Coronation Street is officially canon in the MCU after Ben Kingsley Marvel reference
The world's longest-running soap has a surprising nod in the MCU
Well, we certainly didn’t have that on our 2026 bingo card! In an incredibly unexpected move, Marvel director Destin Daniel Cretton and writer Andrew Guest have effectively solidified Coronation Street - the iconic British soap set in Greater Manchester - as official canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes you read that right: the long-running British soap - which recently celebrated its 65th birthday - has been referenced in the MCU, courtesy of the latest Marvel Spotlight series, Wonder Man. The flagship ITV series recently shared a landmark episode with fellow soap juggernaut Emmerdale called Corriedale, revolving around the fallout of a high-stakes multi-vehicle pile-up. The explosive event proved incredibly successful, with a record of nearly 5 million viewers tuning in live. The hour-long special marked the biggest TV peak audience for a soap since 2022, with many fans likening the crossover to their own juggernaut Avengers-esque event. The amusing reference appears in episode 2 of Wonder Man, titled Self-Tape, as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s struggling actor Simon Williams seeks the help of Trevor Slattery (played by Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley) to film a self-tape for a casting agent. As Trevor welcomes Simon into his home, the up-and-coming actor admires the various scripts, props and tapes adorning the veteran actor’s room - before stopping at one tape in particular. Labelled Coronation Street, episodes 616 – 619 and 646 – 649, Simon points to this VHS tape and asks, "You played Ron Jenkins, right?". "Well done!" Trevor replies, before acting out an exchange in the iconic Rovers Return, ordering "a pint of bitter, please, and one for my friend". "Every Brit did their stint. The producers were thrilled to get me after my run as [King] Lear," he adds. The surprise exchange in Wonder Man proved an amusing, 'I understood that reference' moment for many British viewers, with several fans taking to social media to share their delight at the first official confirmation of the soap in the MCU. "As if there’s a Coronation Street reference in the new Marvel Series" one fan wrote, "my two worlds are actually colliding." "Ken Barlow vs Thanos when" another jokingly questioned. And the best part of the meta reference? Sir Ben Kingsley really did play Ron Jenkins in Coronation Street between November 1966 and March 1967. The Oscar winner also appeared in spin-offs Pardon the Expression and Turn out the Lights. Funnily enough, this isn’t the first time that the soap has been referenced by a blockbuster superhero franchise. The promotional campaign for James Gunn’s Superman recently nodded to the iconic "London?!" meme. A social media video teasing the cast’s London leg of the film’s promotional tour saw stars Rachel Brosnahan, David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult re-enacting the classic Corrie "London?!" exchange between Janice and Leanne Battersby. So, which of your favourite characters from Corrie’s cobbles would you like to see make a cameo in the MCU? Could we perhaps see the iconic Roy Cropper or Deirdre Barlow pop up in one of Marvel’s next instalments? Wonder Man is now streaming on Disney+. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Beauty release schedule: When is episode 5 on Disney Plus?
Ryan Murphy's latest series stars Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Ashton Kutcher, Anthony Ramos and Jeremy Pope.
The fourth episode of Ryan Murphy's latest series, The Beauty, is now available to stream on Disney Plus, bringing us more mystery, horror and gore. The series, which is based on the comic book of the same name, follows FBI Agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall), who are investigating the mysterious deaths of international supermodels. In doing so, they discover the existence of a sexually transmitted virus that transforms ordinary people into visions of physical perfection, but with terrifying consequences. Murphy has previously been behind other chilling series such as American Horror Story and Monster, so fans of his work will no doubt be flocking to this latest series, which is now getting deeper into its 11-episode run. But when will the next episode be released, and what is the full schedule for the rest of the series? Read on for everything you need to know about the release schedule for The Beauty. When will The Beauty episode 5 be released? The first three episodes of The Beauty were released at once on Thursday 22nd January in UK, following which the series has switched to a weekly release schedule until later in the run. This means that episode 5 will be released in the UK on Disney Plus on Thursday 5th February - one day after its release in the US on FX and Hulu. How many episodes will there be of The Beauty? There will be 11 episodes of The Beauty in total. The series is based on the comic book of the same name, written by Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley and published by Image Comics. It is not yet known whether the first season will adapt the full comic, and the show will therefore be one and done, or whether there will be more stories to tell in a potential second season. The Beauty release schedule The Beauty is set to follow an abnormal release schedule. The first three episodes were released at once, following which it is switching to a weekly release date, with new episodes arriving on Wednesdays in the US and Thursdays in the UK. So far, so standard. However, from episode 8 onwards instalments will be released two at a time, meaning episodes 8 and 9 and episodes 10 and 11 will be released in blocks. All this means the season will come to an end on Thursday 5th March in the UK. Here's a full breakdown of the UK release schedule for The Beauty on Disney Plus: The Beauty episode 1 – Beautiful Pilot - Thursday 22nd January 2026 (out now) The Beauty episode 2 – Beautiful Jordan - Thursday 22nd January 2026 (out now) The Beauty episode 3 – Beautiful Christopher Cross - Thursday 22nd January 2026 (out now) The Beauty episode 4 – Beautiful Chimp Face - Thursday 29th January 2026 (out now) The Beauty episode 5 – Beautiful Billionaires - Thursday 5th February 2026 The Beauty episode 6 – Beautiful Patient Zero - Thursday 12th February 2026 The Beauty episode 7 – Beautiful Living Rooms - Thursday 19th February 2026 The Beauty episode 8 – Beautiful Brothers - Thursday 26th February 2026 The Beauty episode 9 – Beautiful Evolution - Thursday 26th February 2026 The Beauty episode 10 – Title TBC - Thursday 5th March 2026 The Beauty episode 11 – Title TBC - Thursday 5th March 2026 The Beauty will continue on Disney Plus on Thursday 5th February 2026 – you can sign up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month now. Add The Beauty to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Original Blake's 7 star reveals her biggest hopes and fears for reboot – from female representation to politics
"We were the Robin Hoods in space and we were fighting for the dispossessed."
