, responsible for civilian deaths the show refused to excuse. Rather than improving, he deteriorates – an extraordinary narrative choice for late 1970s BBC drama. Even more radical was Blake's second Kerr Avon (Paul Darrow), who remains one of the most uncompromising anti-heroes science fiction television has ever produced. Brilliant, sarcastic and emotionally detached, Avon regularly questions whether doing the "right thing" is worth the cost. Sometimes he decides it isn’t. Crucially, Blake’s 7 never rushed to redeem him. Avon is allowed to be selfish, cowardly and cruel, punctuated by moments of reluctant heroism. Decades before Tony Soprano or Walter White, audiences were being asked to follow – and occasionally root for – someone morally corrosive at the heart of the story. The rebellion itself offered no moral refuge. Unlike later space operas that romanticise resistance, Blake’s 7 presents insurgency as chaotic, under-resourced and frequently self-defeating. The crew betray one another, abandon causes for personal reasons and argue over whether the Federation is even worth fighting. Victories are often temporary, reinforcing the idea that power structures do not collapse neatly. This bleak worldview extended to its villains. Servalan (Jacqueline Pearce), the Federation’s most memorable antagonist, was politically intelligent, sexually confident and ruthlessly adaptable. She often outmanoeuvred the heroes rather than being defeated outright, surviving through charm and strategy rather than brute force. In an era of simplistic sci-fi antagonists, Servalan felt alarmingly modern. Perhaps most infamous were the show’s deaths. From early departee Olag Gan (David Jackson) to eventually its title character, Blake’s 7 killed characters suddenly, unfairly and permanently. Major figures could be eliminated mid-story, without ceremony or catharsis, and the narrative moved on regardless. This culminated in the now-legendary final episode, which ended in a brutal shootout and an ambiguous massacre that offered no reassurance that sacrifice would be rewarded or that the 'right side' would win. These choices proved hugely influential. While not all later creators have cited Blake’s 7 directly, its DNA can be felt in series that embraced ensemble casts of compromised characters and long-term moral consequences, from Babylon 5 – whose creator J Michael Straczynski has acknowledged loving the show’s tone – to Deep Space Nine, Farscape, Firefly and The Expanse. All share echoes of Blake’s 7’s central ideas: rebellion without romance, heroes without purity, and victories that come at devastating cost. That lineage is now being acknowledged by the people bringing Blake’s 7 back. Director Peter Hoar – one of the creative minds behind the revival – has spoken about how the original series succeeded not because of money, but because "it meant something". Reflecting on its modest resources, he noted that audiences were willing to "compartmentalise and enjoy the ride knowing that the sets wobbled". Hoar has also directly compared Blake’s 7 to Andor, arguing that the Star Wars spin-off succeeded "because of the integrity, wit and sophistication" of its storytelling, rather than spectacle. It’s a telling comparison. Andor’s focus on moral compromise, political oppression and the personal cost of resistance feels less like a modern invention than a continuation of ideas Blake’s 7 was exploring decades earlier. In today’s TV landscape – shaped by serialised storytelling, anti-heroes and moral grey zones – Blake’s 7 no longer feels ahead of its time. It feels perfectly at home. What once seemed bleak and confrontational has become the language of modern prestige drama. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
When did TV documentaries become all about celebrities and 'being' and stop being about people actually doing something?
The good news is that there are green shoots of fresh geek-dom on our screens.
My friend and I used to be fans of a big documentary festival until about a decade ago. After yet more films about a boy wearing mascara, or a girl holding a Kalashnikov, we walked out after a screening and she said, "It’s all about being. When did people stop doing stuff?" To be fair, documentaries remain a crucial platform for investigative journalism, but when it comes to our TV screens, my friend was right. We aren’t short of what TV commissioners call "factual entertainment", but it feels like a million variations on a single premise: two celebrities in a car swapping their "stories", between stops where they buy a house and a surprisingly valuable bit of art. Or, if it's Channel 4, an intentionally provocative session with some kind of sex practitioner. If an expert is called upon, it’s to answer the questions of yet another celebrity. Where are the people doing stuff? It wasn’t always this way. I grew up watching people like Keith Floyd, Ann Ladbury and Fred Dibnah and their infectious enthusiasms for, respectively, cooking without a recipe (but with a glass of red), cutting sewing patterns and demolishing chimneys. They were all doing it anyway; fame came through their passions, not the other way round. The word "geek" – which just means a deep, tireless interest in a subject, often niche – has been given a bad rap, associated with a bad haircut and passion for planes over personal grooming. Well, give me an unsmoothed expert enthused to share over a slick celebrity paid to learn any day of the week. The good news is that there are green shoots of fresh geek-dom on our screens. With a doffed cap to the storytelling talents of scientist Dr Hannah Fry, the numero uno of nerds is Guy Martin. First spotted by TV producers on his bike in a 2009 TT race, the Grimsby-born presenter brings his love for all things mechanical to TV, from building a boat to breaking the world record for the fastest toboggan. Refreshingly averse to celebrity over substance (he said no to hosting Top Gear), Martin must navigate authenticity with keeping producers happy. His latest series explores "proper jobs"– which I’m guessing means those requiring pre-dawn starts and dirty hands (strangely, I’ve not yet received the call), and it’s something he clearly admires. Nearly two decades after stardom beckoned, he still turns down TV work in favour of mending lorries and driving tractors. There are plenty out there. If you don’t recognise the name Wintergatan, you’re not one of the 276 million who have tuned into YouTube to watch this Swedish band’s frontman Martin Molin play an instrument he built using 2,000 marbles. Subsequently, Molin abandoned the project, calling it unreliable for the planned world tour. Like Martin, this techie is not for turning. On paper, Francis Bourgeois sounds dreadful: "TikTok content producer, brand ambassador, model." But at heart, he's a trainspotter, whose enthusiasm for all things locomotive has garnered millions of followers on social media. View oEmbed on the source website For a Channel 4 doc, he flirts with the idea of going to space and has a reality check when he prepares to meet a real astronaut: "I have to carry my engineering expertise to this meeting. The power of social media, that can only take one so far." Well, indeed, but in an age where we no longer learn how to mend a Land Rover, sew a dress or demolish a chimney, it is the modern mastery of such self-promotion that is key to promoting these skills and passions past, and where we’re reminded that there is no happier companionship than a shared niche. When Guy Martin's host family of dairy farmers throw him a party, the bubbly is popped, the burgers are turned, but where’s Guy? In a corner, showing the farmer’s son what ChatGPT has to say about hydraulic engine fluids. Doing stuff. Enthralled, enthralling. Mission to Space with Francis Bourgeois begins on Sunday 25 January at 6:50pm on Channel 4. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Night Manager's most surprising romance is probably doomed – but it's not too late for Teddy
Believers in the 'Jeddy' relationship would be wise to keep their expectations low...
