Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-02-02T17:01:05.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Michael Palin talks returning to acting in new comedy from The Office legend – and how he approaches old age
items: I'm Mackenzie Crook, and this is the 16th-century inspiration for my new comedy Small Prophets – and how we brought it to life
items: David Mitchell teases Ludwig season 2 with character's new role and "brilliant" new cast members
items: Apple TV's Shrinking might be the last sadcom – here's why TV comedy is going through major changes
items: The Office icon's new comedy series Small Prophets finally confirms release date with exclusive first look trailer
items: Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed reveals hope for Nate amid speculation of a return for season 4
items: Ted Lasso season 4 first-look images revealed as release window finally confirmed for beloved comedy's return
items: Kim Kardashian stars in first look at all-new Netflix comedy - which also stars British comedy favourite
items: Things You Should Have Done star admits she sometimes goes too far with dark comedy about "awful things”
items: Riz Ahmed reveals his new James Bond audition show got the approval of former franchise boss Barbara Broccoli
items: Shrinking season 3: Release date and latest news
items: Riz Ahmed auditions for James Bond 007 role in first look at new comedy - as release date confirmed
items: What Lisa Kudrow really thought about fame and success before Friends defined her
items: Stephen Merchant responds to whether he'd work with Ricky Gervais again - and which classic comedy they would never revive
items: Will there be a Can You Keep a Secret? season 2?
items: How to watch What We Do in the Shadows in the UK
items: Can You Keep a Secret? cast: Full list of actors in new BBC sitcom
items: Can You Keep a Secret? review: A sitcom with plenty to like, except good jokes
items: How Dawn French sitcom Can You Keep a Secret? tackles illness stories in a very different way
items: Emily in Paris future confirmed after Gabriel cliffhanger left show eyeing move to new location
items: Dawn French and Mark Heap reveal emotional true story that inspired Can You Keep a Secret?
items: Dawn French reveals why she had to star in new comedy Can You Keep a Secret and talks sitcom's emotive real-life inspiration
items: The Office icon's new comedy series finally gets BBC release window confirmed
items: Jennifer Aniston raw, unfiltered and as you've never seen her before: "It's irksome to be called beautiful"
items: Amandaland cast: Who stars in the Christmas special?
items: Finding Father Christmas review: Wait, is this for kids or not?
items: Finding Father Christmas cast: Full list of actors in Channel 4 special
items: Who was Diego Borella? Emily in Paris tribute explained
items: Peep Show star says a revival was planned 10 years after finale – and could still happen
items: Diane Morgan's Mandy 2025 Christmas special pulled from schedules next week

Michael Palin talks returning to acting in new comedy from The Office legend – and how he approaches old age
type: item
date: 2026-02-02T17:00:37.000Z
creator: Emma Cox
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Sir Michael Palin couldn’t resist Small Prophets.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. You don’t act much these days. What made you want to play Michael’s dad Brian in Small Prophets? Travelling and writing books take up most of my time. I really enjoy acting. I’ve done A Fish Called Wanda, The Death of Stalin and GBH, which were wonderful, but they don’t come along often. What Mackenzie writes is very special. I enjoy his humour, his understanding of people. There was no question of saying, “No, I can’t do this, I’m busy travelling.” Brian lives in a care home and is the first elderly person you’ve played. Did you have any reservations? I found playing this part fine. He’s old and forgetful but able to interpret extraordinary text and put old bits of machinery together again. He’s definitely not the archetype in a care home. I wouldn’t like to just be in a chair, dribbling away, and then you die. As you get older, you do forget the most obvious things — names, places — I sometimes find that tricky. But if I’m going filming in Venezuela, say, I’ll know everything about Venezuela for a bit. My children keep saying, “Careful, careful,” but they’re being overcautious. In the show, Brian is not cautious and likes doing mad things, like trying to ride a motorbike aged nearly 90. Do you think that’s quite true for a lot of people of your generation? I was lucky to grow up in a period where being young was great — which my parents’ generation couldn’t because they’d been embroiled in two world wars. After university in the 60s, it was the Beatles, Mary Quant, Pete and Dud, and Spike Milligan. You could do anything. There was no real censorship, not to the degree there is now. In Monty Python we could write what we wanted. Now you’d have to be more careful. We just thought, let’s be silly. The way that Mackenzie writes is quite Pythonic because it’s understated. The best humour is done without a smile. When people take themselves absolutely seriously, that makes me laugh more. That’s what Python was all abo…

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I'm Mackenzie Crook, and this is the 16th-century inspiration for my new comedy Small Prophets – and how we brought it to life
type: item
date: 2026-02-02T17:00:05.000Z
creator: Mackenzie Crook
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Supernatural homunculi grown in jars… Crook reveals the recipe behind his quirky new comedy.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. When I wrote the first series of Detectorists in 2013, I was unaware I had been sitting on the idea for the show for years, until I discovered an outline written in an old notebook from 1998. For all that time it had been slowly percolating in the back of my mind until it was ready to bubble up to the surface. My new six-part series on BBC Two had been about the same length of time in the procrastination phase, until I finally realised what the story was and how to tell it. Small Prophets is the tale of a suburban alchemist who attempts to grow supernatural beings in his shed from instructions given to him by his elderly father. It’s a strange idea, but let me try to break down how several elements eventually came together to provide the recipe… The Ingredients: 1. An ancient text The seed of the idea came from a footnote in an old book about Paracelsus, a 16th-century Swiss philosopher and alchemist. Why I was reading this book I can’t really remember or explain, but I’m glad I did. The passage intrigued me and I squirrelled it away for future use. It told of a mystic who had grown eight homunculi, magical spirits able to predict the future, in glass jars full of water. It described the process of how these creatures were generated (including a step where the jars were buried in a steaming heap of horse manure) and went into such precise detail that you could start to believe it might actually be true. 2. A comic master I first met Pearce Quigley when we were both cast in a play at the Royal Court Theatre in London, which then transferred to Broadway. You might recognise Pearce as the slightly creepy, bearded Russell from Detectorists. He is about the funniest person I know but I’d never seen him in a lead role, and it was when I realised this that the whole story started to crystallise in my mind. Pearce plays Michael Sleep, the central character in Small Prophets, who I think audiences will fall instantly in lo…

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David Mitchell teases Ludwig season 2 with character's new role and "brilliant" new cast members
type: item
date: 2026-01-30T12:16:20.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
description: Mitchell was speaking at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026.
encoded: One of the biggest breakout series from 2024 was undoubtedly Ludwig, the BBC's comedy-drama detective series starring David Mitchell. Naturally, the series was renewed for a second season, which is set to pick up following the end of season 1, which saw Mitchell's character John becoming an official crime consultant with the police team, after his secret – that he'd been impersonating his missing police officer brother, was uncovered by them, but swept under the rug. As we wait for season 2, Mitchell spoke with RadioTimes.com exclusively at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, where he revealed that John isn't quite out of the woods yet. When asked how his official role on the police team would shake things up in the new episodes, Mitchell said: "When you watch the second series, you realise there's still quite a lot of obfuscation involved in his role, because not everyone in the police force is entirely on side with his appointment. "And of course, he's still got to cover up the fact that for a long time he was solving cases while impersonating a police officer. And if that ever gets out, well, five murderers will walk free, and he won't walk free himself." View Green Video on the source website Ludwig season 2 will also introduce a selection of new characters, including two new members of the police team, played by Ben Ashenden and Rumi Sutton. Mitchell said of these new additions: "They were brilliant, very funny. They're new characters, they're very funny characters. They've got a great dynamic with each other, but overall the situation remains the same." Meanwhile, Mark Bonnar and Sian Clifford are also joining the cast, with the former playing a newspaper editor, Gareth Fisher, and the latter playing local MP Joanne Kemper. Mitchell said that the duo are "both brilliant" and that "Mark Bonnar's sort of hilarious, hapless newspaper editor, which is a terrific role". "And Sian, well, I don't want to reveal too much about Sian's role," he said. "But it's intriguin…