Excitedly chatting a few days after the news hits that a Blake's 7 reboot is in development, original star Sally Knyvette declares: "It's about time!" The actress starred as Flight Officer Jenna Stannis in the iconic sci-fi that aired from 1978 to 1981 and followed Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas) and his group of rebels as they waged war on the totalitarian Terran Federation. While Knyvette stepped away after season 2, in part due to being disappointed with how her character had been written, the series has now been part of her life for almost 50 years. Over the years since it ended, she's heard whisperings of reboots various times - but she's hoping that this time, with director Peter Hoar, exec Matthew Bouch and producer Jason Haigh-Ellery at the helm, might be the one to make it all the way, But what exactly does the reboot need to do to succeed? Knyvette has a few key requirements... Keep it political - but "focused" In the wake of the reboot news, some fans expressed their fears that the series would become "too woke" - despite the fact that it has been overtly political since its inception. To that, Knyvette says: "Don't let it be too woke. I would agree on that. I couldn't agree more. Let it stick to what it's about - the evil forces of the Federation." However, she goes on to add: "You look at the governments around the world now and you think we've all got to stand up to what's going on a lot of the time. I'll only say that in a very generalised way. "But we were the Robin Hoods in space and we were fighting for the dispossessed, we were helping those that were being attacked by evil forces and long may it remain in that vein, because anything that can lighten the rather dark load of what's going on in the world at the moment would be fantastic." "Woke is such a big word. It covers so many things and I want to be careful, because I'm not against the way life is going at all, in many, many ways but what I want to see is people with backbone and resilience and not getting emotionally distressed by the slightest little thing. "I do feel at times, we have to have backbone as women, and if we get too distressed about what's going on, then we sort of make ourselves more vulnerable, rather than empowered. I want to see the empowerment of women in [the reboot] in a very healthy way. "But I wouldn't like it to become a soapbox for lots of different ideologies. I want it to be focused. I'd like it to be focused as it was – fighting the Federation, the evil Servalan and Travis." Give us better female representation – and even make the Blake figure a woman Knyvette has made no secret of the fact that she wasn't happy with how her character Jenna was portrayed by the end of her time on the show, describing her as a "space pirate" who was turned into a "dolly bird". Crucially, she doesn't want the same thing to happen to actresses who take on the reboot. Speaking about her own experiences, Knyvette recalls: "We had to fight a very different world in the '70s, which was very misogynistic and not at all like it is now. One of the reasons I left was veiled in that. "The way women are being treated now is infinitely better - it's not right still, but it's infinitely better - and it'd be great to see some strong, powerful women characters in there, young and old. The most dispossessed group of all is us older actresses from Hollywood down. Everywhere, it's the same. You reach 50 and suddenly you're invisible, and we're not actually, we've got a lot of great experience." Asked if the Blake figure in the reboot could be a woman this time around, Knyvette says: "Absolutely yes. Women are just as natural leaders as men - I would argue probably even better. "Also if you're given a role like I was, as an intergalactic space pirate, let her really be one - not just a dolly bird with sexy outfits. I'm not against that. I like to look good and all of that, but please let us actually do the real stuff, the action, make the decisions. "Don't say, 'Oh goodness, there's a storm coming, Blake, take over.' And that was the pattern, which was why I left so I could find a voice because I had no voice at the time. I didn't feel I could speak up. "I would like to see women having a voice, but I don't want it to be unbalanced. I don't want it to be an anti-men's sort of show at all. Let's see everyone working together, offering their different views and abilities and strengths." Keep a few key characters around - and honour the original cast For Knyvette, there are a few characters who were key to the tone of the show - including the sophisticated computers. She says: "I hope we'd keep the computers, Zen and ORAC, because I think they had amazing idiosyncrasies. And, you know, darling Peter Tuddenham, who was so sweet, did them both beautifully." Meanwhile, discussions have already began in the Blake's 7 fandom about who could possibly step into Jacqueline Pearce's shoes after her incredible performance as the evil Servalan, alongside Stephen Greif's Travis. Knyvette has those same thoughts, telling us: "She was a powerful woman. She was also sexy and dominatrix-y. She was a wonderful actress and friend - and darling Stephen, who recently died. I just adored him, and that was such a shock to us all. That was an incredible team going on with those two. "I would like it to mirror some of the originals, and hopefully they'll get a team like ours, which was sort of magical. We all got on very, very well, and we dealt with a lot of tough stuff with a lot of humour, because you had to keep going, because it was a very difficult way of working in those days." When we suggest that the reboot could honour the original cast in some way, Knyvette adds: "Hopefully the fans will ask for that. I think they will." Stay true to the original tone and keep it character-driven But perhaps one of the biggest reasons Blake's 7 succeeded originally was its unique tone. For Knyvette, it will be essential for the reboot to stay true to that. "I'd love to see the moral ethos of the show [continue]: stand by what you believe, stand up for what you do, don't run away from your your actions. be responsible," Knyvette sums up. "Keep it witty too. The dialogue was witty and funny. Keep that, because you don't want it all to be too intense and heavy." "There were three-dimensional characters," she adds. "It was character driven, so let's see that happening again... let's see it character driven with intention and force." Reflecting on what the reboot could do, she tells us: "Let's see something really original and exciting. It's a great time to do it. We've got the world in the most complex situation, with the most extraordinary people running the world. "Let's see this as a vehicle for our fighting back, to get some form of balance in the world." 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.
Doctor Who legend Alex Kingston "isn’t buying" Billie Piper regeneration twist
Doctor Who legend Alex Kingston has given her take on the latest regeneration twist, which saw Ncuti Gatwa's the Time Lord regenerate into returning star Billie Piper – and she's not having any of it! With the details of the twist still being left up in the air, the River Song actress, who starred alongside David Tennant and Matt Smith during their eras on the show, is insistent that Piper isn't playing the new Doctor. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, Kingston said: "I didn't see the Billie Piper twist coming at all. To be perfectly honest, I still don't quite believe it because she's not a Gallifreyan, she's a human. "I think there's some playing going on here. But I don't buy that she's the next Doctor, and if she is, they're gonna have to work hard to convince me, because she's not a Gallifreyan!" Of course, Piper previously starred as companion Rose Tyler in Doctor Who and, with her recent return, does that mean we could see a comeback for River too? View Green Video on the source website "I haven't really stopped being River because I do so many audio recordings and boxsets of of her journeys with the Doctors, but also she has her own River Song Diaries," Kingston pointed out. "So I've never left that world. Would I like to come back? 100 per cent. It's nothing but sheer joy when you work on Doctor Who, and I've actually even said that I believe that, because she's been saved in a computer program, she could come back in a computer program. 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. "She could 3D print herself. She could hack into any computer in the universe and cause mayhem. I just feel like there's a lot of opportunity if they wanted to go down that route. "But maybe they feel like that's the end of that character. But never say never!" So, as for what the future holds for Kingston and River? That would be spoilers, sweetie. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our 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.
Fallout season 2 release schedule: When is episode 8 on Prime Video?
Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins lead the cast of Prime Video's hit video game adaptation.
The end is nigh! The end of Fallout season 2, that is, which dropped its penultimate episode today. The latest chapter in Prime Video's zany video game adaptation caught some flack early in its run for a meandering pace, which took a while to arrive at the promised setting of New Vegas. However, things have spiced up in recent weeks with several crowd-pleasing moments, including the addition of franchise veteran Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy) in an intriguing supporting role. Judging by the way things are headed, there's a risk that next week's finale could leave us with a major cliffhanger, but fans can at least be assured that it won't go unresolved. In a show of faith, Prime Video handed Fallout an early renewal for season 3 last year, so we can expect to see Lucy (Ella Purnell) and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) again in the not-too-distant (and hopefully, not yet apocalyptic) future. If you're excited to see the finale, read on for our full guide to the Fallout season 2 release schedule – including when to expect episode 8 on Prime Video. When is Fallout season 2 episode 8 out? Fallout season 2 episode 8 will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday 4th February 2026. The hit video game adaptation is set to be rolled out weekly on the streaming platform, which is the treatment typically given to its most high-profile productions. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google What time are Fallout season 2 episodes released in the UK? New episodes of Fallout season 2 will premiere at 2am on Wednesdays in the UK. Prime Video has announced that, from 27th January, Fallout season 2 episodes will drop at 6pm PT – six hours earlier than they had been arriving beforehand. Alas, due to the time difference, that still equates to the early hours of Wednesday morning for UK-based fans, meaning it probably won't have a huge impact on viewing habits over here. How many episodes are there in Fallout season 2? Fallout season 2 will consist of eight episodes in total, matching the number that comprised the first chapter. Fallout season 2 release schedule Here’s an overview of the full Fallout season 2 release schedule, so you can be prepared for when each episode drops: Fallout season 2 episode 1 – The Innovator – Wednesday 17th December 2025 (out now) Fallout season 2 episode 2 – The Golden Rule – Wednesday 24th December 2025 (out now) Fallout season 2 episode 3 – Wednesday 31st December 2025 (out now) Fallout season 2 episode 4 – Wednesday 7th January 2026 (out now) Fallout season 2 episode 5 – Wednesday 14th January 2026 (out now) Fallout season 2 episode 6 – Wednesday 21st January 2026 (out now) Fallout season 2 episode 7 – Wednesday 28th January 2026 (out now) Fallout season 2 episode 8 – Wednesday 4th February 2026 Fallout is available to stream on Prime Video. 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. Add Fallout to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Stranger Things creators' new horror series with The Night Manager star gets release date confirmed with chilling first look
Camila Morrone and The White Lotus alum Adam DiMarco lead the main cast.