*Warning: spoilers for The Night Manager season 2 episode 4* The bullets sent flying were the least dramatic part of the shoot-out that brought The Night Manager's latest chapter to a close. Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) finally revealed his true self to Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), in order to rescue an innocent teenager tricked into aiding the assassination of Alejandro Gualteros (Alberto Ammann). But the sequence didn't play out like a typical double-cross, the likes of which spy fiction is filled with. The swelling music, teary eyes and anguished outburst made one thing clear: this was a matter of the heart. Pine's earlier flirtations with Teddy certainly hadn't gone unnoticed (a gentle touch here, a stolen glance there), but even after last week's steamy dance scene, it remained unclear whether the deep cover agent was just exploiting him. Well, consider that case closed. In contrast to Pine's unhesitating brutality towards season 1 rivals Corky (Tom Hollander) and Freddie (David Avery), we can clearly see that he's distraught to be raising his weapon against Teddy – despite having legitimate cause. Both Hiddleston and Calva deserve high praise for this powerful stand-off, but especially the latter, who is dragged through a dizzying cycle of confusion, heartbreak and fury as Teddy wakes up to his deception. It's gut-wrenching enough to make you briefly forget who the 'villain' is in this scene, which is impressive given that one character just executed a public servant for no other reason than he couldn't be bought. To Calva's credit, even in the grotesque inhumanity of that action, we can still see the dying embers of a soul in Teddy – which is perhaps what draws Pine to him as well. It begs the question: can he be redeemed for his many grave sins? Well, the seeds might already be planted. In episode 4, we saw how slippery Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) can be to even his own flesh and blood – but it could come back to haunt him. After decades spent at arm's length as a secret love child, Teddy tells Roper that he wants to be formally acknowledged as his son in return for helping him through the darkest period of his life. Roper ostensibly accepts the deal, but later, he cruelly dismisses Teddy, making it clear to old pal Sandy (Alistair Petrie) that he views Danny (Noah Jupe) as his only true heir. For now, Teddy remains oblivious to this rejection, making his attempts to please his father all the more heartbreaking – from personally making him breakfast to lying when their kidnapping plot goes awry (admittedly, not the greatest bonding activity). But should Roper's disdain become apparent, could Teddy be so aggrieved as to turn his back on his own father? It's a plausible path forward, but probably not one that leads to Pine's loving embrace. Hiddleston's chameleonic agent doesn't have a brilliant track record when it comes to romantic relationships (case in point: where is Jed?), with producer Stephen Garrett dourly telling Deadline that "spies have no friends, have no family". Regardless of his obvious sympathy for Teddy, it's also highly doubtful that principled Pine would let him off scot-free for crimes already committed; recruitment as an asset would surely be his most lenient proposal (followed by Teddy becoming a monk). While hardly a fairytale ending, any outcome that frees both men of Roper's corrupting influence would give this sizzling connection some long-term meaning – and that isn't nothing! It's certainly preferable to the believable alternative for our star-crossed (almost) lovers: abject tragedy. On behalf of the burgeoning Jonathan and Teddy fandom, please don't ruin our year! The Night Manager season 2 is airing on BBC One and iPlayer. Add The Night Manager to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
I'm Ben Fogle and this is how my small breakdown made me stronger – and why I no longer strive for perfection
Writing in the latest issue of Radio Times magazine, TV presenter Ben Fogle says he changed his life by limiting social media and embracing nature.
I used to strive for perfection. It was, partly, my own drive for personal achievement, but also an ever-increasing societal pressure – borne through social media – to be faster, better and to have more. In 2023, overwhelmed by noise and chaos and the negativity of social media, I had a wobble, a small breakdown, experiencing anxiety and paranoia for the very first time. There’s a mental health epidemic and its tentacles reach us all. Unfortunately, there remains a stigma that, if you admit to having ever struggled with your mental health, you’re somehow weak and fragile; a precious fruit that must be handled with great delicacy. But, just like a broken bone, our brains can heal with time and patience. Our experiences form a part of who we are and that does not make us weak or vulnerable. We’re moulded and shaped by our past, both good and bad. My own mental health challenges have made me stronger and more resilient. Those challenges have also given me compassion, a heightened awareness of our fragility and a shared experience with the people I visit in my series New Lives in the Wild, who have often fled a conventional life, turning their backs on the rat race, due to their own mental health struggles. Some 25 years ago, I was on one of the first reality shows, Castaway, and marooned for a year on a remote Scottish island. That also gave me an empathy for those who have chosen to live a simpler, humbler life. Filming New Lives in the Wild – which is back for a 20th series – I’ve seen how living off-grid in the wilderness has been a help following illness, bereavement, financial troubles or difficulties with mental health. Our contributors have found a sense of purpose, whether that’s living alone on a crocodile- and snake-infested remote island in Uganda; spending day and night in a small, simple narrowboat on the edge of the Peak District; or moving their family to a “wild west” mountaintop in Montana, USA, where daily life can be a matter of survival. Often they are living a more financially frugal life, some on just a few thousand pounds a year. The beauty of the series and the reason for its longevity is in its aspirational qualities. That doesn’t mean I hope viewers follow suit and move to Outer Mongolia, but you can take metaphors from our show. The metaphor that I’ve adopted in the past two years is that of simplifying life. We are all in danger of being overwhelmed with noise, materialism and fear. Social media, which has become an avalanche of negativity, fuels hate, encourages constant comparison and adds to the cacophony. I was an early adopter of social media, but now I use it less and less. I’ve spiked most of my social media apps. I limit the amount of news and current affairs I consume, I listen to upbeat podcasts and watch positive TV shows. Most importantly, I turn off my phone and go for long walks in the countryside with my dogs. I go for runs and I allow my brain to switch off and reboot. I find myself calmer and happier. I worry less, stress less, anger less, fixate less. Suddenly life becomes so much more achievable. I try to live in the now and focus on the present, but I don’t always succeed. One day I’d like to find a little off-grid cabin of my own, perhaps somewhere in Norway or Sweden – an island in the Arctic Circle sounds nice – where I can disappear into nature. There will be wood to chop and stack, cold early-morning swims, paddles on my Canadian canoe, plenty of dogs and maybe some new skills to learn, like painting or boat-building. In the meantime, I’ll try to shut out the noise and keep my life simple and happy. Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild airs Thursdays at 9pm on 5. Ben Fogle: Wild UK tour 2026 — book tickets at nothird.co.uk/live-shows/ben-fogle. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now - subscribe here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' most graphic scene so far makes a crucial point about the show
Plenty of people have had a s**t time of it in Westeros, but few have had it quite as bad as Dunk (Peter Claffey). A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms begins with the modest hedge knight in mourning. Once Dunk has wiped away his tears, the plan is to honour his late master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), in a jousting tournament nearby. But before he heads off to compete, another task must be completed first. It's all very serious as Dunk buries Arlan with all the gravitas you might expect from a show set in this world. The music swells and builds ceremoniously as the hero's journey is about to begin… And then we suddenly cut to Dunk defecating by a tree. It's not a brief dump either. The camera cuts from a modest overhead shot to a wide angle where we can see the full extent of the poop spraying out from Dunk's behind. Targaryens will get down and dirty in all kinds of ways, often with their own siblings, but you'd never catch one of them doing that. Not on camera anyway. Of course, Dunk doesn't know he's being watched by us either. Poor guy. And things are about to get a whole lot worse for him before they get better… It's tempting to assume the graphic nature of this scene has been included this early on just for shock value. Games of Thrones is hardly known for taming things down, after all. But like a doctor looking through a stool for answers, we too can learn a lot about Dunk and this show's outlook through a messy scene like this. There's the abrupt shift in tone for one. While both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are rather serious (for the most part), leading with this bowel movement early on establishes that this ain't your nana's Westeros — not by any means. Humour is as integral to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as knights and kingdoms are. It's there in the way people greet each other — "What you gawping at, you blue eyed c**t?" — and it's there in the crueller putdowns too, like when a woman says early on, "A hedge knight is like a knight, but sadder." None of this is funny for Dunk, of course, just as it's not amusing to poop outside without a roll of bog paper to wipe up. But this kind of callous toilet humour situates the show in a very different place than previous visits to Westeros, making us laugh while also establishing the realities of life for an everyman who wasn't fortunate enough to be born into nobility. This outlook differentiates A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms from both Thrones and House of the Dragon in ways that this franchise sorely needed. There's only so many times you can circle back to nobility in Westeros before risking repetition, and as this series proves, there's a whole world out there full of interesting new stories to navigate. To be fair, Game of Thrones did manage this to some degree, and once even with poop as well. Remember at the start of season seven when Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) began maester training only to discover that this entailed cleaning up human waste? Bradley spoke to Vulture about the importance of this bedpan sequence at the time: "The first time we see Sam, he’s being put through abject misery compared to how elated he was when he first arrived at the Citadel at the end of season six. He’s so disenchanted with it all, realizing that after all the time he’s invested in the Wall all these years, he’s now away from everybody." "Sam is restless and angry," adds Bradley, "and he feels he’s letting Jon down. The scene makes you believe all that. It’s a very functional scene at establishing his psychology and his motives going into this season, but it does it in a very entertaining and, hopefully, very funny way." Just as this sequence highlighted the contrast between noble life and the gritty toil of scholarly pursuits, so too does the excrement in Seven Kingdoms, which points to hardship for Dunk. As showrunner Ira Parker told RadioTimes.com and other outlets, "The moment behind the tree is so important to season 1. [It's] Dunk feeling this call to try something really hard, to go out there and to be a knight... "He so badly wants it, he picks up the story, feels this call, but then, of course, like all of us, whenever we try to do something new and hard that we've never done before, your guts just turn to water. "He's not a hero, yet, he's not this fake version of a hero that senses his destiny and goes out and grabs it. He is a human being like me and you. He wants things, but he doesn't exactly know how to get the better things, and his journey this season is going to be about whether or not he can endure the trials of knighthood, and actually rise to the occasion." Nothing says you're struggling like pooping under a tree and sleeping out in the open. But we're not just meant to feel sorry for Dunk. This is simply the life of an everyman in Westeros, yet even so, this humble hedge knight doesn't let it get him down. By establishing Dunk's world as a cruel one, it's all the more impressive when he sticks to his guns in the face of great difficulty. With Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) by his side, Dunk's belief in what's right never falters and that makes him a hero worth rooting for. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the ruling class above him whose merest whims can send our hedge knight spiralling. Dunk has been dealt a s**t hand, and I'm not just talking about the lack of toilet paper in that field. But, this is exactly what sets A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms apart and makes it a worthy extension of George R. R. Martin's world. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on 19th January 2026 on Sky Atlantic and NOW and airs in the US on HBO. Game of Thrones seasons 1 to 8 and House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Forget Game of Thrones – Industry season 4 just aired Kit Harington's finest hour
Kit Harington impressed in Industry season 3 but season 4 is him at his heartbreaking best.
*Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Industry season 4 episode 2.* Although green energy company Lumi was at the heart of Industry's third outing, Kit Harington's Sir Henry Muck wasn't really the main character that bowled everyone over last season. Admittedly, there was a lot going on, what with the scandal surrounding Yasmin's father Charles, Rishi's mounting debts from his gambling addiction and, lest we forget, the downfall of Pierpoint & Co. So, it's safe to say that I – like many other Industry fans, I'm sure – wasn't really expecting all that much from Henry's story this season. Nor, if I'm being totally honest, really wanted much from it. Henry's reeked of entitlement since first exploding into the series and what with Yasmin (Marisa Abela) picking him over Robert (Harry Lawtey), that sense of self-assurance was only set to grow tenfold in the show's fourth instalment, right? It's a role that, for Game of Thrones actor Harington, didn't seem all that challenging. The actor had postulated about how the character was "molded" on "various people" he's known in life. With a personal background that includes a knighted baronet father, as well as various familial connections to the Gunpowder Plot, I'd hazard a guess and say that encapsulating someone in that upper echelon of society wasn't as alien to Harington as being Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. But there's reading lines on a page and there's acting, as we all know. While Industry is a glowing example of stellar writing in a TV landscape that often prioritises quick wins over steady character development, that sentiment really takes on new meaning with Henry this season. However, Sir Muck simply wouldn't be the character he is without Harington, who surprisingly comes into his own as an Industry scene-stealer in his own right. Lumi is no more and as we see in the closing scenes of season 4's premiere episode, Henry is licking his wounds playing a harpsichord in his grand manor. It signals the dawning of a second episode that lifts the lid on where Henry's been. But like this season so far, it's a risk. Are fans really that invested in Henry to get an entire episode (à la Rishi in season 3) centred on him? But I needn't have had reservations, as The Commander and the Grey Lady, which is all about Henry and his demons, will leave many bowled over at Harington's performance. We've known Henry has a troubled past, with the former CEO confiding in Yasmin in season 3 about his father's death. At the time, he told her that his father had walked out onto the moor during Sunday lunch and "blown his head off". He follows that up rather calmly admitting that he too had suicidal ideation in his last year of school. But along with the quick-moving pace of Industry, that snippet of dialogue is almost forgotten as we careered through the series. Now, Henry's 40th birthday brings all of that back into sharp focus as the season 4 episode reveals that Henry has been struggling in the aftermath of losing out on a local election. He's gone from climate change to trying to be a Conservative MP, but Sir Henry loses out to Amy James-Kelly's Jennifer Bevan in the process. The man-baby that Henry is, he finds solace in weeping into Yasmin's lap after his loss but we don't see the immediate aftermath and are instead pulled forward in time to his birthday. Champagne bottles litter the room that Henry clearly does not share with his wife, he's clearly hoarding some level of embarrassment about the way in which Yasmin just can't let the hired help do their jobs and oh wait, an opulent elevenses is ready! "Oh what a life," we're initially thinking. But as Henry sits down with his uncle Alexander Norton (Andrew Havill) and Yasmin, she gifts him his father's old watch which she found and had serviced. That small, thoughtful gesture really does upend his entire day, though. He's shouted at by his uncle like a child and told off about his apathy. In the web of that conversation, we nonchalantly find out about Henry's more recent lithium medication use, something we've never known about and which is used to treat mood disorders like mania and bipolar disorder. "F**k my father and his genetic inheritance," Henry tells his uncle. But Alexander tells him to "ignore it, numb it or integrate it into your life". The "it" in this case being Henry's depleting mental health, for which he's turned to drugs and alcohol to satiate. Season 3's Henry was characterised by the air that he could do anything he wanted, simply because he was the kind of man the world never told 'no'. His business took a dive and his attention turned to winning over the attention of Yasmin, but Harington previously described his character as "a strange, f**ked up, charming, but deeply sad guy". Harington embodies all of that in this episode as a pained prince, a fallen star and someone who is visibly being crushed by the weight of societal expectation. He's a shell of his season 3 self, no more bravado and instead, having to confront a past that is clearly impacting his present. It must be difficult to be an actor that is constantly compared to a breakthrough role and for Harington, Game of Thrones is only a breath away in any conversation about his new work. However, this episode (and some more to come) really does underline the actor at a new career high and consequentially, he's a genuinely unexpected highlight of the series. But that doesn't mean Henry's suddenly likeable – the very fact that he still isn't is what makes him endearing, however. Henry still has a mean streak, continuing to hold onto the fact that by marrying him, he's granted Yasmin this invisible societal access pass, lauding it over their marriage like an unspoken dark cloud. He whips it out when he thinks it'll hurt the most, using it as a weapon against her despite the pair initially posing as a love story of messed up individuals. Abela continues to shine in this series and comes into her own in this episode, physically convulsing at the thought of being unfaithful to a husband with a new non-existent sex drive, but then cuttingly ordering Henry to "roll up your f**king sleeve" to reveal his drug use. Ding ding, she's found the loophole in their water-tight prenup. Together, Harington and Abela bring such electricity to the series in their joint performances, making even the most cutting of scenes with them the most glorious to watch. The lavish party is really just a backdrop to Henry's downward spiral, but he lights up when old friend Edward Smith (Jack Farthing) enters the room. Edward whisks him away to a local pub and speaks of infidelity, clearly being a bad influence on Henry and sitting idly by as Henry beats up a gobby local to the point of complete incapacity. "None of that darkness s**t, not tonight," Edward tells Henry in the pub. But things take a turn after the attack when Henry chats to the local priest again, who reminds him of his father's funeral many years ago. The priest apologises for not talking to Henry that day and while Henry tries to get the attention of Edward, he's ignored. We then see that he has disappeared. Their dynamic has shifted entirely – from bantering friends on a night out to now, an ice cold chill in the space between them. All is revealed when Edward hauntingly lifts his scarf to reveal a bloody neck, a scene that would fit seamlessly into any horror montage. The background beating drum and the loud tick of Edward's watch signals something is coming but as the viewer scrambles to figure out what, it slowly comes into focus. Henry, in his garage, blocks the vents and starts the engine which in turn, triggers a flashback sequence. We see Edward in Henry's kitchen, talking to a small boy before leaving the dining table. It all becomes clear that Edward isn't just a friend from Henry's past, he's his father. We get a fleeting heartbreaking image of a present-day Henry looking after his father and then, as a boy, watching as Edward makes his way across their acres of land to a tree, with bundles of rope in his arms. The entire episode is the kind that takes on new meaning once you know what the twist is, something akin to a pulsating thriller rather than an episode of Industry – but it really is a clever way of opening up Henry's story. Henry's boy-like wonder is somewhat accounted for by that vignette into his childhood; he never got to fully enjoy a childhood after seeing such atrocity. Once again, Industry creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay present a character that isn't too far from saving. Sure, Henry's a former hopeful Conservative MP for a county he actually doesn't really respect but like all the delicious characters in this series, he's got a story – and it's one that Harington pulls off with the emotional complexity it not only warrants, but needs. Thankfully, Henry wakes up with the voice of Yasmin in his head and runs home to her. He's back to his usual infantilised self as Yasmin says she'll kill him if he ever puts her through this again, with his uncle watching like a voyeur from the window as the pair make love on the hood of his car. Henry is none the wiser but Alexander's eye contact with Yasmin only proves that Henry's being puppeteered by those around him. For those repercussions, we'll just have to watch and see. Really though, it takes a lot to shine in a cast that's headed up by the likes of Myha'la and Abela, with a raft of strong talent also coming in for Industry's latest outing. But Harington's strong performance only shakes off any preconceptions that fans may have, with the actor coming into his own in an entirely new – and heartbreaking – way this season. Industry seasons 1-3 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and season 4 continues every Monday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The drama airs on HBO in the US. Add Industry to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