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Apple TV's Shrinking might be the last sadcom – here's why TV comedy is going through major changes
type: item
date: 2026-01-30T07:00:29.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Apple TV
subject: Interview
subject: On demand
description: For years, the so-called 'sadcom' was taking up all the energy in the realm of TV comedy. Now, something's changed.
encoded: A day before Apple TV's Shrinking returned to screens for its third season this week, a fourth run of the comedy-drama was announced – a real show of the faith the streamer has in the series. While co-creator Bill Lawrence had long stated that the series was pitched with a three-season arc, it's perhaps unsurprising that it's now going beyond this. Not only has Lawrence already proven his willingness to do so with Ted Lasso's upcoming continuation, but the series has been a monumental success. It's a show that's both remarkably funny and knows how to tug at the heartstrings. It also surely has escaped the notice of few that it's one of two comedies to have been released in recent years specifically centred around the grief of a protagonist following the death of his wife. The first of these was After Life, Ricky Gervais's Netflix hit. In another era, viewers might have balked at the idea that laughs could be found in such a tragic set-up - but not in the era of the 'sadcom'. A sub-genre seemingly birthed in the late 2000s and which dominated the 2010s, the sadcom takes the idea of comedy-drama to extremes. Rather than simply combining moments of pathos and drama with a healthy dose of humour, it specifically centres a story that deals with difficult subject matter, heartache and trauma, and punctuates it with jokes. It's notable that Jason Segel should front a show which as much an example of the form as Shrinking. I would argue that the show which shot him into the fame stratosphere, How I Met Your Mother, was dabbling around in the sadcom waters early. It was never a full-blown sadcom per-se, but with episodes such as Last Words, Symphony of Illumination and The Time Travellers tackling grief, infertility and loneliness, it certainly leaned into the emotion more than most sitcoms that preceded it, and knew how to bring out the waterworks among viewers. And who can forget that divisive final episode, in which the mother the entire series had nominally been about ha…

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The Office icon's new comedy series Small Prophets finally confirms release date with exclusive first look trailer
type: item
date: 2026-01-29T13:00:32.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: Get ready for Mackenzie Crook's first series since the end of Detectorists.
encoded: The Office icon Mackenzie Crook's highly anticipated return to comedy is almost here, with the air date for Small Prophets having been confirmed alongside the release of a first-look trailer. The six-part series, which Crook has created and stars in alongside Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel, Sir Michael Palin, Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing and Paul Kaye, will start airing on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from Monday 9th February, with further episodes arriving each Monday night. The newly released trailer, which you can watch exclusively on RadioTimes.com below, sees Palin's character Brian sharing a recipe with his son, Michael, to create Homunculi - magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future. Michael turns to help from his work mate Kacey, played by Lauren Patel, but the duo have to fend off Willan's nosy neighbour and their manager Gordon, played by Crook. At the end of the trailer, a small hand is seen emerging from a jar - suggesting Brian's recipe has worked. You can watch the trailer right here now. View Green Video on the source website The comedy series is the first to be created by Crook since the end of his hit show Detectorists, and it will incorporate animation elements, as it tells a story of friendships and hope, the magical and the mundane, and where secrets and lies lurk in a suburban cul-de-sac. When the project was first announced, Crook said in a statement: "Like all my best ideas, this one has been percolating for nearly a decade and is finally ready to see the light of day. It’s wonderful to be working again with my friends Gill Isles and Pearce Quigley and to realise a long-term ambition of collaborating with animators Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson." Meanwhile, Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, added: "BBC viewers are in for a treat with BAFTA winner Mackenzie Crook’s Small Prophets. "This magical comedy series brims with wit and wonder - from Mackenzie himself and Sir Michael Palin to Sophie Willan, Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel and …

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Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed reveals hope for Nate amid speculation of a return for season 4
type: item
date: 2026-01-29T11:45:52.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: Radio Times Covers Party 2026
description: "I feel like some demons never fully go away."
encoded: With it just having been confirmed that Ted Lasso season 4 will be arriving on Apple TV this summer, fans are excited to reunite with their favourite characters such as Jason Sudeikis's Ted and Hannah Waddingham's Rebecca. However, several characters have yet to be confirmed, including Nick Mohammed's Nate. This week, Mohammed attended the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, and didn't let anything slip as to whether his character will be back. When asked exclusively by RadioTimes.com how long he knew that the show would be returning before the recent announcement, he said: "I knew for a while that it was coming back, that Jason was keen to do something focusing on the women's football team, and just delighted, because it's such a nice show. Just lovely people, lovely cast, lovely crew. "It's all speculative as to whether Nate will be back, but this is a show that's focusing on the women's football team. But yes, really exciting it’s back." Mohammed was also asked what he would like to see for Nate if he were to return, to which he said: "I like to think that seasons 1 to 3, he had a nice journey there where he ultimately has a forgiveness arc. And so I'd like to think that he's back to being a little bit more like old Nate, rather than the slightly Darth Vadery Nate that came in season end of season 2, beginning of season 3." On his hopes for the character more generally, Mohammed added: "I feel like Nate is, or was, a troubled soul, and I don't know if that stuff ever really goes away. He obviously did have insecurities. And I'm sort of talking generally now, but with the right support network and so on, people can get through stuff and are able to cope a lot better. "But I feel like some demons never fully go away, maybe. But we’ll have to wait and see if and when the writers write that or not." Other returning cast members who are confirmed to be back for season 4 include Juno Temple, Jeremy Swift, Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt, while newcomers for season 4 includ…

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Ted Lasso season 4 first-look images revealed as release window finally confirmed for beloved comedy's return
type: item
date: 2026-01-28T10:51:27.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Apple TV
subject: News
subject: On demand
description: Fans have patiently waited for more episodes – and they're on the home straight now.
encoded: Ted Lasso season 4 has dropped first-look images as the wholesome sports comedy readies itself for a comeback worthy of the underdogs at AFC Richmond. The acclaimed series, which has a whopping 61 Emmy nominations to its name, has been away from our screens for more than two-and-a-half years, with fans briefly fearing that they might have seen the last of Jason Sudeikis's wholesome coach. Fortunately, its return was confirmed last year, with a new challenge for Ted to take on, as he leaves behind the players he'd won over to his side, and turns his attention to Richmond's women's team. According to the official synopsis, the change represents his "biggest challenge yet" as he again hopes to turn around their fortunes, lifting them out of the second division and propelling them towards glory. "Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would," it continues. Several favourites from the Ted Lasso cast are returning for this new season (albeit not everyone), with Apple TV confirming a release window of summer 2026. At last, the wait is almost over! Sudeikis is joined by Hannah Waddingham as AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton, seen above greeting him on a runway, next to a club-branded private jet. She's handing him a small box, which could be a welcome gift as he starts his next chapter. Two images (directly above and top of page) show Ted with an as-yet-unnamed character played by Sex Education and The Decameron star Tanya Reynolds, who appears to be another coach for the women's team. That might also be Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) stood next to him, although it's hard to be sure as he's facing away from the camera. It remains to be seen whether the duo's return will be welcomed or resisted by the existing team. Lastly, we get a look at another welcome returnee, as Silent Witness and Big Boys star Annette Badland reprises the role of pub landlady Mae, who is seen here waiting on Ted and his…