Netflix has unveiled first-look images from its mysterious horror series Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, which is executive produced by Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer. The plot of the show is shrouded in secrecy at the time of writing, with few details beyond the premise, which sees a soon-to-be-wed couple ensnared by a (potentially supernatural) plot to destroy them. The series comes from screenwriter Haley Z Boston, best known for work on Netflix's viral hit Brand New Cherry Flavor and Prime Video's pulpy thriller Hunters, with Baby Reindeer director Weronika Tofilska also attached. Netflix's own TUDUM has compared the show to horror greats Rosemary's Baby and Carrie, which implies that dark fantasy elements could come into play as the story unfolds. The Night Manager star Camila Morrone co-stars opposite The White Lotus season 2's Adam DiMarco, playing the "doomed" couple central to the sinister conspiracy. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/adam-dimarco-camila-morrone-something-very-bad-4c70912.jpg" width="2700" height="1800" alt="Adam DiMarco and Camila Morrone star in Something Very Bad is Going to Happen; in this scene, their characters are in the front seats of a car, holding hands as they drive down a road" title="adam-dimarco-camila-morrone-something-very-bad" /> The supporting cast also includes fellow Hunters alum Jennifer Jason Leigh, also known for The Hateful Eight and Atypical, who bears an unsettling grin in her debut image as she clasps what appears to be an engagement ring. Adding to the show's horror credentials is Ted Levine, who played serial killer Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs, and can be seen cutting an imposing figure in a dimly lit corridor. Is he friend or foe? The supporting cast of Something Very Bad is Going to Happen includes Karla Crome (Toxic Town), Gus Birney (Black Rabbit) and Jeff Wilbusch (Unorthodox), while Superman and Wonder Man breakout Zlatko Burić will also feature. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/something-very-bad-is-going-to-happen-cast-a022edd.jpg" width="2700" height="1800" alt="Karla Crome, Gus Birney and Jeff Wilbusch star in Something Very Bad is Going to Happen; in this scene, they are stood around a kitchen island, looking towards the camera lens with intrigue" title="something-very-bad-is-going-to-happen-cast" /> The Duffer brothers recently found themselves in hot water with fans as the Stranger Things ending proved to be one of the most controversial since Game of Thrones. Hopefully, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen can help restore some faith in their creative choices. The eight-episode first season is scheduled to drop on Netflix on Thursday 26th March 2026. Something Very Bad is Going to Happen is coming soon to Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our 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. Add Something Very Bad is Going to Happen 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.
Wonder Man ending explained: What happened to Simon Williams and what's next?
It's fitting that the creator of DC's Wonder Woman invented an early prototype of the lie detector, because Marvel's male counterpart, Wonder Man, is based almost entirely on lies. Or at least the MCU version of Simon Williams that's played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. There's the lies that Simon's tells himself, desperately trying to suppress his devastating ionic power. Then there's the lies he tells on set everyday, pretending to be just another ordinary man. Never mind that he's an actor whose stock and trade is artifice. Yet despite all this, Williams is still devastated when it turns out that his new best friend, Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), has also been lying this whole time too. Originally planted as a mole by the Department of Damage Control (DODC), the former 'Mandarin' quickly grew fond of Williams, developing a real friendship as they auditioned together for the Wonder Man movie. But by the end of episode seven, the jig was up. "Hell of a performance," says Williams as he storms out, leaving Slattery behind, genuinely gutted by how the truth hurt his one real friend. Fit to burst with rage, Williams finally snaps, unleashing all the ionic energy he's kept inside. It's a good thing he's in an empty studio or someone could have got hurt. Still, the Wonder Man crew who helped build the set sure won't be pleased the next day, and there's the little matter of a reporter from the New York Times who's still snooping around on the lot… So what does all this mean for Williams? Is an Oscar on the cards? Avengers membership? Or how about prison? Marvel's Wonder Man ending explained: Where does Simon Williams go? The season one finale begins in the past, showing us again just how formative the '80s Wonder Man film was on Simon and his relationship with his father. These moments they shared are the driving force for everything Williams does, although we sort of got the message already a few flashbacks ago. The next morning, news of the explosion he caused reaches Slattery and agents at the DODC. Realising that he's running out of time, Williams calls up his mum for a chat. Said chat is really a goodbye, but he doesn't want to worry her, even though a mother always knows when something's up. Just as it looks like DODC agents are about to break into the apartment, Williams receives a call from Slattery: "I’ll never forgive myself for what I did to you, but I’m making it right," he says in what sounds like another thinly veiled goodbye. "Promise me you’ll live your life to the fullest." And with that, we're suddenly shown a video confession recorded by Slattery in the role of the Mandarin. Yep, the same terrorist he pretended to be all the way back in Iron Man 3, 13 years prior. "America, did you miss me?" asks Slattery as he takes responsibility for Simon's meltdown. Yep, those DODC agents were actually storming his apartment, not Wonder Man's. It's a sad end for this kindly thespian who's worked so hard to get out from under the Mandarin's shadow, but it's the only way he feels he can atone. The DODC seems happy enough with the arrest, even if it's "not the one we wanted." Never mind that they've apparently been hunting Williams down for years because of the incredible threat he poses? Nah, just let him carry on being a huge Hollywood movie star instead. Slattery maintains to the arresting officers that he was actually The Mandarin all along, and that the acting career was just an act all along. How meta! Wonder Man director Von Kovak asks Williams to channel this betrayal in his performance, but what really helps is the original retro glasses that Simon's given by the prop guy, the same ones worn in the 80s film that his Wonder Man is based on. And they just so happen to be the signature look of Simon Williams in the comics as well. Joe Pantoliano ends up taking over the role of Barnaby from Slattery, which is a bit savage given how cruel The Sopranos star was to our so-called Mandarin prior. We then cut rather snappily to the Wonder Man premiere, which everyone is absolutely loving, if conversations outside the theatre are to be believed. There's already talk of a sequel and even Simon's asshole brother Eric is a fan. Everything's worked out perfectly for Williams, exactly how he wanted. Except, of course, for what happened to Slattery. Simon's agent reveals that bigger projects are being sent his way now, and presumably, that's why we next find Williams out in the middle of nowhere, shadowing an average joe trucker. He must be studying for a new role, right? A few scenes go by where Simon gets to know Chuck Eastman, an old acquaintance of Simon's from the industry, and his family. It's such an abrupt shift, not to mention a long-winded one, that you can't help but wonder what we're even doing here now that we're so close to the end of the show. But then we find out that Chuck works security at the DODC and everything falls into place. Nondescript agents discuss the true power Simon possesses as "an extraordinary threat… or asset" while he casually breaks into a highly secure government building with nothing more than a fake name and a dream. It's not long until 'Alfonso' finds The Mandarin's cell and frees him using his powers, powers which he's suddenly seemed to master, despite suppressing them his entire life. And it's not just super strength he uses here either. It turns out Simon can also fly, a skill he doesn't hesitate to use, rocketing up and through the ceiling without any help from the rocket jets that his '80s inspiration used on screen. What's next for Simon? Is he going to eventually wind up joining the Avengers like his comic book counterpart? Given that the origin of Simon's powers were never explained, could he be a few films away from teaming up with the X-Men? Or could he even help found the Great Lake Avengers, a D-list superhero team that Doorman joins early on in the comics? View Green Video on the source website What's clear in the short term is that Williams and Slattery are on the run for committing crimes against the US government. Why they didn't just arrest Simon earlier when they had proof of his powers is anyone's guess, especially if he really is the huge threat that the DODC claims him to be. Don't be surprised if answers for all this never come, however. Marvel has a habit of leaving their TV-based heroes on a cliffhanger, like Moon Knight or She-Hulk, for example. And the difference with them is that Disney actually invested a lot more time and promo into their stories. With Wonder Man already being billed as a miniseries, one that Disney unceremoniously dumped all at once online, the chances of Abdul-Mateen II (or Williams) starring in a Wonder Man sequel seem close to none. But when it comes to Marvel, never say "never". Wonder Man is available to stream now on Disney Plus. Add Wonder Man to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our 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.
Will there be a Wonder Man season 2? Latest news and speculation
Could Marvel’s most meta Disney+ series return for another season?
