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Mark Gatiss, Gary Oldman and more are on this week's Radio Times crime drama special cover

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Mark Gatiss, Gary Oldman and more are on this week's Radio Times crime drama special cover

How to turn a gripping read into thrilling television, by the bestselling authors who know.

Week 29 Bookish

Adam Lawrence

Shem Law

Published: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 at 9:30 am

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When you sit down to watch the first episode of a crime drama that has been adapted from a book you love, it's always with a slight sense of trepidation.

Will the detective match up to the one in your head? Have they got the setting right? Has the sidekick changed gender? How will they film the scene where the murderer vanishes into thin air during rush hour at King's Cross station?

Usually I find the screen version never quite lives up to the books - but, occasionally, when it does there's no better feeling. In this week's Radio Times, find out what it's like to take someone else's bestselling vision and turn it into must-see TV. It's a fascinating process.

And please don't miss our Proms guide in the centre of this issue. Our classical music (and Doctor Who) expert Patrick Mulkern has really gone the extra mile this year with his comprehensive guide, interviews and recommendations.

I, for one, will be tuning in on Sunday 7 September for the BBC Symphony Orchestra's performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto – hopefully with all the right notes in all the right order...

The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.

Radio Times cover featuring Mark Gattis, Gary Oldman and other Crime Drama characters.

Also in this week's Radio Times:

Mick Herron and Will Smith lift the lid on how the Slough House spooks came to our screens in Slow Horses.
The Channel 4 drama The Couple Next Door is back with fresh faces and more risqué storylines.
Val McDermid created the cold case detective, but it was Emer Kenny who brought her to life on TV in Karen Pirie.

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Authors

Radio Times editor Shem Law wears a shirt, tie and grey jumper. He is sitting at a wooden desk behind a sign saying "Editor" clasping his hands. There are other items on the desk, including a dial telephone and typewriter.

Shem Law

Shem Law is the brand editor of Radio Times, and the 20th person to hold that esteemed position in over 100 years. He wasn't allowed a television growing up, but over the years he has rather overcompensated for that fact.

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