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Kim Kardashian stars in first look at all-new Netflix comedy - which also stars British comedy favourite
type: item
date: 2026-01-27T12:46:27.000Z
creator: Phoebe Kowhai Barnes
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Netflix
description: The Fifth Wheel will be coming to Netflix later this year.
encoded: Kim Kardashian continues her pursuit of an acting career in the all-new Netflix comedy The Fifth Wheel, which also sees British comedy favourite Jack Whitehall as part of the cast. The series, which is being directed by Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, follows a friendship group who embark on a trip to Las Vegas which ultimately ends in disaster, with fresh new images from the set giving us our very first glimpse at what's to come. The group of three friends go on the the trip to Sin City to try and reconnect after growing distant since high school. Their girls weekend is then crashed by Kim Kardashian's character, a stranger to the group who immediately upends their trip. Her presence ultimately forces the friends to deal with things they were trying to bury - their messy lives, bad decisions, and unraveling friendships. Alongside Kardashian, Nikki Glaser also features, who previously starred in Amy Schumer's Trainwreck, alongside FUBAR's Fortune Feimster, and Brenda Song of Disney Channel fame. British comedian Jack Whitehall, Gone Girl's Casey Wilson and Scott MacArthur, known for Running Point and The Righteous Gemstones, will also be joining the cast. Kim Kardashian rose to fame after reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashian's but has previously dipped into the world of acting. She had a main role in 2023's American Horror Story: Delicate, and last year played one of the leads in the new Hulu drama comedy All's Fair which follows high-skilled female divorce attorneys who depart a male-dominated law firm. The Fifth Wheel will be coming to Netflix in 2026. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Add The Fifth Wheel 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=custo…

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Things You Should Have Done star admits she sometimes goes too far with dark comedy about "awful things”
type: item
date: 2026-01-26T17:19:15.000Z
creator: Jess Bacon
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: "I just think the best, most awful things in life are the best to get through with laughing and taking the piss out of them."
encoded: Lucia Keskin is not your average 24-year-old. By 23, the YouTube sensation had already amassed an impressive online following, landed her first BBC Three series, Things You Should Have Done, and went onto win a BAFTA for Best Rising Star for her performance. All from her childhood bedroom. Keskin is now back demonstrating her signature deadpan humour as her alter-ego, Lucia (or Chi) in season 2, as a recently bereaved stay-at-home-daughter who is an adult-in-progress as she works through a list of tasks her dead parents have left her to accomplish. The premise is desperately sad: both of Chi’s parents die in a car crash in the first episode, leaving her the sole owner (and grown up) of the house. But she has no life skills whatsoever, every task from finding a job to learning to drive leads to woefully inappropriate scenarios, all while her vulture of an aunty, Karen (played tremendously by Selin Hizli), circles around her to try and inherit the house. With a “face like depression” (as noted in the series), the multi-hyphenate talent admits that it’s often hard to strike the balance between the tragedy and comedy, as she has a tendency to take the dark humour to extremes. “That's where I have to have people tell me because I will just go as dark as possible and I see no issue, and they're like, ‘no, not that, you can’t do that,” Keskin tells RadioTimes.com. “But I just think the best, most awful things in life are the best to get through with laughing and taking the piss out of them. I’ve always viewed it that way.” “I’ll just say ‘Yeah, let’s joke about that’ and they’re like ‘No, actually, we can’t.’ I did get away with quite a lot, but I was trying to push it.” <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/BBC-comedy-96ee4bd.jpg" width="4241" height="2827" alt="A young woman stands outdoors beside a black-and-white horse, which is close to the camera and slightly out of focus in the foreground. She wears a colourful padded jacket an…

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Riz Ahmed reveals his new James Bond audition show got the approval of former franchise boss Barbara Broccoli
type: item
date: 2026-01-26T14:31:33.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: On demand
description: The show follows an actor whose life is thrown into chaos by Bond rumours.
encoded: Riz Ahmed reveals that former James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli gave her "blessing" to his new comedy-drama, where he portrays an actor being considered for the iconic spy role. Bait is a six-part comedy-drama coming to Prime Video in March, following "struggling actor" Shah Latif (Ahmed) over "four wild days" after viral reports emerge that he is in the running for 007. As "the entire world" voices their opinions on his potential casting, viewers will see how Shah's personal life "spirals out of control" as he's faced with "his last chance to hit it big". The series comes at a very appropriate time, given that the James Bond franchise is currently missing a leading man, and has been since Daniel Craig's definitive send-off in 2021's No Time to Die. View oEmbed on the source website If that wasn't enough, the Bond machine had to weather more fundamental change, when historic film studio MGM was purchased by Amazon, and longtime franchise producers Broccoli and Michael G Wilson later relinquished their control. Prior to that shock move, Ahmed told Deadline at the Sundance Film Festival that he had spoken to Broccoli about Bait, even though it isn't strictly a 'James Bond show' (the likes of which have been expected since Amazon took over). Rather, the Rogue One and Phoenician Scheme star considers Bait to be "about that crazy distance between our public and our private selves". He explained: "On the outside, it's like, 'Wow, you're killing it man. You're doing great...' [But in reality,] you're broke. These things happen, these contradictions between how we're perceived, how we want to be perceived, and how we are. "That's what the show is really about. It was through discussing with my co-showrunner Ben Karlin, we were talking about our lives, our experiences, funny anecdotes, and the Bond thing came up." Ahmed continued: "And I was like, 'Actually, that's the perfect aspirational symbol that can help drive the story of someone who aspires to be someone else'. "T…

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Shrinking season 3: Release date and latest news
type: item
date: 2026-01-26T13:20:24.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Apple TV
subject: On demand
description: Co-creator Bill Lawrence has teased a three-season arc for the comedy-drama.
encoded: Bill Lawrence has a lot on his plate right now. Not only is the writer and producer executive producing a Scrubs reboot, but he is also behind the upcoming fourth season of Ted Lasso. Before either of those, we've got the release of Shrinking, the Apple TV comedy-drama he created with Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel. He has long stated that this season will be about moving forward, and finally fans are about to find out exactly what that means. On this topic, Lawrence recently told TVLine: "We always joke on the set that if this show hit the fourth season and Jimmy was still like, 'I've been thinking about [dating] and I'm still really sad about my wife,' people would be like, 'They gotta come up with something else.' "I hope we've earned people kind of rooting for these [characters] to move forward in their lives, whether that means Jimmy embracing the idea of having a love in his life again or his daughter feeling confident about going off to college. We like to do these themes you can almost attach to every character. "Sean, Luke Tennie's character... I don't think it'd be a victory if that guy lived in the pool house behind his therapist's house his whole life." All of the main cast are returning, including Harrison Ford's Paul and Jessica Williams's Gaby, while there are also a couple of big names joining for the new season, in the form of Jeff Daniels and Michael J Fox. But what else do we know about the new season thus far? Read on for everything you need to know about Shrinking season 3. Will there be a Shrinking season 3? There will! Just one day after the first two episodes of Shrinking season 2 arrived on Apple TV+, the show was officially renewed for a third season. In many ways, the renewal is unsurprising, as ever since the start of the show co-creator Bill Lawrence has said that it was pitched with a three-season arc. However, the speed at which the renewal came through did show a real sign of confidence in the series from Apple. In an interview with …