As Marvel’s latest character makes his small-screen debut in the hugely meta Disney+ series Wonder Man, many fans are already wondering whether the show could be granted the (very rare) greenlight for a second season. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and fan favourite Sir Ben Kingsley, the series follows up-and-coming actor Simon Williams as he attempts to make his mark in Hollywood. Hoping to land an audition for the lead role in an in-universe reboot of Wonder Man, Simon enlists the help of the hapless Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley). Marvel live-action Disney+ shows have often been one-and-done affairs, typically designed either to introduce new characters into the MCU or to further explore existing ones in standalone - or spinoff - stories. Series such as Wandavision, Echo, Ironheart, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Agatha All Along and Moon Knight all fall into this category. Very rarely have viewers been rewarded with a second instalment, with Loki proving the most notable exception. Wonder Man was originally conceived as a limited series - but could the much-praised dynamic between its two leads help it buck the trend? Read on for everything you need to know about the potential for a Wonder Man season 2. We’ll keep this page updated with the latest news on a potential second season as soon as anything is announced. Will there be a second series of Wonder Man on Disney+? Hollywood satire meets superhero origin — Wonder Man was originally devised as a limited series, with just one season planned. Following the debut of the first season on Disney+, there has been no official announcement from Marvel Studios or Disney+ regarding a follow-up. However, with it’s meta format and strong central performances, the door may not be completely closed for Simon and Trevor. According to Brad Winderbaum, Head of Marvel Television and animation, the decision ultimately comes down to audience response and whether the show actually finds an audience on the streaming platform. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly ahead of New York Comic-Con, Winderbaum explained: "Season 2 could be on the table if people watch. If it's the only Wonder Man story, it really stands on its own as a beautiful piece. But I anticipate that when people get to the end of this story, they're gonna want more. And I hope that's what happens." He also addressed the wider challenges facing Marvel’s Disney+ output, noting that many early shows were designed as limited series featuring "characters that could bounce back and forth between the movies and TV shows". However, complications arose when it came to producing second seasons, as "the deal structure became really expensive, frankly". As a result, Marvel shifted focus toward animated projects designed for long-term runs, such as X-Men ‘97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which Winderbaum said are intended to "come out annually for a number of years". Still, some projects appear to sit in a grey area. He added: "I would put Marvel Zombies on that list, I'd put Wonder Man on that list where we have to see." For now, it seems Marvel is waiting to see how Wonder Man performs with audiences. When could Wonder Man season 2 be released? At this stage, it’s difficult to predict when a second season could arrive on Disney+, especially as the first has only just debuted. Wonder Man was first announced back in June 2022, but was impacted by the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which temporarily halted its production. As a result, the series has taken longer than initially expected to hit the small screen. If a second season were to be greenlit - and didn’t face similar disruptions - the turnaround could be faster. Even so, a release sometime in early 2028 feels like a realistic estimate, but, of course, that is just speculation for now, as Marvel is still waiting to see how season 1 performs. View Green Video on the source website Who from Wonder Man season 1 would return for a second series? Should Wonder Man receive a second season, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley would be natural candidates to return, given Simon and Trevor’s central dynamic - though scheduling would, of course, play a role, especially if there are more Thursday Murder Club sequels announced from Netflix. There is also the possibility that Marvel chooses to continue using the characters elsewhere in the MCU rather than announcing a second season. Trevor Slattery is already an established MCU figure, appearing in both the Iron Man series and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, making him an easy fit for future projects. For now, however, Marvel appears to be keeping its options open. As Winderbaum suggested, Wonder Man is designed to stand alone if necessary, as a "beautiful piece". It certainly seems as though the head of Marvel TV and animation himself hopes we see more from the pair, let's just hope that audiences feel the same. Wonder Man is now streaming on Disney+. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Who was Juan "Spike" Osorio? Wonder Man tribute explained
The first episode of the Marvel show features a tribute card.
Most Marvel heroes strive for greatness, but in Wonder Man, Simon Williams isn't trying to be a superhero. Instead, he hopes to wow the public with his acting, so his biggest fight is keeping those impressive powers of his under wraps. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's struggling actor is joined by fellow actor slash former "terrorist" Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley), who the world remembers as the so-called "Mandarin" from Iron Man 3. Together, they're fighting to appear in a new remake of the classic Wonder Man superhero film that Simon loved growing up. Questions abound, however, when it turns out that not everyone is who they say they are. When it comes to questions, another is raised at the end of episode 1 when a dedication appears before the credits roll, which reads: "In memory of Juan 'Spike' Osorio." So, who is Juan Osorio? And why did Wonder Man pay tribute to him? Read on for everything you need to know about Spike. Who was Juan "Spike" Osorio? Osorio was a veteran lighting technician who worked in the electrical department across multiple Hollywood productions. Before Wonder Man, he was credited on a wide array of sci-fi and fantasy projects including The Dark Tower, American Born Chinese, and Marvel's 2018 sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp, plus more grounded fare such as Mayans M.C. and The Conners. According to interviews with fellow crew members (via The Daily Beast), Osorio worked in the army before moving to Hollywood. Rigging gaffer Dave McGrory explained that Osorio once survived a devastating explosion while serving in the Middle East. "He was in a Humvee that drove over an IED which exploded. And he basically watched his closest guys die in front of him,” McGrory said. "And there was another firefight in a cave in Afghanistan, where he was wounded with some shrapnel. I know that because he got a scar under his left eye, from rock fragmentation." McGrory added: "The man made it out of Afghanistan, and didn’t make it out of the studio system." What happened to Juan "Spike" Osorio? While working on Wonder Man, Osorio fell through a catwalk at Stage 3 at the Radford Studio Center in Studio City (per Variety). He died on the same day – 6th February 2024. Osorio, aged 41 at his time of passing, was survived by his wife, industry boom operator Joanne Osorio-Wu, and his mother Zoila Osorio. Hundreds of people attended a vigil in Burbank to honour Osorio (via ABC7), and Osorio's widow shared a heartfelt message to attendees at the vigil. View oEmbed on the source website "I know Spike would want all of you to know how much he cared for you," Joanne Osorio-Wu said. "Each and every person that he worked with, each and every person that he knew, he wanted to make sure that they were safe, whether they were in his department or not. He was the most important part of my life, and I appreciate you all and the impact that you all had on him." Kaitlyn Yang, the visual effects supervisor on American Born Chinese, remembered Osorio: "I worked with Spike on my last series. He made sure I had all the lights to make our blue screens work. As many crew have echoed before me, I felt seen and heard in his presence. May he rest in peace." Marvel issued the following statement: "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends, and our support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this accident." Following the tragedy, a Cal/OSHA investigation concluded that the catwalk Osorio fell through had a deteriorated section of wood, which was improperly nailed to a roof support. As a result, Disney was hit with a $36,000 fine and Radford Studio Center was fined $45,000. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Osorio’s widow and mother also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Radford Studio Center seeking unspecified damages, with the family’s lawyer alleging that it "failed to properly maintain, repair and inspect its premises". Radford’s lawyers disputed the claims and argued that the accident could have been caused by negligence on the part of Osorio or others. Wonder Man is streaming now on Disney+. 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.