I wrote the book on Tomb Raider - here's how Sophie Turner and Alix Wilton Regan will rewrite Lara Croft's history
Since its 1996 debut, Tomb Raider has remained an iconic franchise, with protagonist Lara Croft jumping, shooting and plundering tombs for almost three decades. Tomb Raider is a series that’s been a constant presence in my career. There’s no greater example than having a book published about the first two games in 2021, along with a follow-up coming out later this year. 2026 marks the series’ 30th year, and Crystal Dynamics, the current custodians of Tomb Raider in gaming, have announced two new titles. The first, called Legacy of Atlantis, is a re-imagining of the first game, out later this year, while Catalyst is the latest all-new entry in the series, coming out in 2027. New Tomb Raider games usually feature a new voice actor for Lara, and Alix Wilton Regan was indeed announced as the latest to voice Croft. I suspected as much when I saw her interviewed on Radio Times Gaming’s TikTok channel. And with the Sophie Turner-starring Amazon series looming a little further on the horizon, there’s a clear theme being instilled — the classic retro Lara that you remember from the old days is back, in more ways than one. An old favourite for a new audience This year’s Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis game is a reimagining of the 1996 original. However, I have heard that the game is leaning more towards 2007’s Tomb Raider Anniversary remake in its narrative and level design. It makes sense, as Crystal Dynamics long ago said that every mainline entry was going to be part of a unified timeline. This means that the 2013 reboot is the earliest game, speaking from Lara’s point of view, and 2008’s Tomb Raider Underworld is the most recent in her timeline. Confused? Understandable. But with Atlantis and Catalyst coming soon, both with Alix Wilton Regan voicing Lara, it should be easier than ever for new players to jump in and understand what’s going on. As Legacy of Atlantis will be set early on in Lara’s timeline, this means that we'll hopefully get to see the wit and British humour that were abundant in the 1996 original, and in some of the 2007 remake. Originally voiced by Shelley Blond, she was able to get across Lara’s humour in a way that I feel has been lost in recent years. Regan already seems to have that aspect, and there was no shortage of tongue-in-cheek humour in the trailers for both her upcoming games. To bring a less-serious Lara to new and old players, hearkening back to how Blond started it all, would be very welcome. Indeed, if you look at one of Regan’s showreels, you can hide the video and easily imagine her voicing Lara being sassy but confident. And we see a glimpse of that humour in the Catalyst trailer, when she jokingly tells a monologuing villain, "That’s where you’re wrong. I’m just getting started…" If we see other attributes in Legacy of Atlantis, such as the much-needed return of Winston the Butler, or some motifs of the original music created and composed by Nathan McCree, this new reimagining could make the game a contender for game of the year. But that’s not all. A catalyst moment Regan also has a unique challenge with Lara, something arguably not done before in other franchises. 2027’s Tomb Raider: Catalyst is set at the latest point in the unified timeline, meaning it’s set roughly 11 games after the events of Legacy of Atlantis. We’re going to be seeing Lara as an older, more experienced archaeologist, whom we’ll be playing later this year. That means Regan is likely going to bring a more mature Lara to the mix here, bridging her take from Atlantis to Catalyst. This is also exciting, as Regan has a lot of control over how this older Lara will react to situations. Again, I hope the British wit remains, if it does return in Legacy of Atlantis, and I can’t help but think she will bring that to Lara in droves based on her previous roles. But there’s also another catalyst moment to consider, in the form of Sophie Turner. Although she was confirmed to be playing Lara in the Amazon TV Show, it wasn’t until 15th January that a photo revealed Turner in the full Lara Croft garb, reflecting the classic era. Indeed, when you look at Sophie Turner with the shorts, the pistols, the red sunglasses and the lack of sleeves, you can’t help but notice how the whole ensemble screams of a retro Lara Croft vibe. When you consider the voice skills of Regan, combined with the look of Lara in the Amazon show, I can’t help but think that 'classic Lara' is officially back. That’s a promising theme to latch onto as we move closer to Lara’s big birthday. Rewriting history It’s clear that the Tomb Raider franchise is rolling back the years, all the way back to the original Lara, with these new projects. You couldn’t have imagined this happening as close as five years ago, when Alicia Vikander’s take on Croft was fresh in many minds, matching closely with the bow-and-arrow-wielding, self-serious vibe of the Survivor trilogy games. View Green Video on the source website In those games (2013’s Tomb Raider, 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider, and 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider), where Lara was played by Camilla Luddington, everything seemed to have a grey and gritty feel. Retro Lara was something to move away from, not something to embrace, at that moment in time. Now that the Survivor era has played out (and it did have some great moments, let me say for the record), Sophie Turner and Alix Wilton Regan both seem to be throwing it back to Tomb Raider’s early days in their own ways. Between them, they’re rewriting Lara’s history by revisiting those early looks and lighthearted vibes, and making them fresh and new all over again. Some old stories, some new ones, but a Lara that feels true to the original vision. Just as The Last of Us and Fallout games have found new players by moving onto TV, Tomb Raider is putting itself in a great position to entice people here. By the time that Sophie Turner’s TV show is out, Alix Wilton Regan’s first game will be available, and both will be united by a retro feel that’s instantly recognisable as the Lara Croft of yore. These new actors are a perfect way to celebrate Tomb Raider’s 30th anniversary, as well as taking the series forward in both mediums. With a sold-out fan event happening in Derby later this year to celebrate, the hype is huge already. In addition, having spoken to Lara actors Shelley Blond, Judith Gibbins, and Jonell Elliott for my two ‘Making of Tomb Raider’ books, I was always struck by how honoured they still are to be part of Lara Croft. Now, there are two more to add to the roster. After years of feeling like the franchise was undervalued and misplaced, I’m instead feeling lots of enthusiasm and hope for where the two games will go, as well as the Amazon TV show, and it’s mostly thanks to Regan, as well as Turner. Daryl Baxter's book, The Making of Tomb Raider, is available now from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon and Waterstones. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis releases later this year for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Everything The Traitors gets right about disability and neurodivergence – and what it doesn't
As a neurodivergent and chronically ill fan of The Traitors, it has always been so impressive to see such inclusive casting with thoughtful storytelling in the edit.