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Riz Ahmed auditions for James Bond 007 role in first look at new comedy - as release date confirmed
type: item
date: 2026-01-21T12:26:18.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: News
description: Bait will release on Prime Video later this year.
encoded: The race to be the next James Bond star is well and truly on, so much so that a new comedy series has been made about exactly that topic. Bait, a new six-part series for Prime Video, stars Riz Ahmed as Shah Latif, a struggling actor who gets a last chance to hit it big when the audition of a lifetime – for the role of Bond – comes his way. The synopsis for the series says that it follows him "over the course of four wild days as his life spirals out of control and his family, ex-lover and the entire world weigh in on whether he is the right man for the job". It has now been confirmed that all six episodes of the series will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 25th March, with a first-look clip having also been unveiled. View oEmbed on the source website The clip sees Shah's family finding a news story revealing his audition for the role, and getting a little bit ahead of themselves about just what this means. Starring alongside Ahmed in the series will be Guz Khan (Stuffed) as Zulfi, Sheeba Chaddha (Hamlet) as Tahira, Sajid Hasan (Hum Sub) as Parvez, Aasiya Shah (Unforgotten) as Q, Weruche Opia (The Jetty) as Felicia and Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) as Yasmin. Ahmed not only stars in the series, but also acts as co-showrunner alongside Ben Karlin who has previously written for shows such as Modern Family, Future Man and Minx. Ahmed will next be seen on our screens taking on a different iconic role to Bond - that of Hamlet, in a new film take on William Shakespeare's masterpiece. The film, which has been reimagined in a contemporary London setting, has been directed by Aneil Karia and also stars Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn, Sheeba Chaddha, Avijit Dutt, Art Malik and Timothy Spall. Bait will premiere on Prime Video on Wednesday 25th March 2026 – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime. Add Bait to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for d…

What Lisa Kudrow really thought about fame and success before Friends defined her
type: item
date: 2026-01-09T07:00:35.000Z
creator: Andrew Duncan
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Interview
description: Before Phoebe became stratospherically iconic, Lisa Kudrow was navigating motherhood, money and a fame she never actively pursued. This rarely candid, unearthed interview gives a strikingly unfiltered look at ambition, insecurity and the pressure of the public eye.
encoded: It's 1999 and Friends is in its fifth season. Lisa Kudrow has shot to stardom as Phoebe Buffay and is making her first foray into the world of film. But she's reluctant to let the success of Friends define her career – or her marriage. With disarming frankness, she opens up to Radio Times about balancing fame with family life. This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine in 1999. OK, she’s a 35-year-old blonde actress who plays Phoebe, the ditzy, aspiring but tuneless folk singer with new-age pretensions in one of the world’s most popular sitcoms, but when she studied biology at the prestigious east-coast college, Vassar, she had only one ambition: to meet a bright, rich man. “That’s how superficial I was,” she sighs. “The whole point was to marry good merchandise, so we could have genetically appropriate children. I thought everything was figured and mapped out, that my husband would be intellectually superior to me and successful so I could pursue whatever career I wanted. A lot of women go about their lives like that.” So what happened? “Well,” she says, playing with her hair and smiling to reveal traditionally impeccable Hollywood orthodontistry, “I went into acting.” Not that she wanted to at first. She planned to follow her father, Lee, a renowned headache specialist, into medicine. “Actors seemed idiots and so phoney. I’d seen them on talk shows discussing their troubled personal lives. Of course, we all have problems to some extent – no one is living in a fifties sitcom – but actors examine them more. I assumed they were dumb and the profession might change me into someone who isn’t the best parent or spouse.” But after joining an improvisation company in Los Angeles, the Groundlings, her views changed. “I realised everything has value and finally asked myself the question, ‘Why?’ which puts life into perspective. ‘Why does my husband have to be intellectually superior? What if I just love him, you know.’” Reasonable enough. Then what? “Oh…

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Stephen Merchant responds to whether he'd work with Ricky Gervais again - and which classic comedy they would never revive
type: item
date: 2026-01-08T17:21:13.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: News
description: Merchant last collaborated with Gervais on the final episode of Life's Too Short back in 2013.
encoded: Stephen Merchant has opened up about whether he’d work with Ricky Gervais again. Merchant and Gervais co-created acclaimed BBC sitcom The Office in the early 2000s and went on to bring hit comedies Extras and Life’s Too Short to our screens. They also hosted The Ricky Gervais Show together alongside Karl Pilkington, with the trio working on travel series An Idiot Abroad too. But speaking to The Times in a new interview, Merchant revealed that he and Gervais rarely talk nowadays. He said: "Would we work together again? Well, never say never, but we wouldn’t revive The Office. "We’re not in touch a great deal these days but even at our closest we were living quite separate lives. Ricky used to joke that he was 13 or 14 years older than me and so, just as I was discovering my favourite nightclub, he was discovering his favourite comfortable chair." Merchant and Gervais's last collaboration was the final episode of Life’s Too Short back in 2013. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/Merchant-Gervais-ccccbb7.jpg" width="3002" height="2005" alt="LONDON - MARCH 11: Ricky Gervais's very own special 'appeal film' starred Bono, Sir Bob Geldof, Stephen Merchant, Jamie Oliver and Andi Peters - not the traditional appeal film footage that people are used to seeing from Comic Relief. The sketch was a massive send up of celebrity charity appeals, in the best possible taste of course, and showed what good sports these celebrities are… Jamie was even seen munching on McDonalds! (Photo by Comic Relief/Getty Images)" title="Red Nose Day 2007" /> Since then, Merchant has gone on to star in films such as Logan, Jojo Rabbit and Fighting with My Family, the latter of which he also wrote and directed. Meanwhile, Gervais has created, directed and starred in Netflix’s hit series After Life, and released stand-up specials Armageddon, SuperNature and Mortality on the streamer. The comedian is also bringing a new Netflix animated comedy series, titled Alle…

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Will there be a Can You Keep a Secret? season 2?
type: item
date: 2026-01-08T16:01:57.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: On demand
description: Dawn French's latest comedy leaves the stage set for more stories... *MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1*
encoded: Dawn French's brand new comedy series Can You Keep a Secret? has only just premiered on BBC One, but through the magic of iPlayer some viewers may already have binged through all six episodes. The show follows Debbie Fendon (French) as she attempts to cash in on her husband's life insurance policy, after he was mistakenly declared dead in a bizarre chain of events. Alas, keeping William (Mark Heap) hidden from her family and neighbours proves harder than initially imagined, as he becomes understandably restless after months spent tucked away in the loft. Over six chaotic episodes, the Fendons – including son Harry (Craig Roberts) and daughter-in-law Neha (Mandip Gill) – attempt to keep a grip on their poorly planned scheme. But things end on a rather disastrous note, which might well leave you wondering if there will be any more episodes. Here's what we know so far about the future of Can You Keep a Secret? on BBC One and iPlayer. Will there be a Can You Keep a Secret? season 2? The BBC is yet to announce whether Can You Keep a Secret? will be renewed for a second season or cancelled, with the verdict likely to rest largely on its viewership figures. At the time of writing, it's not yet clear how well the show is performing – or whether it will grow substantially across its run – but Broadcast reports that overnight ratings for its premiere were "shy" of Amandaland (1.9 million). Of course, the Motherland spin-off more than doubled that number across its first seven days, as people who missed the initial broadcast caught up via BBC iPlayer or recording devices. For this reason, we won't have a reliable picture of Can You Keep a Secret?'s full audience size until at least a month from now. In the meantime, fans should keep their fingers crossed it connects – and spread the word however they can! What could happen in a potential Can You Keep a Secret? season 2? If Can You Keep a Secret? is renewed for a second season, it will have to resolve that shock cliffhanger tha…