Marvel's Wonder Man release date, trailer cast and latest news
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II steps into his third comic book role in this Disney+ project.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is taking one of its biggest gambles in years with Wonder Man, which will drop all episodes on Disney+ this week. The series appears to be most closely comparable to earlier experiments WandaVision and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, taking a low-stakes comedic spin through the sprawling comic-book world. We'll meet Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a struggling actor trying to make it in Hollywood, as he joins forces with fellow performer and one-time terror suspect Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley). Together, they will be attempting to woo enigmatic film director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić), as they vie for roles in his forthcoming remake of classic superhero film Wonder Man. So far, so unusual for the MCU, with co-creator Andrew Guest acknowledging that Wonder Man is a "big swing" for the franchise (via TechRadar), but remaining hopeful it can please longtime fans and newcomers alike. If you're intrigued, here's everything you need to know about Marvel's Wonder Man on Disney+. Marvel's Wonder Man release date Marvel's Wonder Man will premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday 28th January 2026. The series was previously said to be landing in time for Christmas 2025, but ultimately fell into the following year amid a string of release schedule shake-ups by Marvel Studios. To mitigate the slight delay, all episodes of Wonder Man will be available to stream at once, rather than following a weekly rollout as most earlier MCU shows have done. You can sign up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month now. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Marvel's Wonder Man cast Yahya Abdul-Mateen II leads the cast of Wonder Man as Simon Williams, an actor living and attempting to work in the MCU's version of Hollywood, Los Angeles. This marks the actor's third live-action comic book role, having previously appeared in HBO's acclaimed Watchmen miniseries as well as DC's Aquaman films, where he played the villainous Black Manta. Abdul-Mateen II is joined by legendary actor Sir Ben Kingsley in the comical role of Trevor Slattery; another aspiring actor, who has bumbled his way into a number of bizarre situations over the years. Kingsley debuted in the role more than a decade ago for Iron Man 3, where hapless Trevor masqueraded as a terrorist, before returning for short film All Hail the King and 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton acts as co-creator, executive producer and director on Marvel's Wonder Man, so the series could well acknowledge the events of the movie in some way. MCU aficionados may also recognise Succession alum Arian Moayed as his returning character, Damage Control's Agent Cleary, who previously took small roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Ms Marvel. Meanwhile, Danish-Croatian actor Zlatko Burić is universe-hopping, playing artsy film director Von Kovak in Wonder Man, mere months after appearing as corrupt world leader Vasil Ghurkos in James Gunn's Superman. The Disney+ series also stars Demetrius Grosse (Justified) as Simon's brother Eric, who becomes notable super villain Grim Reaper in the comic books, plus Hollywood legend Ed Harris (Top Gun: Maverick) as talent agent Neal Saroyan. Here's a round up of the confirmed Wonder Man cast thus far: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams / Wonder Man X Mayo as Janelle Jackson Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak Arian Moayed as Agent P Cleary Shola Adewusi as Martha Williams Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams / Grim Reaper Béchir Sylvain as Sanford Williams Olivia Thirlby as Vivian Byron Bowers as DeMarr Davis / Doorman Joe Pantoliano as himself Josh Gad as himself Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery Ed Harris as Neal Saroyan What is Marvel's Wonder Man about? Wonder Man is a showbiz comedy set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following struggling actor Simon Williams (Abdul-Mateen II) as he attempts to become a star. "During a chance meeting with Trevor Slattery, an actor whose biggest roles may be well behind him, Simon learns legendary director Von Kovak is remaking the superhero film, Wonder Man," teases the synopsis. "These two actors at opposite ends of their careers doggedly pursue life-changing roles in this film as audiences get a peek behind the curtain of the entertainment industry." Speaking to Collider last year, executive producer Brad Winderbaum said: "It's a very new flavour for Marvel. It's straight from the minds of [co-creators] Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest. "Honestly, it is one of my favourite things ever. I think it's the best show no one's ever seen, and I’m very excited to see the audience reaction to it. I think it's a love letter to what we do as filmmakers." He added: "It's a love letter to acting as a profession, and it's a very sincere, beautiful show." In the comics, Simon Williams aka Wonder Man is best known as a member of the West Coast Avengers – a California-based offshoot of the New York-centric main team – and Winderbaum has teased an "homage" to that source material (via Collider). Marvel's Wonder Man trailer The latest Wonder Man trailer has dropped, giving us an idea of what to expect from the forthcoming superhero comedy – watch here: View oEmbed on the source website It followed an earlier teaser, which introduced Abdul-Mateen II's hero and his aspiring Hollywood career. Watch here: View oEmbed on the source website Marvel's Wonder Man is coming to Disney+ on Wednesday 28th January 2026. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £5.99 a month now. Add Wonder Man to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Ben Kingsley talks returning to the MCU with Wonder Man, his connection to the Beatles and revering Queen Elizabeth II
Despite the awards and success, the actor values his knighthood from the late Queen above all.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Sir Ben Kingsley is one of the most garlanded actors of his generation. An Academy Award winner for Gandhi, he has also received Bafta, Golden Globe and Olivier awards, and worked with directors such as Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Among his most famous roles are Itzhak Stern in Schindler’s List and Don Logan in Sexy Beast, but now he’s back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Hollywood satire Wonder Man, in which he plays Trevor Slattery. So, who is Trevor Slattery? Trevor is an aspiring actor who never quite hit the spotlight. After falling among thieves and posing as a murderous terrorist [in 2013’s Iron Man 3], he is imprisoned, then broken out of prison, and so returns to Los Angeles to try to recreate himself as a serious actor. This is my fourth visit to Trevor. He is a character that I would never have dreamt would span 15 years of my career. You were born Krishna Pandit Bhanji in 1943. Your father was a doctor of Gujarati Indian descent and your mum was an English actress and model – how did they meet? I believe my mother attended a Guy’s Hospital dance, where my dad was training. You changed your name to Ben Kingsley; how did you decide on that? My dad’s nickname was Ben and Kingsley is derived from his father; he was a spice trader on Zanzibar and his nickname was King Clove. As a youngster, you were taken to see the Italian film Never Take No for an Answer, and you were mistaken for one of the young actors in it. This inspired you to pursue acting – how different would your life be if you hadn’t been to the cinema that day? Oh, golly… I’m eternally grateful to the universe for placing me for those two hours in front of that flickering black-and-white screen, because it was an absolutely fundamental, primal moment. And when one looks back and thinks, what if that hadn’t happened – the whole of my life would be different. Absolutely. Without question. In another Sliding Doors moment, John Lennon encouraged you to pursue a singing career. Were you close to being a pop star? Very close. Brian Epstein, who managed the Beatles, was producing a play I was in. He introduced me to Dick James of Northern Songs, who published the Beatles’ songs, and James offered to mould me into a rock star. The following day I was offered a season at Chichester Festival Theatre. I accepted that instead, and then from Chichester was offered a role in the Royal Shakespeare Company. So the theatre snatched me, and I swam along with it. In the past you’ve talked about approaching acting as a painter, trying to create an entire portrait with one brush stroke… The single brushstroke is the one essential gesture in the character – that gesture could be physical or a feeling. For Gandhi his essential gesture was anger, but he translated that into something miraculous. In Schindler’s List the essential gesture of Itzhak Stern was that he had to witness what he witnessed. The universe placed him there to witness. In film, you’ve worked with some of the greatest directors – is there a quality they all share? There are two categories of directors. One is always auditioning you. The other says, here is the role. It’s the director who can gift the role to the actor generously that I love to work with. Peter Brook, whom I worshipped, said the worst thing a director can say: “Trust me”. The kindest thing I can say to a director is, “No, you trust me”. You won an Oscar for Gandhi in 1983. Your fellow nominees were Dustin Hoffman, Jack Lemmon, Paul Newman and Peter O’Toole. How did that feel? Watching, you could tell I was in shock. I looked like a demented wine waiter holding up my Oscar, saying, “Who ordered the chardonnay?” I mean, I was completely spaced out, and my fellow nominees were titanic stars. You’ve won many awards for film and theatre, you’re also a knight and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you could have just one thing, what would it be? My knighthood. I revered greatly the late Queen Elizabeth, her father’s nerve and the family’s nerve during the Second World War. I long to be a tribal storyteller; when my tribe says, “We have seen you, and we have heard you and we thank you,” nothing quite compares as an acceptance and an embrace. You’ve been a professional actor for 60 years. Does the job get easier or harder? Neither – I think it gets more joyful. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. All 8 episodes of Wonder Man are available on Disney+ from 28 January. 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.