Disability representation in television is still on the come-up, and often done badly to this day: full of pity, ableism or inspiration porn. But ever since its first season, The Traitors UK has continually seemed to buck that trend. Each season has seen multiple disabled and neurodivergent cast members with a variety of experiences, and their stories are generally handled sensitively, with all of them included in the show as easily as anyone else. On mainstream, primetime television, The Traitors is being quietly revolutionary when it comes to showing disabled people on screen. Viewers get to see the breadth of ways that disability and neurodivergence can look, instead of just one version. Across all the seasons, casual representation is done extremely well – disability is allowed to be part of the person’s story, and is allowed to be key to their identity, but this is done without it being all they are allowed to be. We often do not find out about someone's disability until a fair amount into the series, when their personality has been established and they are part of the wider story we are viewing. As disabled people, this is so often what we want and do not receive: our disability being acknowledged and not dismissed, but also being able to be ourselves. Various disabilities (that have often been left out of other shows due to the physical missions) have been seen across the four seasons, including season 1 winner Meryl, who has dwarfism, and multiple individuals with limb differences, such as season 2 runner-up Mollie. In the case of Mollie, we hear her note in one of the missions that "it’s a blessing to have one hand" as she slips out of the ropes. Commenting on the inclusion of those with limb differences, Steve Haynes – trustee at the charity Reach – said: "At Reach charity, we are delighted to see Upper Limb Difference (ULD) represented on The Traitors. "Historically, many adults with ULD tell us they grew up never seeing anyone who looked like them on television or in public life and that absence can quietly shape confidence and self-belief. For many, finding others through Reach later in life has been profoundly affirming. "For children with ULD, representation really matters. You have to see it to be it. Having visible, capable and confident role models like Mollie and Netty helps normalise difference and fosters confidence and positivity, not just for disabled viewers but for society as a whole. "Seeing disabled people portrayed as complex, strategic and human, rather than defined by an impairment, increases understanding and challenges assumptions." This season, we are seeing The Traitors trailblaze in disability representation once again, this time showing someone with a stammer, which is unfortunately still a rarity on television. It has been so important to see none of the contestants attempting to speak over Jessie, rushing her or trying to finish her sentences for her. Like many of the other disabled contestants, she has also been seen to be hilarious and incisive with her takes. This is what the show gets so right in comparison to so many others: disabled people being seen as their entire selves, just like anyone else. Alison Kerry, head of communications at disability charity Scope, said: "Millions of people across the UK are tuning in to The Traitors. But away from the drama, the series might be the first time viewers engage with someone with a stammer, building understanding. "Jessie is just one of the contestants across four series of The Traitors who has spoken about their condition or impairment and brought their real-life experiences to the screen. "Disability representation on TV is so important. It helps to break down barriers, transforms attitudes, and gives viewers a greater understanding of the lives, talent, and potential of disabled people." On the other hand, it is still necessary to discuss the pitfalls the BBC can fall into when it comes to disabled representation, and what it could improve. One of these issues is that there are still groups of disabled people that are left unrepresented, in particular wheelchair and mobility aid users. It is easy to argue that this would be impossible due to the physical nature of the missions, but this is where accessible design comes into play. Wheelchair users could be included through there being more psychological missions, or through there being multiple different kinds of roles in a mission, seamlessly integrating those with physical disabilities. Those with Energy Limiting Conditions are also largely lacking in representation. This would demand commitment from the BBC to switch up certain aspects of the show – but in a show defined by the idea that you don’t know what’s coming next, that should not be seen as a bad thing. Some of the issues the show still sees are instigated by the nature of unconscious bias across society: many of the disabled and neurodivergent people featured across the four seasons have been seen as suspicious early on for seemingly little reason. In the very first episode, Faithful Nicky was decided to be suspect, and became the first banishment for not raising her glass – except she had a limb difference, meaning she could not. In season 1, many viewers were shocked to see how uncomfortably Aaron was treated while having a panic attack. Aaron has ADHD, which for many leads to being dysregulated by criticism and being more susceptible to becoming overwhelmed in difficult situations. His fellow players jumped on his reactions as guilt – and though he went on to win the show, he was treated continually with severe suspicion throughout for things like asking too many questions and being excitable. View oEmbed on the source website He is not the only example of neurodivergent people being seen as suspicious by virtue of their differences, either – Faithful Dan, from season 3, spoke about his autism diagnosis on the show and talked extensively about playing his game from a differing perspective to most, self-describing his "self-interested" game and being unwavering in this. This was ultimately his downfall after lying about his role in a mission. Some would argue that this is not about bias, it is simply perception by the other players that cannot be helped. But this is symptomatic of a wider problem in society, played out in the microcosm of the show, where disabled and neurodivergent people are continually still ostracised and seen as suspect. The BBC giving players a better understanding of their possible biases before playing could be one move towards changing this. The BBC is simultaneously showing how representation should be done and showing the glaring gaps and societal stigma that can still remain when it comes to inclusive television. As a neurodivergent and chronically ill fan of The Traitors, it has always been so impressive to see such inclusive casting with thoughtful storytelling in the edit. But it is worth asking: how can the show continue to push the boundaries when it comes to including this community? The Traitors season 4 continues on Friday 16th January at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Seasons 1-3 are available to watch on iPlayer. Add The Traitors to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Game of Thrones's next sequel idea risks falling into a major TV trap – this is what it should do instead
The real challenge now is showing the restraint to recognise when a character’s story - like Arya Stark’s - is already finished.
As A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms edges closer to landing on HBO and Sky, fresh details have emerged about yet another possible Game of Thrones spin-off, along with an update on a separate project long in development. Let’s be honest: since the controversial final season of Game of Thrones came to a close almost seven years ago, there’s been no shortage of prequel and spin-off HBO projects bandied about. Whether that’s Flea Bottom, Bloodmoon, Ten Thousand Ships or Snow, the list goes on. And now we can add another to that ever-growing tally. It’s no surprise that fans of the fantasy franchise are feeling a certain fatigue and disenchantment when a new project is teased, as many haven’t even made it past the starting point before they’re quietly shelved. You can certainly empathise with Star Wars fans on this basis. Interestingly, the latest talks about a Game of Thrones spin-off (not prequel) are definitely not expected, but have come from quite the left (or should we say, west?) field. That’s right: the very first spin-off sequel would revolve around legacy character (and assassin extraordinaire) Arya Stark. Yes, it’s a baffling decision, as the character was last seen embarking on a new adventure aboard a Stark ship, teasing: "What's west of Westeros? That's where all the maps stop. That's where I'm going." However, details of the news emerged from an in-depth profile of the revered scribe George RR Martin by The Hollywood Reporter, in which an insider revealed that the project is in "very early development" at HBO, with Drops of Jupiter writer Quoc Dang Tran already on board. Other details revealed around the Stark spin-off include the (very random) setting of the “Mediterranean-like land of Essos” - which is very much not west of Westeros - and no actors have yet been cast, including Maisie Williams. Depending on the show’s timelines, this shift for Arya Stark to be in Essos risks lessening the impact of Game of Thrones’s already controversial finale by undoing her final action. Arya had (mostly) completed her mission of revenge - ticking off a majority of Westeros's villains on her famed kill list, and even taking out the Night King in the process. She was firmly on her way to exploring a potentially brand new location in Westeros. Shifting Arya to Essos risks turning a symbolic ending into a mere plot device: she didn’t leave Westeros because she had more enemies to kill; she left because she was walking away from the cycle of trauma and violence that shaped her. By sailing West, Arya escapes the cyclical politics of the Seven Kingdoms. A spin-off series fronted by the scrappy Stark would treat her closure as “unfinished business” rather than growth and intent. If a spin-off can’t respect that, it risks retroactively weakening one