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How to watch What We Do in the Shadows in the UK
type: item
date: 2026-01-08T11:47:04.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Disney Plus
subject: On demand
description: All episodes are readily available now – on two streaming services!
encoded: All good things must come to an end, and sadly for comedy fans, that includes What We Do in the Shadows! The hit sitcom delighted viewers with its quirky and macabre take on vampire life in the modern day, introducing us to undead housemates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin (Mark Proksch). Over six hysterical seasons, the world of the show expanded in unexpected and exciting ways, adding more comical spins on the various ghouls and monsters that have helped to define gothic horror as a genre. In the process, it attracted a number of high-profile guest stars, with the final season boasting the likes of Steve Coogan (How Are You?), Alexander Skarsgård (Pillion) and Zach Woods (Silicon Valley), among others. Now, at long last, What We Do in the Shadows season 6 is airing on BBC Two from tonight (Thursday 8th January 2026), although you may have caught it earlier courtesy of another major streaming platform. Wherever you choose to tune in, read on for details on how to watch What We Do in the Shadows in full from the UK. How to watch What We Do in the Shadows in the UK All episodes of What We Do in the Shadows are now available on BBC iPlayer. The sixth and final season landed on the streaming platform on Thursday 8th January 2026, coinciding with its broadcast premiere on BBC Two (for anyone who prefers to tune in the traditional way. What We Do in the Shadows will be available on iPlayer for "over a year" from season 6's release date, so you don't need to worry about rushing through – although binge watching may come naturally, regardless! Alternatively, you can also stream all seasons of What We Do in the Shadows on Disney Plus, which is home to various other FX television shows. Sign up to Disney Plus from £5.99 per month to gain access to the streamer's catalogue. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website What is What We Do in the Shadows about? What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary-style sitcom about four va…

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Can You Keep a Secret? cast: Full list of actors in new BBC sitcom
type: item
date: 2026-01-07T18:00:23.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: On demand
description: Dawn French and Mark Heap lead the cast of new BBC sitcom Can You Keep a Secret?
encoded: Dawn French is back on BBC One and iPlayer with a brand new sitcom, where she plays a strong-willed woman in the middle of a risky criminal scheme. Can You Keep a Secret? follows alleged widow Debbie Fendon (French), who is secretly hiding her very-much-alive husband William (Mark Heap) in the attic. Her intention is to claim on his life insurance and give them the carefree lifestyle that they've yet to experience, but pulling off the con proves a lot more difficult than imagined. In the first episode, their anxious son Harry (Craig Roberts) is let into the big secret, forcing him to decide whether or not to tip off his wife, police officer Neha (Mandip Gill). If you're interested in the high-concept premise, read on for your full introduction to the Can You Keep a Secret? cast right here (and check out our review for the verdict on whether it's worth watching). Can You Keep a Secret? cast: Full list of actors in new BBC sitcom Here's an overview of the key players in Can You Keep a Secret? – read on for more detailed profiles on each character and actor, including where you might have seen them before. Dawn French as Debbie Fendon Mark Heap as William Fendon Craig Roberts as Harold 'Harry' Fendon Mandip Gill as Neha Fendon Paul Chahidi as Clive Heather Seymour as Jean Geraldine McNulty as Pamela Shola Adewusi as Billie Gregory Gudgeon as Pigfish Sam Battersea as PC Susan Dawn French plays Debbie Fendon Who is Debbie Fendon? Debbie is a woman who has recently been widowed – at least, that's what she's telling people. The truth is that her husband, William, was mistakenly declared dead, but she is keeping up the ruse in order to claim on his life insurance. She sees herself as something of a Robin Hood-figure, somewhat radicalised by seeing William's health cover stripped away after his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease. However, she sometimes pushes her behaviour to the very edge of excusability. Speaking of her latest role, French said: "I could see that she's one…

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Can You Keep a Secret? review: A sitcom with plenty to like, except good jokes
type: item
date: 2026-01-07T13:00:00.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Review
description: A talented cast, including comedy icons Dawn French and Mark Heap, can't salvage the gags – but there are other reasons to tune in...
encoded: It's very difficult for me to write this review, since I recently joked with Dawn French that anyone who doesn't like Can You Keep a Secret? should be "ashamed" (see video, above). But also, because I genuinely want to like it, more so than I actually do. Undoubtedly, French is a national treasure, teamed here with a charming cast that includes comedy veteran Mark Heap (Friday Night Dinner), Doctor Who star Mandip Gill and ex-CBBC staple turned indie filmmaker Craig Roberts (Still Up). What's more, the series takes poignant inspiration from the real life of creator Simon Mayhew-Archer, whose father (The Vicar of Dibley co-writer Paul) lives with Parkinson's disease – as does Heap's character, William Fendon. This underlying condition, combined with the handiwork of a farcically ineffective doctor, leads to his mistakenly being declared dead in the sitcom's prologue, allowing widow wife Debbie (French) to claim fraudulently on his life insurance. While the tone of Can You Keep a Secret? is pretty daft, its nonchalant handling of living with serious illness provides a sturdy emotional anchor that keeps you on the side of the Fendons – even in moments of moral ambiguity. Mayhew-Archer maintains a genuine sense of danger too, as Debbie and William risk a lengthy prison sentence should their scheme be detected by even their own daughter-in-law, Neha (Gill), who just so happens to be a police officer. Each episode builds up to a last-minute twist, setting up another storm for the family to weather next time, with the whole thing playing a bit like a quaint British spin on Disney Plus phenomenon Only Murders in the Building. So what's the problem? Well, to be frank, it's just not very funny. For as much potential as there is in the premise and cast, it's largely squandered in scripts that rely heavily on basic gags, whether that's a broad range of bodily functions, a few recurring naughty words, or Debbie and William's meandering banter. By virtue of being a genre hybrid, …