Invincible season 4: Release date and latest news
There was once a time when Invincible fans had to wait years until a new season of the hit adult animated superhero series debuted, but no longer. Now, the show has got into a consistent rhythm, with the fourth season on its way soon, just a year after season 3 blew fans away with its adaptation of some beloved comic arcs. News of season 4's release date has arrived alongside a brand-new trailer, which features all the character moments, punch ups and mayhem that you'd expect, while also introducing Lee Pace's new formidable villain. As fans now count down the days, they can rest assured season 4 won't be the last time they get to see their favourite characters - the series has already been renewed for a fifth season. As for season 4, read on to find out exactly when the next instalment is set to be released, along with everything we know so far about the cast and plot. Invincible season 4 release date The release date for Invincible season 4 was unveiled in January 2026, with the new episodes starting to arrive on Prime Video from Wednesday 18th March 2026. This means the season will be arriving just over a year after season 3, with the show now seemingly in a steady rhythm after the long gap between seasons 1 and 2. Creator Robert Kirkman has previously expressed his ambition to have a season of Invincible release every year, but that will depend on how long the production process takes. Speaking to The Direct, he said: "Right now, the focus is making sure that the show comes out as regularly as possible, and we're trying not to have any distractions that are going to keep us from that. "So, right now, the focus has been getting season 3 wrapped up, getting season 4 wrapped up. Hopefully, once those are all tied up, we'll have some time to figure out how to do a little bit more, but we may not. I don't know, we'll see." Invincible was officially renewed for a fifth season back in July 2025, before season 4 had even premiered, with the video announcement on Twitter/X confirming that voice recordings had already been completed. View oEmbed on the source website How many episodes will there be in Invincible season 4? We'd expect there to be another eight episodes in Invincible season 4. And if Kirkman and the rest of the crew behind the series get their way, there'll be plenty more episodes on their way in future seasons. How many seasons of Invincible will there be in total? Creator Kirkman has gone back and forth on this. In an interview with The Direct, he said he tries "to answer this question differently every time", adding that, while only five seasons have been confirmed so far by Prime Video, he hopes they "get to go for 11 seasons or more." He later told Collider that roughly "seven, eight, nine seasons would be the sweet spot to be able to complete the 144-issue story that we told in comics form to our satisfaction." We'd be surprised if the show continued for a full 11 seasons – but you never know! Invincible season 4 cast Casting announcements for Invincible season 4 are beginning to trickle in, with the latest update revealing that The Walking Dead and Black Panther star Danai Gurira has joined the already impressive roster. Gurira will voice antagonist Universa, who travels to Earth to steal energy in order to save her planet. She attacks a nuclear power plant to siphon nuclear energy, wielding her Staff of Leadership in tow, but judging by the first-look images, she comes into conflict with Atom-Eve along the way. She joins Foundation star Lee Pace, who was confirmed to voice the <a href="https://x.com/InvincibleHQ/status/1976769591998390415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1976769591998390415%7Ctwgr%5E7800acdca0962a6e13fc222a781ed53d3357aa34%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techradar.com%2Fstreaming%2Famazon-prime-video%2Finvincible-season-4-trailer-reveals-early-2026-release-window-as-thragg-voice-actor-confirmed-for-hit-prime-video-shows-next-chapter">iconic Thragg - the formidable leader of the Viltrum Empire - back in October 2025. Fans were also treated to their first look at the character, with a menacing image teasing that the ultimate antagonist may be on his way to Earth. Rounding out season 4’s latest additions to Invicible’s rogues gallery is Dinosaurus - - a dangerous and highly intelligent humanoid dinosaur and the alter ego of scientist David Anders - who will be voiced by The Americans star Matthew Rhys. The update confirmed the following cast members for the fourth season: Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson/Invincible Sandra Oh as Debbie Grayson JK Simmons as Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man Gillian Jacobs as Eve Wilkins/Atom Eve Christian Convery as Oliver Grayson Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Conquest Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Splode Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennett Grey DeLisle as Monster Girl Zachary Quinto as Robot/Rudy Conners Chris Diamantopoulos as Donald Ferguson Ross Marquand as The Immortal/Rudy Connors Khary Payton as Black Samson Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell Kevin Michael Richardson as The Mauler Twins Ben Schwartz as The Shapesmith Clancy Brown as Damien Darkblood Jay Pharoah as Bulletproof Mark Hamill as Art Rosenbaum Melise as Dupli-Kate/Kate Cha Lee Pace as General Thragg Danai Gurira as Universa Matthew Rhys as Dinosaurus Despite not being listed, we’d also expected the following actors to reprise their roles in the upcoming fourth instalment; Sterling K Brown as Angstrom Levy, Michael Dorn as Battle Beast, Jonathan Banks as Brit, Xolo Maridueña as Fightmaster & Dropkick, Simu Liu as Multi-Paul and Tzi Ma as Mr Liu. What could be the plot of Invincible season 4? Prime Video has revealed that the upcoming season will return with “higher stakes”, teasing that the three new antagonists will be “unleashing chaos”. “While the world recovers from catastrophe, a changed Mark fights to protect his home and the people he loves, setting him on a collision course with a threat that could alter the fate of humanity forever.” The synopsis continues: “With the stakes and threats raised even higher this season, Invincible, Atom Eve (Jacobs), and the Guardians of the Globe must save the world.” Season 4 is expected to adapt a large portion of the epic Viltrumite War - the final climactic event between the Coalition of Planets and the Viltrum Empire. The season will also pick up following the Invincible War arc and after comic #65. Kirkman has teased the plot of season 4, telling Deadline: "Thragg is cast and will be in season 4. "So, I won’t reveal anything other than if you’ve been watching the show since season 1, you might be like, 'Hey, when is there going to be more Viltrumite stuff?' I will say that season 4 has more Viltrumite stuff that you might be wanting. "In season 2, we got the cool Anissa stuff and then Nolan’s story. In season 3, we got Conquest, and Nolan’s story, and stuff going on in space with Allen. "In season 4, it really ramps up. So, the people that are loving that aspect of the show, you will definitely get more of that." Previously speaking to RadioTimes.com, Kirkman also implied that the events of the Invincible War will be heavily felt in season 4, saying: "When we come back for season 4, we're going to be coming back to a very different world filled with very different characters." Kirkman also previously opened up to RadioTimes.com about the process of adapting the comic books, saying: "With this show, I envision it is a kind of process of, 'If it's not broken, don't fix it.' "So, when we sit down with the source material, if we feel like everything is working, we just try to make sure that we uphold what existed in the comics, trying to put a fresh coat of paint on it, trying to expand things where we can expand them, truncate things where you feel like that's necessary. "But if there's big moments and events that absolutely landed in the comics that I know the fan base is excited to see, you're going to get those moments." He then went on to clarify that any attempt to alter those moments will be "only to enhance", adding a little bit of extra something to build up a moment so that when an adapted moment from the comics finally lands, "it'll hit you in a different way", whether it's more emotional because you've had more time with certain characters or more intense because of that additional build-up. The ultimate reassurance that Invincible season 3 is a faithful adaptation to the comics, however, is when Kirkman mentions how he's compared Invincible with his time working on the TV adaptation The Walking Dead, where he learned that big changes from the source material aren't always needed. "It's really a process of trying to enhance what was in the comics, not to change it for the sake of giving you something different. That's something I learned from working on The Walking Dead," Kirkman said. "I was very much coming at things coming from a place of, 'They've read this before. Let's give them something different,' and I was pushing to change things as often as possible on that show. "Here, I'm like, 'You know what? Let's make sure we deliver that moment in a way that the fan base that's experienced the comics, that loves the comics, will love all over again.'" Is there a trailer for Invincible season 4? There is! A trailer was released on 22nd January, which you can watch right now here. View oEmbed on the source website Invincible season 3 is available to stream in full now on Prime Video – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial. Check out more of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who's Carole Ann Ford: "I wanted to leave much earlier – but now I don't know what my life would be without it"
The trailblazing Doctor Who companion reflects on her complex relationship with the beloved series.