of the series’ most quietly effective conclusions - especially if HBO frames Stark as a globe-trotting assassin, à la Assassin's Creed, for example. After all, franchise spin-offs often mistake emotional closure for exploring unfinished business. For example, prequel series Obi-Wan Kenobi weakened the impact of a once-definitive reunion by collapsing decades of distance between Obi-Wan and Vader, while The Book of Boba Fett completely redefined a character whose power once lay in ambiguity. Even Dexter: New Blood, designed to “fix” a divisive ending, proved how easily a revival can turn a deliberate full stop into a narrative reset - directly launching Dexter: Resurrection. Undoubtedly, the sequel spin-off which fans would most like to see is the Jon Snow version, which has been in development for years. However, it has long hit a bump in development. Unsurprisingly, HBO found the “broken Jon Snow” idea too dark and has pushed it aside. Actor Kit Harington has also recently - and very publicly - distanced himself from the fantasy franchise. It’s clear that a sequel spin-off is an incredibly risky move, as HBO risks further mishandling the already controversial ending. Instead, with the popularity of House of the Dragon and the already favourable reception of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, why not stick with prequels exploring Westeros's thrilling history? With a vast history to draw from - one that George RR Martin has mapped across more than 12,000 years - there are several particularly juicy periods still left to explore. An easy go-to would be adapting the game-changing events of Robert's Rebellion, which has already been mentioned several times in Game of Thrones, with key events tied such as the Tower of Joy. This is such a fascinating period of time for the realm, plus fans would finally experience the war in which House Baratheon, House Stark and House Arryn overthrew the Targaryen dynasty. This period introduces a number of legacy characters, with fascinating origins and pivotal moments such as the Sack of King's Landing and what really happened with Jamie Lannister and King Aerys II Targaryen (the "Mad King"). Jon’s true lineage could also be explored, shining a light on the forbidden romance between Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark - which sparked it all - along with the monumental Battle of the Trident. With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms bridging the events of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, a logical next move would be to explore the events of the Blackfyre Rebellion, referenced as having directly impacted the second HBO prequel. This bloody period spotlights the disastrous results of Aegon IV Targaryen legitimising his bastard son, Daemon Blackfyre, who then challenged his half-brother, King Daeron II for the Iron Throne. It would introduce a myriad of exciting book characters such as Bloodraven, Bittersteel and Daemon Blackfyre, along with "Blackfyre", the ancestral sword of house Targaeryen, and the formation of the Golden Company. But if that’s too much Targaeryen tyranny, another fascinating era is The Age of Heroes and the Long Night - often referred to by the older men and women in Winterfell in Game of Thrones. This period leans into Westeros's mythical history, depicting a generation-long winter during which the White Walkers attacked from the Land of Always Winter. It introduces pivotal characters such as Bran the Builder and Garth Greenhand, as well as expanding on the mysterious Children of the Forest. It would also feature the creation of the Wall and the Night’s Watch. Game of Thrones doesn’t need to fix its troubled ending by reopening it with a risky legacy spin-off. Arya Stark’s departure was one of the few moments of quiet closure in an otherwise divisive finale - a character choosing to walk away rather than repeat the cycle that shaped her. Turning that decision into another adventure risks undoing one of the series’ rare, meaningful full stops. With thousands of years of history still waiting to be explored, HBO’s smartest move isn’t to chase sequels, but to trust the past. The world of Westeros is already rich with untapped stories and lore referenced throughout Game of Thrones. The real challenge now is showing the restraint to recognise when a character’s story - like Arya Stark’s - is already finished. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on 19th January 2026 on Sky Atlantic and NOW and airs in the US on HBO. Game of Thrones seasons 1 to 8 and House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 review: Game of Thrones spin-off is best visit to Westeros in nearly a decade
It's time to return to Westeros for a rather different adventure.
Game of Thrones fans have long been used to mixed fortunes - even more so if you’re a book reader. Arguably the biggest show of the 21st century, Game of Thrones took the world by storm in 2011 with its adaptation of George R.R. Martin's game-changing fantasy book series. With dramatic backstabbing, bloody battles and political intrigue, it gripped pop-culture in its first six seasons, providing absolutely exhilarating television. Sadly, when the show truly ran out of source material to adapt, the writing quality took a nosedive. Indeed, the final two truncated seasons often worked with strange logic (don’t talk about the episode Beyond the Wall) and what resembled a rushed summary of events without proper build up to make the bolder plot swings work. Thankfully, fans were soon treated to a strong prequel series, House of the Dragon, which adapted Martin’s history book of the Targaryen Dynasty, Fire and Blood. A truly Shakespearean series with an excellent cast of characters and amazing dialogue, the first season was great television, and despite some inconsistent pacing, it gave a strong conclusion. However, the much-anticipated second season proved even stranger with sluggish pacing in its second half and something of a damp squib finale. There were also some questionable adaptational choices which neutered some of Martin’s most explosive work, including some which the author himself was unhappy with. So, anticipation has lessened somewhat for its return. So, it is in this context that HBO delivers A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin’s prequel novella series of the Tales of Dunk and Egg. Set 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones, this lean six-episode season is based on the first novella, The Hedge Knight, and begins with the hulking squire "Dunk"(Peter Clauffey) mourning his late master Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb). Dunk decides to honour his mentor by heading to compete for glory in a tourney, along the way acquiring a squire of his own in the enigmatic bald child "Egg" (Dexter Sol Ansell). Thus begins a truly wonderful pairing in a tale of violence, family rivalries, and an exploration of what true honour means. The show very clearly sets out its stall with a lighter comedic tone in episode one, with the much-recognised Game of Thrones theme tune swelling as Dunk buries his master before heading off on his journey - but this abruptly cuts away to the much less glamorous toilet humour of Dunk defecating by a tree. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is very funny, and Dunk makes for a sweet but dim hero for the series, with Bad Sisters’ Peter Claffey offering immense likability, strong timing, and, of course, the imposing frame of a former professional rugby player. Despite the initial toilet humour, the majority of the laughs lie in the central partnership, with Dunk and Egg bouncing off each other in a hilarious and, often, moving manner resembling the best of the original series' odd couples. Child star Dexter Sol Ansell is a true young talent too, as Egg, providing precociousness, sensitivity and whip-smart instincts. The series peels away at Egg’s layers over the episodes, providing a truly textured figure among the best in the Westeros canon. The show very much belongs to this duo, but we are offered some wonderful supporting performances from the cast, most notably from those portraying members of the royal House Targaryen. The Crown’s Bertie Carvel is regal, serene and a truly believable leader as Prince Baelor Targaryen, while Sam Spurell makes the perfect gruff and gritty brother to Baelor, Prince Maekar Targaryen. True Detective: Night Country star Finn Bennett, however, shines as the utterly loathsome villain of the piece, Maekar’s sadistic son, Prince Aerion Targaryen. Other standouts include I Hate Suzie’s Daniel Ings as the boisterous reveller Ser Lyonel Baratheon and former Emmerdale actor Shaun Thomas as the loyal but opinionated Raymun Fossoway. If there is one area where the series falls, it is in the lack of textured female characters, which is something no one could accuse Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon of. However, the series very faithfully follows its source material, and future instalments shall hopefully offer us better representation in season 2. Speaking of faithfulness to the source material, the season makes very few changes to the novella and honours the characters and events on the page, with additions providing further texture to characters, just as it did in Game of Thrones’ superior early seasons. It’s clear that the HBO adaptations truly thrive when they stick to honouring or expanding on what Martin’s words provide. A buddy comedy. A medieval smash-up. A much lighter touch on fantasy elements. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is charming, disarming, and - sometimes - even calming, particularly with its folksy score from Dan Romer. This is truly the best visit to Westeros in nearly a decade - certainly since Cersei blew up the Great Sept of Baelor anyway. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on 19th January 2026 on Sky Atlantic and NOW and airs in the US on HBO. Game of Thrones seasons 1 to 8 and House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
I'm Winterwatch ornithologist Jack Baddams and this is why feeding birds might be doing more harm than good
Writing for Radio Times magazine, the Winterwatch star explains why the common practice might not be for the best...