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How Dawn French sitcom Can You Keep a Secret? tackles illness stories in a very different way
type: item
date: 2026-01-07T08:00:40.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: Living with a long-term illness isn't all "doom and gloom" – as the new BBC series demonstrates.
encoded: The cast of Can You Keep a Secret? have praised the value of the sitcom's distinctly light-hearted depiction of living with illness, explaining why it's just as "truthful" as darker approaches to the topic. The high-concept sitcom follows longtime married couple Debbie (Dawn French) and William Fendon (Mark Heap), who attempt to pull off lucrative life insurance fraud after the latter is mistakenly declared dead. A key motivator in this risky decision is William's Parkinson's disease, which the family has struggled to cope with after their health insurance provider declined to cover the condition. The latter part of the story hits close to home for creator Simon Mayhew-Archer, whose father Paul (a fellow screenwriter known for The Vicar of Dibley) is currently living with Parkinson's – but keeping a comical outlook on his experience. In an interview with RadioTimes.com, Heap explained: "Paul makes light of it himself as a way of coping and just because he's a nice bloke and finds the humour in things. "It's a strange thing to have in a comedy," he acknowledged, "but it's not the main thing. It's incidental. I suppose, comedically, the good thing about it is that William does use [his illness] for emotional blackmail." Can You Keep a Secret? co-star French interjected: "[But] Debbie doesn't let him get away with much of it." In her eyes, the "brutal" candidness Debbie reserves for William is a result of being "comfortably married for a long time", but Heap suggests that it's also a truthful reflection of Simon's relationship with his father. Co-star Mandip Gill, who plays daughter-in-law Neha, added: "He's telling it in a really truthful way for what he sees happening at home... There's so many layers to these health conditions that it would be unfair to say it's all doom and gloom." In addition to Parkinson's, Can You Keep a Secret? also touches lightly on mental health through the character of Harold (Craig Roberts), the long-suffering son of Debbie and William, wh…

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Emily in Paris future confirmed after Gabriel cliffhanger left show eyeing move to new location
type: item
date: 2026-01-06T10:06:56.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Netflix
subject: News
subject: On demand
description: Will we get to see Emily in Greece?
encoded: Less than three weeks after the fifth season of hit Netflix series Emily in Paris debuted, the show's future has now been confirmed, with Lily Collins and the rest of the cast set to return for season 6. The new was announced with a short video, which sees Collins walking towards a phone camera, before a zoom out reveals it is on a tripod behind a croissant. That croissant has a number six candle sticking out of it. Fans will no doubt be delighted that the series is returning, not least because it will have a lot of cliffhangers to pick up on from the end of season 5. The show's most recent finale, saw Emily break up with Marcello, before receiving a postcard from Gabriel asking her to join him in Greece. Whether she takes him up on the offer, and the show moves to Greece for season 6, remains to be seen. Collins said in an interview with Deadline: "The thing that’s interesting about [Season 5] is, instead of it being open-ended for Emily, Emily is cool. She is fine. She is actually more concerned at work with what Princess Jane is bringing to the table. "She’s great with how she handled things with Gabriel and Marcello. It’s Gabriel that’s unsure, and I love that there’s a shift there." Other cliffhangers saw Ashley Park's Mindy get engaged to Nico, despite her feelings for Alfie, and the continuing financial troubles of Agence Grateau. View oEmbed on the source website Emily in Paris has been a huge success since it debuted in 2020, and creator Darren Star was recently awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), France’s highest civilian honour from French President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking at the ceremony, Macron said: "I know, dear Darren, that this achievement means a lot to you, as you have made this series your love letter to France. "The way you view our country inspires millions to visit France, to return time and time again... And for those who already live here, Emily in Paris is an opportunity to see the beauty of our …

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Dawn French and Mark Heap reveal emotional true story that inspired Can You Keep a Secret?
type: item
date: 2026-01-05T19:00:12.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: News
description: Heap's character shares similarities with a legend of British comedy.
encoded: Dawn French's new BBC sitcom Can You Keep a Secret? might be jam-packed full of jokes, but the story has its roots in a difficult reality for series creator Simon Mayhew-Archer. The story follows Debbie Fenton (French) and her husband, William (Mark Heap), as they attempt to pull off a life insurance scam after the latter is mistakenly declared dead. An added complication is that William is living with Parkinson's disease and, at points, the show addresses specific symptoms that he suffers as a result, with this aspect of the character reflecting the experiences of Mayhew-Archer's own father. A fellow TV writer, Paul Mayhew-Archer previously worked with French as a writer on The Vicar of Dibley, and has been a strong campaigner for Parkinson's awareness since his diagnosis in 2011 – earning an MBE for his work in that area. In an interview with RadioTimes.com, Heap acknowledged that Paul suffers some "horrible" effects of the disease, but "makes light of it himself, just because he's a nice bloke and finds the humour in things". That lightness is reflected in the character of William, but Can You Keep a Secret? also addresses a major issue of Parkinson's disease beyond the symptoms themselves – that health insurance usually doesn't cover it. This lack of financial support becomes a motivating factor for Debbie and William's scam, with French finding some sympathy in her character's quandary, even if she believes Debbie has a "skewed moral centre". "I think, in Debbie's head, she feels a bit like Robin Hood," she explained. "That she's stealing from the baddies and giving to the goodies, which is their own family – and others! She has definitely given money away [too]." Their scheme doesn't seem entirely selfish, French argued, "especially when you've been shafted, like people are when they've got Parkinson's disease, which is something that Simon knows a lot about with his dad". Parkinson's UK offers information on a few specialist insurance providers who may be abl…

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Dawn French reveals why she had to star in new comedy Can You Keep a Secret and talks sitcom's emotive real-life inspiration
type: item
date: 2026-01-05T17:00:35.000Z
creator: Emma Cox
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Dawn French and Mark Heap team up for a sitcom that deals with Parkinson’s disease, insurance fraud and intimacy in later life…
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Dawn French was adamant she didn’t want to star in another sitcom. Adamant. So, when her old friend Paul Mayhew-Archer, the co-writer of The Vicar of Dibley, asked her to star in his son Simon’s first sitcom, her heart sank. “Good sitcoms are as rare as hen’s teeth,” she says. “I honestly didn’t even want to read it, but Paul is very charming and he’s unsung in many ways. All the credit seems to go to Richard Curtis, but they definitely co-wrote Vicar and he was a very valuable part of it. So, I thought I’d have to reply and be kind about declining this script.” It may not have helped that French first met Simon as an 11-year-old who’d accompanied his dad to a Vicar read-through. But since then Simon has become a producer, making the award-winning This Country starring Charlie and Daisy May Cooper. Meanwhile, Paul has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. That diagnosis was the inspiration for Simon’s first script, Can You Keep a Secret?, a sitcom about a Parkinson’s sufferer called William who – through a set of farcical circumstances – is accidentally declared dead. His wife Debbie decides to keep up the pretence to claim money on their life insurance, and what unfolds is a six-part comedy about the family battling to keep their secret from a set of eccentric neighbours in the cosy village where they live. View oEmbed on the source website “I read it and I thought, actually, this is fantastic,” French says. “It’s about an oddball family who pull off a massive crime, but that’s almost by-the-by. Simon’s largely writing about his dad, who is cheerful and funny about having Parkinson’s, which is a devastating disease. “I loved how small Simon’s script was. It’s about this little family, and I could see Simon’s heart in it, all the love for his mum and dad, and the craziness of what real families are like, how ugly and awkward they can be.” So she agreed to play Debbie, and was thrilled when Friday Night Dinner a…