Despite her original run on Doctor Who spanning just two seasons, Carole Ann Ford has lived with her trail-blazing character, Susan Foreman, for more than 62 years. "I can't imagine not having her in my head," she tells RadioTimes.com, as she sits down for an in-depth interview at her London home. "I haven't been apart from her." Ford first appeared as Susan Foreman, the first ever Doctor Who companion and the Time Lord's granddaughter, in the iconic first serial An Unearthly Child, broadcast in 1963. Starring alongside William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor, she paved the way for every single companion that would come after her. Looking back on her memories of filming An Unearthly Child all those years ago, Ford recalls: "It somehow cemented Susan within me. I think, when I walked through the junkyard and saw the TARDIS, it was a feeling of home." Part of the magic of the early days of Doctor Who was also the chemistry between Ford and her co-stars, including the late great Hartnell, who Ford spent hours with on set creating their own backstory for their characters. There was also the "adorable" William Russell, who played Ian Chesterton ("I suggested to them that maybe Susan could have crush on him") and the "kind and thoughtful" Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright). "They're very much missed. I can't believe that they're no longer here," Ford says. "[Hill] would love to have seen how it progressed and and Russ was there to see the big time happening for us and being part of it. "It's always difficult when you lose mates like that. And as we were just the four of us for a long time, we were like a family. We knew how the other person worked and what made them tick. "It's very important to know how your fellow actor is going to react if you make a slight change in the dialogue...We were all so relaxed with each other. We knew each other so well. You had to jolly well trust each other, because there's so much potential for it to go wrong." Of course, despite Doctor Who's incredible success, plenty did go wrong. While Ford remembers bloopers like wobbly scenery and lighting issues, one issue is still impacting Doctor Who's legacy today - the episodes that are still missing after the BBC erased or reused tapes in the 1960s and 1970s to save storage space and costs, before archiving policies were in place. Marco Polo, one of Ford's serials, is still missing in its entirety, with just some audio surviving. Ford says she's "mortified" by the idea that the story can't be watched by fans, adding: "Marco Polo! Such a beautiful one, so beautiful. Such a loss. Well, hopefully it’s not lost forever." While nothing has been proven, some fans believe the story exists in a private collection, with Ford issuing a plea if that is the case and saying: "Please, if there's somebody out there who's got Marco Polo, return it because we're suffering... please, let us have it back just for a while so we can see again what that loveliness was." Ford also wasn't always happy with how Susan was portrayed on screen, admitting it "wasn't an immediate yes" when she was asked to take on the role. "It sounded to me as though she was going to have loads of wardrobe changes, loads of character changes, mixing in with whatever period, whatever time, whatever place I was..." she says. "The initial description of her didn't match up with what finally happened. I was promised quite a lot of different things were going to be happening with her, which didn't. But we had fun doing it, and 60 years later, I suppose we did something good!" Ford adds: "I was very frustrated, because at the time, I was super fit, I was a trained dancer, and I was a very good swimmer and horse rider, and I would have thought they could have brought some of those skills into her character and made her much more interesting," Ford recalls. "I was lucky if I got to sort of climb up a one-foot wall or something. It was disappointing." It's a situation that Ford admits led her to be envious of later companions, most notably of Billie Piper, whose first appearance as Rose Tyler in 2005 saw her swing across a fiery pit. Speaking about how companions were portrayed in Doctor Who, Ford added of Piper: "She, I think, made a big difference to it. "Until then, I think they were almost trying to recreate Susan.... what they envisaged was Susan to be the sort of young girl next door watching Doctor Who and. I can see it's worked, because I've been to quite a few conventions where a couple of girls have come up and said, 'I always wanted to be you.'" But a lot also went also went right with Doctor Who, something that one person in particular foresaw. "The one who who had the highest hopes and aspirations for it was Bill, and he said to everybody, 'This can run for ever, ever and ever and ever. Because why wouldn't it? We can be anywhere at any time.'" "The part was so important to him. It was everything to him," she says of her late co-star. "And because of that, he was a real perfectionist with it. "I think if people were a little bit off about the idea of Bill, it may be because he was such a perfectionist, and if he saw people fooling around with the part, not taking it all seriously... but he was right. "Unless you're doing it seriously, it doesn't mean anything to the audience. If you're thinking, 'Oh, a load of rubbish', then how are the audience going to ever accept what's going on and be entertained by it? "We got rid of all our giggles about the various monsters in rehearsals, and just as well we did, because sometimes I look back and I think, 'How did I ever keep a straight face?!'" 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. One particular serial Ford recalls finding that challenging on was Planet of the Giants, which she describes as her favourite experience on Doctor Who. "We had a lot of laughs on that because, of course, there's no CGI involved there. It was great, huge pieces of furniture that were mountainous, and we had to actually climb up a huge chain, which was the chain of the plug to go in the sink, and enormous, mountainous sized cats and insects, especially the ant, was not at all nice - it gave me the creeps - but it was great fun." But despite having a blast on the show, Ford couldn't help feeling that Doctor Who was holding her back in some ways. "I was wanting to leave much earlier [than I did]," she admits. "The thing that happens to all actors is that when they're in a successful thing, suddenly you get lots of offers from other people. And I was having quite a few lovely offers from other people, which I couldn't do because of Doctor Who for one thing, but also it was getting a bit repetitive. "In spite of what we'd say at the first day reading it, it was getting very repetitive. There was the same thing happening. We'd go off, perhaps in a hurry from somewhere, and so perhaps not set the dials for the correct time, and we'd arrive somewhere and the doors would open, and I was told not to rush out and get lost. And I always used to rush out and get lost or get captured or whatever. "So I was always the one who was in trouble, and the others would come and find me, and then it would start again... My character just wasn't expanding, certainly not in the directions I wanted." So, the time came for her to leave Doctor Who, with Susan bidding farewell to her grandfather and Ford going on to play a variety of different roles that she hoped would separate her a little from her breakout role. "In Public Eye, they wanted me to play a prostitute," she says, cheering at the thought. "I thought, 'That'll do it! That'll stop them thinking of me just as Susan from Doctor Who,' but no way. I had furious parents getting in touch, saying, 'What on earth were you doing playing that part? I allowed my children to stay up late to watch you, and there you were playing a prostitute. How can you do that?' Well, sorry, I'm an actress!" But, over the years, she kept tabs on Doctor Who, praising the fans who "stuck with it through thick and thin over the years". "When the BBC weren't producing it, they were producing it themselves. I mean, there's a huge love out there," she points out, adding that the broadcaster has a "duty" to the fans. Ford has also returned to the character of Susan in the form of Big Finish audio dramas, telling us: "They stretch my character. They make her older and more responsible and do all sorts of things - the sort of things I wanted to do before, they allow me to do." As for when Doctor Who came back in 2005? "I thought it was absolutely brilliant, and I was longing to be part of it. I mean, obviously they had money to spend on this thing. I thought it was fantastic." It might have taken another 18 years, but Ford finally got her wish when she ran into Russell T Davies in 2023: "I ran into his wide-open arms, and he picked me up and swung me around and said, 'I think it's time you came back.'" True to his word, Ford returned to Doctor Who in The Interstellar Song Contest - but some fans felt that, by the end of the latest season, Susan's story hadn't quite been finished. "I think enough people out there know by now that something extra was filmed and wasn't shown," Ford points out. "So yes, of course, there were a couple more [scenes], which, because of some changes that had to be made, didn't make sense once the changes have been made. So they obviously had to film something else that went with those changes. "It's a shame though - I'd loved to have done it, and the bit I did do, I really enjoyed doing, and I loved seeing it. I sort of looked as I was floating in space." Now, at the age of 85, Ford has no considerations of retirement. After all, there are things she hasn't ticked off yet, including her hope of starring in a big-budget period drama. Plus, after feeling like the writers didn't quite do Susan justice, she's taken matters into her own hands, writing a short story for the anthology Doctor Who: The Adventures after, in which she very much saves the day. "It's the sequel to The Edge of Destruction," Ford explains. "When it seemed as though the TARDIS was attacking everybody in the ship, and Susan in particular was attacking Ian and trying to kill him... And in our story, this creature has invaded the ship, and invaded the controls of the TARDIS. It's quite a story." Of course, Ford has made no secret of the fact that she'd relish the opportunity to return to Doctor Who to finish Susan's story, declaring with a twinkle in her eye: "You've still got to find me, Grandfather! I'm waiting for that..." And, despite initially feeling she wanted to distance herself from Doctor Who, her feelings have now very much changed. Reflecting on her relationship with the beloved series, she admits: "I don't know what my life would have been without it." Radio Times' Doctor Who Insiders continues next month – register now to make sure you don't miss a thing. Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our 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.
From The Beauty to The Substance, why is the new age of body horror having its moment?
From The Beauty to The Substance, body horror is becoming increasingly popular among creators and audiences – but why is it having such a moment?