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. I’ve fed the birds for as long as I can remember, and I’m not alone. We love seeing birds on our windowsills and balconies and in our gardens, and want to help them. In the UK, it’s estimated that every year 17 million households spend £250 million, collectively, on bird food. There is, however, growing chatter among conservationists about whether feeding the birds is all it’s cracked up to be. It’s an issue we’ll address on this year’s Winterwatch – might we be doing more harm than good? One of the biggest concerns is that bird feeders spread disease, sometimes with devastating consequences. In 2005, the disease trichomonosis made the jump from pigeons to greenfinches after they shared feeding stations. The greenfinch population crashed by 62 per cent and the species is now on the red list. Their close cousin, the chaffinch, is suffering a similar fate, with almost 40 per cent disappearing in just 11 years. The RSPB has stopped selling bird tables and other flat-surface feeders while it awaits the outcome of a review into the issue. We should also consider the staggering quantity of food we leave out for birds. In the UK we buy more than 150,000 tons of bird food every year. Where does it all come from? Bird food is farmed, like any other crop. The ground is worked and often sprayed with chemicals to suppress native plants that might compete. Some of our favourite bird food, like peanuts, is grown in warm climates and so shipped here from around the world. A third issue is the ecological effect of all that bird food. Does feeding favour all birds equally? Some of our garden bird populations are thriving, with 40 per cent more great tits and 152 per cent more goldfinches than 30 years ago. Other populations, though, like that of the pied flycatcher, are plummeting. After flying to Africa for winter, the pied flycatchers should return to UK woodlands to find that the colder months have knocked back numbers of some of their nest-hole competitors, like blue tits and great tits. With a constant supply of bird food, however, competitor populations have risen, while theirs – which doesn’t benefit from feeders, as they prefer insects – has decreased by 38 per cent in three decades. Scientists are working to increase our understanding of how feeding might alter bird populations, but it appears that we could also be changing birds’ bodies. A study into the beak lengths of great tits found that British birds’ bills are becoming longer. The researchers’ best guess as to why this change is happening is that they’re evolving a longer beak to help them get food from bird feeders. We’ve all been encouraged to feed the birds for years, including by us on Winterwatch, where this year we’ll feature red squirrels, pine martens, badgers and songbirds at our new base of Mount Stewart, a National Trust estate in County Down. But if feeding might be more problematic than we thought, what can we do instead to help birds get through the winter? You can bring them to your garden or balcony with plants that produce berries, nuts and seeds. Replicate nature as best as you can, in whatever outdoor space you’ve got to work with. Sunflowers are a great option, providing nectar for insects in the summer and tasty seeds when the flowers have finished. Plant native bushes and trees, like oak, birch, guelder rose or hawthorn, that provide home for lots of insects for birds to eat, or make a pond that will catapult the biodiversity in your garden through the roof. Put simply, when it comes to helping our feathered friends, think about how you can build an ecosystem, not just a fast-food restaurant. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Winterwatch returns at 7pm on Tuesday 20 January on BBC Two and iPlayer. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
After the Golden Globes some Oscar races already look tied up – but here's why we shouldn't rule out upsets
Previous years suggest that the Oscars could well go in a different direction to the Globes.
We're at the stage of awards season where it's tempting to treat some of the big Oscar races as foregone conclusions. After last night's Golden Globes, major acting wins for both Timothée Chalamet and Jessie Buckley saw the pair continue their strong momentum as they look to secure Best Actor and Best Actress prizes. Meanwhile, wins for One Battle After Another and Hamnet in the separate Best Film categories (Musical or Comedy and Drama respectively) means many pundits will now be looking at the Best Picture battle as a two-horse race between those two films. But is it wise to completely rule out some of the other contenders? Well, a look back at previous years suggests there's still plenty of time for things to shift. View Green Video on the source website It's certainly understandable that people would lock in Chalamet and Buckley as probable winners. The former's main opponents for this year's Academy Award have long been considered Leonardo DiCaprio (for his role as Bob Ferguson in One Battle After Another) and Ethan Hawke (for his turn as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon), with both being Chalamet's direct competition in the Comedy or Musical category. Meanwhile, despite an extensive list of exceptional performances from a number of big name actresses this year – including Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love and Amanda Seyfried in The Testament of Ann Lee – Buckley's heart-wrenching turn as Agnes in Hamnet has emerged as the clear frontrunner, already securing wins from a host of critics groups. And so with both Chalamet and Buckley adding the Globe wins to last weeks successes at the Critic's Choice Awards, it is admittedly hard to see how either of them will be usurped when the Oscars roll around in March. But while the Globes can certainly be used as an interesting barometer to forecast where awards might go at the Oscars, this is by no means a fool proof method of predicting. Last year, the film that emerged from the Globes as the most successful was Emilia Perez – which ultimately disappeared from the Best Picture race at the Academy Awards and was also beaten to the Best International Feature honour by Brazilian drama I'm Still Here. Conversely, Anora left the Globes ceremony completely empty-handed only to dominate the Oscars – winning Best Picture in addition to multiple gongs for writer/director/editor Sean Baker and the Best Actress honour for Mikey Madison. Read more: Golden Globe Awards 2026 winners: Full list of winners from One Battle After Another to Timothée Chalamet and Adolescence Stephen Graham confirms Adolescence follow-up at Golden Globes 2026 – and when fans can expect it And while the downfall of Emilia Perez can, in part, be put down to some of the external controversies that engulfed the film – including a string on unearthed comments made by its star Karla Sofia Gascon – if we look back at Globes history, it's actually not uncommon for the film that ends up winning Best Picture not to be rewarded. In 2024, despite wins for Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan in the acting categories, Everything Everywhere All At Once was beaten in the Best Musical or Comedy category by The Banshees of Inisherin, while the year prior, eventual Best Picture winner CODA didn't win a single award. That means of the last five Best Picture winners, only Oppenheimer and Nomadland won their Best Film categories at the Globes, while Parasite, The Shape of Water and Birdman are among the other films from the past decade or so to have won the main prize at the Oscars despite receiving little love from the Hollywood Foreign Press. Meanwhile, one thing that we've certainly gleaned from the Globes is that the races in both the supporting actor categories are truly wide open. Last night, it was Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) and Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value) who emerged victorious, a completely different outcome from the Critics Choice Awards, where Amy Madigan (Weapons) and Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein) took home the awards. With the likes of Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) and both Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) also remaining competitive, it's still anybody's guess who will be picking up Oscar statuettes in a couple of months time. This is perhaps as it should be – different actors being honoured by different awards bodies, rather than the somewhat more boring process of seeing the same stars awarded time and time again. In other words, then, there's still plenty to play for – and it will be interesting to see how the race continues to take shape between now and mid-March. But Chalamet and Buckley will certainly take some beating... Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Industry season 4 takes a risky step away from Pierpoint – and it’s all the better for it
Industry continues to knock it out of the park – this time, with its strongest and most unpredictable season yet.