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The Office icon's new comedy series finally gets BBC release window confirmed
type: item
date: 2026-01-05T15:32:17.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: News
description: Small Prophets will air on BBC Two and iPlayer.
encoded: It's been eight months since Small Prophets, a brand-new BBC comedy written, directed by and starring Mackenzie Crook, was first announced, and since then fans have been on tenterhooks waiting to see the series. Now, finally, it appears we're getting to close to the show's release, with the series set to launch on BBC Two and iPlayer in early February 2026. Small Prophets will be the first series created by Mackenzie since the end of Detectorists, the BBC comedy which ran from 2014 to 2022 and in which he starred opposite Toby Jones. The six-part series, which also stars Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel, Sir Michael Palin, Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing and Paul Kaye, follows Quigley's character Michael Sleep, an eccentric widower who works in a DIY store. The synopsis for the series says: "One day Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Sleep sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi – magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future. "The series incorporates visually stunning animation elements throughout as we tell a story of friendships and hope, the magical and the mundane, and where secrets and lies lurk in a suburban cul-de-sac." Crook said in a statement: "Like all my best ideas, this one has been percolating for nearly a decade and is finally ready to see the light of day. "It’s wonderful to be working again with my friends [producer] Gill Isles and Pearce Quigley and to realise a long-term ambition of collaborating with animators Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson." Meanwhile, Isles added: "I’m absolute thrilled to be working with Mackenzie again on such a funny, beautiful and unique show." Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, said: "BBC Two viewers are in for a treat with BAFTA winner Mackenzie Crook’s Small Prophets. "This magical comedy series brims with wit and wonder – from Mackenzie himself and Sir Michael Palin to Sophie Willan, Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel an…

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Jennifer Aniston raw, unfiltered and as you've never seen her before: "It's irksome to be called beautiful"
type: item
date: 2026-01-02T07:00:34.000Z
creator: Andrew Duncan
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Interview
description: This is the one where Jennifer Aniston gave one of her most candid interviews.
encoded: It's the summer of 1997. Friends has been airing for almost three years and its popularity is almost unprecedented. Jennifer Aniston, along with her five co-leads, is one of the most famous actors in the world. Still relatively early in her Hollywood career, she sits down with Radio Times to talk life, love and fame – and proceeds to give one of her rawest interviews to date. This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine in July 1997. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2030/12/GettyImages-138427197-39b7d1b.jpg" width="2407" height="3000" alt="Jennifer Aniston with shoulder-length layered hair and subtle highlights crouches on the floor, resting her chin lightly on her hand. She wears a sleeveless grey vest, dark wide-leg pants, and black lace-up shoes. She looks directly at the camera with a calm, confident expression against a plain light background." title="Friends star Jennifer Aniston" /> She is known the world over as rich-kid Rachel from Friends, instantly recognisable on account of that haircut. But, unlike her screen counterpart, Jennifer Aniston hasn’t had it easy. Cultural phenomena come in all shapes and sizes, and America’s First Haircut must be one of the most enchanting as she curls herself foetally, knees tucked insouciantly under her chin, in a London hotel suite previously “cased” by her minder, to discuss life and other imponderables, such as success. “It’s a bit of a shock for anyone,” says Aniston, who plays Rachel, the rich girl turned waitress in Friends. “I don’t think it’s changed me, although others assume it has, and treat me differently. I’m still the same person – but a bit happier because I’m doing what I love, and have a healthier bank balance. "Some actors strive for fame, but I find it surreal and silly. When I see myself on a magazine cover I don’t think it’s me – just someone doing a job, who’s all glammed-up. I find it boring having to talk about myself. It’s amazing that all of a…

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Amandaland cast: Who stars in the Christmas special?
type: item
date: 2025-12-25T18:30:23.000Z
creator: Abby Robinson
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC
description: It’s Christmas, and Amanda is determined to relive the magical Christmases of her childhood — but it proves to be anything but.
encoded: This Christmas, Amandaland makes its festive debut – and to mark the occasion, Jennifer Saunders joins the cast as Amanda's Aunt Joan, who is hosting this year. "Amanda and the family head to Aunt Joan’s country house, but the plans change when Mal and Anne tag along and she struggles to recreate the magical Christmases she spent there as a child," the official synopsis reads. "Felicity is increasingly irritated by her sister's constant high spirits", while Anne is "in despair at being separated from her family". Elsewhere, "Mal sees a hidden photo that seems to reveal a deep family secret…" Find a full rundown of the Amandaland Christmas special cast below. Read more: Amandaland's Joanna Lumley teases Jennifer Saunders reunion: 'As far from Edina and Patsy as you can imagine' Amandaland star teases Christmas special reunion for Absolutely Fabulous icons as Jennifer Saunders joins cast Amandaland cast Lucy Punch as Amanda Joanna Lumley as Felicity Philippa Dunne as Anne Samuel Anderson as Mal Jennifer Saunders as Joan Miley Locke as Georgie Alexander Shaw as Manus For more information on the characters and where you've seen the actors who play them before, read on. Lucy Punch plays Amanda <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/02/Amandaland-fb48ab7.jpg" width="4285" height="2857" alt="A man and a woman sit close together on a sofa in an elegant, Christmas-decorated living room, exchanging warm, knowing looks. Festive garlands, framed paintings, and ornaments surround them, with bookshelves and softly lit lamps in the background." title="Amandaland Christmas Special 2025" /> Who is Amanda? Following the events of Motherland, which saw Amanda's marriage break down, she's since moved from Chiswick to a flat in South Harlesdon and is trying to rebuild her life. "The kids are now in high school, and Amanda is starting over," said Punch. "She's probably had a quiet breakdown or meltdown along the way. She's disintegrated somewhat but has…

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Finding Father Christmas review: Wait, is this for kids or not?
type: item
date: 2025-12-24T21:00:20.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Christmas
subject: Review
description: I genuinely have no idea. Help!
encoded: Riddle me this: Finding Father Christmas is a family-friendly comedy special, airing pre-watershed on Christmas Eve, but I would argue is too risky for some kids to sit through. So, who is it for then? The feature-length one-off stars Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?) as 16-year-old Chris, who still believes in Father Christmas, despite his father, Nick (James Buckley), feeling that he should have grown out of such festive whimsy. When his dad sits him down to finally tell the 'truth', it sets Chris off on an adventure to prove him wrong, tapping into the expertise of TV's intelligentsia, including Stephen Fry, Professor Hannah Fry and Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock. In a nutshell, Finding Father Christmas is everything you expect it to be – the jokes are a bit lame, the schmaltz is off the charts and the celebrity cameos are forced. But come on, I'd have to be a real Scrooge to give it less than three stars! At the very least, Rush remains on track to achieve 'national treasure' status before the end of his teenage years and holds this hastily assembled ship together with another charismatic turn. The emphasis is on 'hasty', though: this whole feature was filmed in two weeks and, as a result, often has the look and feel of a Comic Relief sketch, i.e. good enough to serve a short-term purpose, but not exactly built with a vision to last. We can look past these shortcomings in the spirit of the season, or perhaps even in a mulled wine-induced stupor, but the misgiving that persists is my general confusion over who this is for. Its early time slot on Christmas Eve and all-ages tone would suggest 'everyone', but surely that changes if you have any kids for whom the Father Christmas question hasn't yet come up or been definitively settled. Finding Father Christmas sits in a strange place where it alludes to the idea that Father Christmas could – or maybe does – exist, even getting its guest experts to explain how in educational monologues (that I struggled to grasp, t…