Industry has always been the financial drama that plummets those of us with no knowledge of that high-stakes world directly into its fiery hot centre. "Is it just about banker bros and gilets?", many have often asked me when I proclaim it to be one of the best shows on telly. While both of those things admittedly do appear in plentiful supply throughout the show, the draw of Industry is the chaos and the impending sense of doom of a world that not many of us get a real window into. Previous seasons of Industry were defined by the overarching way in which it encapsulated what one person's worst day ever could look like – then putting it against the backdrop of a fast-paced and cutthroat working world that doesn't take any prisoners. We saw as much in season 3, where things took an even darker turn than ever before in what many fans felt like was Industry's last hurrah. Not because anybody wanted it to be, but rather because it felt as though storylines and characters had been tied up in a way that many showrunners would see as a perfect time to bow out. But series co-creators and ex-bankers Mickey Down and Konrad Kay got their early renewal and a chance to open up Industry to shores anew, going to places the HBO/BBC show has never gone to before. No longer can it really fit into the neat box of "financial drama" because, while we certainly still have one major foot in that world this season, these new episodes are all about taking risks and opening up the parameters of what people think Industry (and its characters) are capable of. Those gilet-clad previous seasons were contained within the walls of Pierpoint & Co, a prestigious investment bank in London that chewed up and spat out our plucky group of grads in season 1. Now, only two of them remain with Harper (Myha'la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) returning for their own positively twisty stories. But with Pierpoint having reached its own demise and being bought by Egyptian investors at the end of season 3, where exactly does Industry go for this new run of episodes? The right question would be – having watched the entire series – is where does it not go. Shrugging off the walls of Pierpoint means that Industry can broach ground it's never really done so before. Nothing is ever luxuriated on for too long in this series but its whip-smart ability to discuss politics, race, class, wealth and everything in between continues to be masterful. It takes a keen eye and even better writing to be able to aptly personify the ways in which class continues to have such a grasp on the UK, but throw in a slew of topics that seem as though they've been plucked from recent headlines and we head into incredibly juicy territory. I'm sure the exploration of politics, growing far-right sentiment and Harper's recognition of being a "puppet in Blackface" (as she puts it to new boss Otto Mostyn) won't go down well with all viewers. But I'll hazard a guess and bet that those that get antsy about current affairs likely wouldn't be tuning into a hair-raising show like Industry anyway. At times, while it may seem as though there may be random instances of exploring these topics (i.e with Kiernan Shipka's Haley telling Charlie Heaton's James: "My boyfriend will be home soon, he's big – and he's f**king Black! You know what it means b***h!"), it really is just a reflection of the modern-day zeitgeist and, along with the intersections of wealth, privilege and power, form a kaleidoscope that sets into focus the deeper we get into the series. Moving into the world of politics also may not be a welcome development for some fans, even a little triggering for many. But if you think about it, the outside world has always had an impact on the events of Industry. It is, quite literally, what the financial industry is all about after all. It comes as no surprise then that Yasmin finds herself on the precipice of that world and all it can afford, with her dutiful husband Henry (Kit Harington, who also delivers his own fair share of scene-stealing material this season) just seeming to try his best to live up to her expectations. But really, it's Tender, the payment processor company, which lies at the heart of this season. They have plans to become a brand new bank, but it's a big move for a shiny company, especially one with ties to controversial OnlyFans-style app Siren, which has gotten people talking just as an online safety bill has come into play. Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) shows his unguessable hand by the end of the premiere episode, blowing the gates upon on what could be coming next and bringing a suitably enigmatic quality to the entire season that will leave you hooked. The risk of Industry season 4 is perhaps best personified in the very fact that we don't even spend the first part of the premiere episode with anyone we're familiar with. We're introduced to Shipka and Heaton's mysterious characters; Shipka as an employee at Tender and Heaton as a financial journalist with a bit between his teeth. Nightclubs, drugs and gyrating on a strobey dance floor feel very much like the show we've come to know and love, so much so that as soon as that first hot pink title card for Industry drops, you can't help thinking: "God, we are so back." While this season of Industry takes its biggest chances yet, the Queens of Industry (aka Harper and Yasmin) are still at it and my goodness, I hope everyone pauses for that opening scene of Harper. Stepping out of a Range Rover, sunglasses on, matching suit ensemble doing all the work and New Order's Fine Time acting as the perfect needle drop really is the ideal return for our antihero. I'm firmly in the camp of fans that love this messy and complicated character, desperately pining for more scenes of her. Thankfully, this season, we've got them. Harper's arc this season sees her at the top of her game in a way she's not yet experienced, reuniting once more with mentor Eric Tao (Ken Leung). But we also get vignettes into Harper's personal life, through her dynamic with trader Kwabena (Toheeb Jimoh), management of Sweetpea (Miriam Petche) and also in regards to her strained familial relationships. Some of Harper's quietest and arguably forlorn moments in this season are the ones that stand out the most, while the opposite can be said of Abela's Yasmin who thrives in scenes dressed as Marie Antoinette and has an arc that will undoubtedly divide viewers. But that's all the joy of this new chapter of Industry – it's throwing away the handbook and keeping us all on the edge of our seats in the process. There's plenty within these eight episodes that will leave fans feeling slightly icky or uncomfortable, but Industry has always had a knack of doing that. If anything, they've only excelled further at it this time around. There's no part of you that will be able to foreshadow what's to come at the end of season 4 and that's the joy of its monumental swings. The show's always been unpredictable in a gloriously uncertain way, but its ability to shift the narrative away from the world of finance and into something wider and darker (namely, interrogating who really calls the shots in a world dominated by power-hungry individuals) is a class A act in storytelling. By stepping off of the trading floor, Industry can venture into the world that has often stood at the sidelines to the financial deals and drama. Really, it's all the more better for it. Industry seasons 1-3 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and season 4 premieres on Monday 12th January 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The drama airs on HBO in the US. Add Industry to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Night Manager season 2's shock return is a frustrating twist that could do real damage
Pine is horrified to be reunited with a ghost from his past – and so am I, but for different reasons.
**Warning: major spoilers for The Night Manager season 2 episode 3.** Do not adjust your set: the wild, yet grimly predictable, resurrection of Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) really just happened. If you don't know how to feel, join the club – we have biscuits. Tonight's episode of The Night Manager saw Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) delve deeper into the murky affairs of his latest target, Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), who he'd already learned is the secret son of his late nemesis. As if that wasn't a strong enough link to season 1, screenwriter David Farr tightens ties to the point of near-strangulation in episode 3, when it emerges that Teddy's business partner is, in fact, dear old dad himself. Operating under the stolen identity of Gilberto Hanson, who died many years earlier, Roper is still up to his old tricks – and emphasis on 'old', as his modus operandi seems not to have changed even slightly in the decade since. It speaks to a lack of ingenuity that, I'm afraid to say, also permeates the scripts, which were already feeling overly familiar prior to this bizarre twist. Suffice to say, Roper's return seems unlikely to generate points of difference. Of course, an inability to allows stories to end or characters to rest is endemic in today's pop culture landscape. It's why you see the same exhausted film franchises continuing to limp along, or once-celebrated TV shows painfully outstaying their welcome. But if The Night Manager season 2's very existence was questionable, its prologue seemed like a step in the right direction. We saw Roper's corpse laid out on a slab for Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) to identify, in what then appeared to be a powerful statement of intent. The definitive end of one chapter, and the start of another. In light of Laurie's spritely return at the tail-end of episode 3, it now plays like the cheapest of misdirects; one that will presumably be hand-waved away, perhaps by some kind of pulse-slowing tranquilliser or other cartoonish deception. Much like Disney's depressing Star Wars sequels sap any joy from Return of the Jedi's ending – stop celebrating, guys! – this unnecessary addendum nullifies all satisfaction from The Night Manager season 1's final moments. Watching Roper's smugness devolve into panic as his police van is hijacked by aggrieved clients, seemingly intent on torturing and killing him, unlocked a little sadism in us all (albeit, only a small sliver of what the wicked crook himself contained). We basked in Angela's triumph over the man that had caused untold misery to innocent people around the world – and cast such an ominous shadow over her own life. Alas, we can do so no longer. The revelation that Roper not only survived, but restored his status in the illegal arms trade, devalues The Night Manager's first season – and perhaps even more frustratingly, it points to a lack of confidence in the show's new antagonist. As mentioned in my review, the electric chemistry between Calva and Hiddleston has been one of the most intriguing things about The Night Manager season 2, presenting an opportunity for Farr's derivative sequel to really blaze its own trail. Now though, there's good reason to worry that Teddy will be relegated to a secondary position as the prodigal father returns. After all, Pine obviously isn't going to just shrug off the reemergence of his most bitter foe. Suddenly, this is a rematch. If Farr wanted to have his cake and eat it too (i.e. keep Roper around, while maintaining Teddy's position), it would have made more sense to restrict Laurie's role to flashbacks. After episode 2, things seemed to be heading in that direction, as we caught a glimpse of Teddy's father visiting him as a boy, but the camera ultimately stopped short of revealing a younger Roper. Still, it's a period that seemed ripe for revisiting in scenes that could give Laurie time to shine as his charismatic menace, while also enriching Teddy's backstory and fleshing out the nature of their father-son relationship. Of course, the BBC doesn't have the money to digitally de-age actors as Hollywood now prefers, but switching up Laurie's hairstyle and shooting from creative angles would probably have been enough to hold these scenes together. Instead, simply cutting and pasting Roper into season 2's present day storyline – and doing so more or less exactly as we remember him – is infinitely less interesting. Unfortunately, it seems poised to undercut Teddy, rather than elevate him. View Green Video on the source website That said, it's important to note that these doubts are, admittedly, only a knee-jerk reaction to this development. I haven't seen any more of The Night Manager season 2 than you have, and it's quite possible that Farr will justify this return in a blistering second half. In which case, I will happily eat my proverbial hat. But it's also valid to be sceptical about an entertainment ecosystem increasingly dependent on recycling old ideas, perpetuating intellectual property and whipping out well-known stars in their most beloved roles. At this point, we've done this dance many times and it often ends with toes being stamped on. Hopefully, The Night Manager season 2 can move as gracefully as its leading man. The Night Manager season 2 airs on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer. 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