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Finding Father Christmas cast: Full list of actors in Channel 4 special
type: item
date: 2025-12-24T08:00:15.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
description: Lenny Rush and James Buckley lead the cast of a brand new festive feature.
encoded: Channel 4 is marking the festive season with a brand new feature-length comedy special, which brings together a number of comedy icons as well as experts to assemble a unique answer to the Father Christmas question. Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?) leads the cast as Chris, a 16-year-old boy who still believes in Father Christmas, despite his own dad feeling that it's about time he left such notions behind. But Chris's belief runs too deep to be shattered by a few naysayers, so he sets off on a fast-paced adventure to prove his dad wrong, relying on insight from academic minds including Stephen Fry, Professor Hannah Fry, and Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock. Together, will they discover that there's more to the closely-guarded story of Father Christmas than meets the eye? Read on for your introduction to the key characters in Finding Father Christmas, which premieres tonight at 7:30pm on Channel 4. Read more: What's worth watching on Christmas Eve? Finding Father Christmas cast: Full list of actors in Channel 4 special Here's an overview of the key players in Finding Father Christmas – read on for more details on each character and the actor playing them, including where you might have seen them before. Lenny Rush plays Chris James Buckley plays Chris's dad Ele McKenzie plays Holly Stephen Fry as Himself Rochenda Sandall as Georgina Professor Hannah Fry as Herself Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock as Herself Jason Fox as Himself Greg Davies as Father Christmas Lenny Rush plays Chris Who is Chris? Chris is a 16-year-old boy, who still believes in Father Christmas. He is distraught when his father tries to tell him that Father Christmas isn't real, so he sets about proving him wrong by reaching out to a series of famous experts. What else has Lenny Rush been in? Rush is best known for his roles in BBC comedy-drama Am I Being Unreasonable?, for which he earned a BAFTA TV Award, and sci-fi favourite Doctor Who (appearing in seasons 14 and 15). He has also served as presenter…

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Who was Diego Borella? Emily in Paris tribute explained
type: item
date: 2025-12-23T15:25:17.000Z
creator: Abby Robinson
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
description: Creator Darren Star said Borella would "live on with the show and in all of our hearts because he was part of the Emily in Paris family".
encoded: Emily in Paris is back with season 5, with all 10 episodes available to watch now on Netflix. The new instalment sees our titular American heroine (Lilly Collins) heading up the Rome office for Agence Grateau, while also settling into domestic life with her new beau, Marcello. However, in typical Emily in Paris fashion, the honeymoon phase doesn’t last long and chaos soon ensues for everyone, with the season ending with loads of cliffhangers. And the plot isn’t the only thing that’s left fans with questions. Just before the credits rolled at the end of episode 10, a dedication appeared that read: "In memory of Diego Borella." So, who is Diego Borella? And why did Emily in Paris pay tribute to him?Read on for everything you need to know about Borella. Who was Diego Borella? Diego Borella was a third assistant director on Emily in Paris, who passed away in August while filming season 5 in Italy. Borella also worked on the Italian medical drama Doc – Nelle tue mani (In Your Hands). What happened to Diego Borella? Borella died on the set of Emily in Paris season 5 in August this year. He was 47. According to La Repubblica, on-site medics attempted to resuscitate him at Venice's Hotel Danieli, where a scene was due to be filmed, but he died at the scene after "a sudden heart attack". Filming was temporarily suspended, with Paramount Television Studios — which produces the show for Netflix — sharing the following statement with multiple outlets: "We are deeply saddened to confirm the sudden passing of a member of the Emily in Paris production family. Our hearts go out to the individual’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time." Speaking about the tragedy at a recent press conference, creator Darren Star said: "We were all there when it happened. We were filming that day — it came at the very, very end of our filming. And I think it hit us very hard because it was tragic and shocking and sad. And he was part of our Italian crew, and he was part of our …

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Peep Show star says a revival was planned 10 years after finale – and could still happen
type: item
date: 2025-12-23T10:47:59.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: News
description: Is it time to return to Apollo House?
encoded: Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show might be due for a one-off revival, according to one of its stars. The sleeper hit series followed feuding flatmates Mark (David Mitchell) and Jeremy (Robert Webb), exploring their love-hate 'friendship', marked by generally selfish or self-destructive behaviour, plus a string of shambolic romances. The ninth and final season arrived in 2015, following a three-year break, and appeared to say farewell to the characters – but they could be ripe for a return according to actor Matt King, who played Jeremy's unpredictable pal Super Hans. In a new interview with The Sun, he said: "When it ended in 2015, Sam [Bain] and Jesse [Armstrong, creators] said to us, 'We'll see you in ten years. We're going to write a one-off.'" King continued: "I did ask them six months ago [for an update]. They said, 'We still would be interested, but we're just so busy, we can't do a ten-year one'. I feel like it will happen." Of course, Armstrong went on to create acclaimed HBO drama Succession, following an egomaniacal media family, and recently wrote and directed Mountainhead – another darkly comic business satire. Meanwhile, Bain has collaborated with Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement on the Apple TV family series Time Bandits, which reimagines the Terry Gilliam film of the same name. In the same interview, the stars of Peep Show were split on the prospect of a revival, with Isy Suttie (who played Mark's girlfriend, Dobby) saying she would reprise her role if the opportunity came up – but advocated for waiting a while longer. "We'd almost have to do it in 20 years with Mark and Jez in an old people's home and us in the flats next door," she suggested. On the other hand, Sophie Winkleman (who played Jeremy's beloved 'Big Suze') was not quite so convinced, suggesting it might be better to "preserve it as it is," given that belated revivals don't always work out well. Mitchell, King, Suttie and Winkleman reunite with former co-star Olivia Colman for this week's Peep …

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Diane Morgan's Mandy 2025 Christmas special pulled from schedules next week
type: item
date: 2025-12-19T14:42:36.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC Two
subject: Christmas
subject: News
subject: On demand
description: The special was set to follow Mandy as she "dabbles in global diplomacy".
encoded: The BBC has pulled the Mandy 2025 Christmas special from its schedules just days before it was set to hit screens. Titled The Mandy Who Knew Too Much, the festive episode had been advertised by the BBC as one of its flagship Christmas specials and was due to air on BBC Two and iPlayer on Monday 22nd December at 10:25pm, but it has now suddenly been removed from the schedules. A BBC spokesperson confirmed to RadioTimes.com that the episode has been moved to 2026. The unexpected postponement of the special, which was shot in January 2025, is believed to be due to last-minute updates to parts of the episode. The official synopsis for The Mandy Who Knew Too Much reads: "Mandy rarely dabbles in global diplomacy, especially over Christmas when it's so cold out and there's good telly on, but when she does, you can bet that she makes a real difference to the balance of power in the world." RadioTimes.com also understands that the decision is not connected to US President Donald Trump's threats to sue the BBC over an episode of Panorama, with Trump neither mentioned nor featured in the Christmas edition of Mandy. BBC Two will now instead air the 1998 comedy Beetlejuice in the 10:30pm slot, which was previously scheduled to air at 10:45pm. Mandy first aired back in 2019, following Diane Morgan’s eponymous and hapless heroine as she embarks on various daft adventures, and soon garnered praise amongst viewers and critics alike for its subversive and absurd humour. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google The hit series returned to our screens earlier this year for a fourth season, which saw Mandy cooking up more dodgy jobs and side hustles and featured a number of famous cameos including Martin Lewis, Paddy McGuinness, Sian Gibson and Cheryl Fergison. Read more: Amandaland's Joanna Lumley teases Jennifer Saunders reunion: 'As far from Edina and Patsy as you can imagine' Robert Webb reveals his verdict on whether Peep Show will get a film or could return for a revival ser…

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