When horror expert Xavier Aldana Reyes went to see a screening of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, a 2024 body horror film filled with gruesome and grotesque scenes, nothing seemed to indicate that it would go on to receive the attention it did. “It looked like something that was made for people like me; people who have always enjoyed body horror.” Universal Pictures, which was originally supposed to distribute the film, believed the same thing. According to Fargeat, it refused to release her final cut of the film without changes, specifically to its ending. But after Mubi acquired the movie and gave it a wide theatrical release, it went on to become a massive hit, grossing more than $78 million worldwide (over four times its production budget). The film also went on to generate significant awards buzz, including a best actress Oscar nomination for Demi Moore. Body horror, a sub-genre of horror concerned with uncontrollable transformations and mutations, was first popularised in the late 70s and 80s through releases such as David Cronenberg’s The Fly, and has typically remained niche in audience appeal, its graphic content often polarising among viewers. What’s more, many of the films we use to define the sub-genre were released as horror films – not body horror films – with the term being applied retrospectively. But now, a growing list of films are explicitly being labelled as body horror, and many of them are resonating with non-horror audiences. Alongside The Substance, body horror films such as Love Lies Bleeding (2024) and I Saw the TV Glow (2024) have had wide releases in recent years and gone on to achieve critical acclaim. Julia Ducournau’s Titane, a body horror film full of grotesque graphic imagery to rival The Substance, became a cultural talking point after premiering at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it was the surprise winner of the Palme d'Or. A number of TV shows are also fitting this trend, from Alice Birch’s 2023 adaptation of Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers – a six-part body horror series for Prime Video – to numerous episodes in Guillermo del Toro’s eight-part Netflix horror anthology Cabinet of Curiosities (2022). View Green Video on the source website Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty – a body horror show about an injection that brings physical perfection to users (“One shot makes you hot”) – came out this week on Disney+. There’s been buzz around the series from the off, with the trailer hitting nearly 190 million views across social platforms and becoming FX’s most-viewed ever. So, what’s driving the newfound popularity of the sub-genre? Sarah Lahm, a lecturer in Media, Communication and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds, says that creators are being drawn to body horror because it can be used to “tap into the cultural anxieties of our era”.She notes Titane, in which the serial killer protagonist becomes unexpectedly pregnant after having sex inside a vintage Cadillac, as an interesting example of a film that taps into anxieties around bodily autonomy and pregnancy that have surfaced “in the post-#MeToo movement, amid the Trump era, and amid the resurgence of major threats to reproductive rights that we’re seeing”. Aldana Reyes, Reader in English Literature and Film at Manchester Metropolitan University and co-president of the International Gothic Association, agrees, saying that creators are being drawn to body horror “because of the social and political potential of the messages that can be got across with that language”. He notes 2016’s Raw, a violent coming-of-age body horror film by Ducournau in which cannibalism acts as a metaphor for sexual awakening, as a "significant point" in the development of this new wave of more socially and politically invested body horror, but adds that “the 2020s in particular have been a period where that sort of galvanised”. Many of these recent titles tap into anxieties “about the rise of cosmetic surgery and how it’s connected to social media in particular”, Aldana Reyes says, and “about how social media is selling these perfected versions of our bodies that are even more possible to attain”. This includes The Substance, which centres on Elisabeth (Moore), a former Hollywood star who takes a black-market serum that creates a beautiful and younger version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley). Meanwhile, del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities entry The Outside (directed by Ana Lily Amirpour) also takes aim at ridiculous beauty standards. The episode follows Stacey (Kate Micucci) as she experiences severe and self-inflicted skin reactions from a lotion that promises to transform users from an ‘ugly duckling’ into a ‘stunning swan’. In a similar vein, Emilie Blichfeldt’s newly Oscar-nominated film The Ugly Stepsister centres on Elvira (Lea Myren), one of Cinderella’s ‘ugly’ stepsisters. The movie reframes the fairy tale to focus on Elvira’s psychological and physical suffering as she attempts to make herself attractive to the prince through various horrifying means – DIY nose jobs, ingesting a tapeworm, and cutting off her toes to fit into shoes, to name just a few. Murphy’s The Beauty also tackles these themes, while also engaging with current anxieties around the long-term effects of Ozempic, the miracle weight-loss drug, which – much like the beauty-enhancing injection on the show which turns deadly – can shrink your body, but at a cost that remains unknown. A lot of the creators and directors behind these titles are women and minority voices, who aren’t necessarily being drawn to the sub-genre consciously, Aldana Reyes points out, but rather because “body horror becomes a medium for these personal messages”. The likes of Titane, The Substance, Tiger Stripes and The Ugly Stepsister, which all use body horror to visualise the internal consequences of external pressures on women to some degree, are all written and directed by women. 2024’s I Saw the TV Glow, which uses body horror to represent gender dysphoria, is written and directed by non-binary filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun. “I think those are communities of people that have very direct experience of what it’s like to be judged,” Aldana Reyes says. “I mean we all have a sense of what it’s like to be judged, in terms of not being handsome or pretty enough, not being enough of this, or the other. “But I think being a woman for example, you’re a lot more aware of how your body should be perceived socially. You’ve got every form of media telling you what you should look like. And if you’re trans your body is even more actively policed by other people, and monitored.” Indeed, Ducournau has previously said she doesn’t view any of her films as body horrors. “I don’t think I make body horror,” she told IndieWire back in 2021. “I use body horror tools in my films, which I believe are dramas, or love stories. I use these tools because I express myself like this in the way I relate to the body. But it is a completely honourable term.” And while Fargeat has explicitly used the term to describe her work, in an interview with Variety, she emphasised the sub-genre as “the perfect vehicle to express the violence all these women's issues are about”. That creators are being drawn to body horror as a tool to explore how characters relate to their bodies, rather than to the sub-genre itself, is also evidenced by a handful of recent titles that contain elements of body horror, but wouldn’t actually be categorised as the label. This is the case in 2020’s Ramy, a Hulu comedy-drama which is primarily about a young Muslim man but which features an episode that pivots its focus away from Ramy and onto his sister, Dena, and her anxieties. “There’s this scene where she starts losing hair in the shower, and there’s anxiety around a lump in her breast. This isn’t usually a show that uses body horror, but in that episode it does,” says Lahm. The Netflix comedy-drama Russian Doll also uses a moment of body horror to represent Nadia’s (Natasha Lyonne) trauma and mental state in its second run. “There’s not usually any body horror, but in season 2 there are these sequences of the main character pulling little black bugs out of her skin.” The normalisation of graphic content is another factor making body horror an attractive medium for creators, notes Aldana Reyes. “I think the levels of graphic content, whether it be graphic content, or nudity and sexuality, have definitely gone up in the last 10 or 15 years. Just think about how many people vomit in shows, or how much blood appears in horror shows.” Research in 2023 found that 80 per cent of American TV shows included some form of violence, with some programmes exceeding 150 violent acts per hour. “I don’t know if we have become more desensitised to violence or explicit content, but it’s definitely become a lot more normalised,” he adds. “And if you put the two together about people wanting to tell personal stories about how they’re experiencing the world through their bodies, and the increase in explicit content, it’s a great place for body horror to come in.” Body horror is becoming increasingly popular among audiences for the same reasons it’s attracting creators – because of the messages and themes that it can be used to convey, Aldana Reyes says. He notes that for a long time body horror was perceived as “just a sensational thing” and that “the only body horror films that have ever been awarded, have normally been awarded for their make-up, and for their sensational elements.” And that, while The Substance “obviously had a lot of special effects and interesting elements in that regard, it was mostly the message of the film that got through to people”. It’s this message that got Demi Moore, who Fargeat has said she hadn’t expected to take on the role as she thought the film would be “too scary”, on board. Moore previously told The Wrap: “It really touched on so many different levels. While I am not Elisabeth, I immediately extracted from the script the potential depth of what it could bring forward, which is what we do to ourselves.” Lahm agrees that it’s the sub-genre’s growing complexity and diversity that’s resonating with audiences. While horror has historically been a male-dominated genre, she notes, “often when you have a female creator or creators and when the story is women-centric you get more of a sense of interiority, more of a sense of the psyche, rather than just doing things for a sense of shock.” Body horror’s newfound popularity among audiences can also be attributed to the fact there’s more money in it now, both Lahm and Aldana Reyes agree. This is particularly evident in The Beauty – a big-budget and glossy show that focuses more on style than substance. While the likes of The Substance, The Ugly Stepsister and Dead Ringers provide in-depth examinations of their characters’ increasingly self-destructive relationships with their bodies (through increasingly grotesque scenes), The Beauty offers a surface-level look into the minds of its characters – a woman wants a boob job so she can get attention from men, for example, or an incel wants to be attractive so he can sleep with women. Moving forward, Lahm wants fewer mainstream projects like The Beauty and “more body horror that is more transgressive and more, dare I say, arthouse”. Aldana Reyes notes that “body horror is now more expensive, more complex, more diverse than it has ever been” and can see it heading further down this road in the years to come. He hopes we’ll see more female, non-binary, trans and non-white filmmakers being drawn to the sub-genre. “These would be the places I would say body horror is going,” he says. “More in the direction of identity politics. A much more social and politically aware type of body horror. And one that continues to prod the diversity element.” The Beauty is available to watch now on Disney+ in the UK. You can sign up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy release schedule – when is the next episode out?
Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti star in the latest frontier for the long-running franchise.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is facing some major turbulence in its early weeks on Paramount Plus, as the sci-fi drama becomes the latest target of review-bombing (echoing the reception of The Acolyte and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law). Despite reasonable reviews from critics (including our own three-star verdict), Starfleet Academy's user scores are tanking on sites such as Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb and Metacritic as it becomes a flashpoint in culture war debates. Although its format was bound to divide longtime fans – sharing more in common with a high school teen drama than a typical Star Trek show – many of the most vocal critics appear to be targeting the show's perceived politics. Polygon notes that Star Trek has always been a progressive franchise, dating back to The Original Series of the 1960s and its commentary against racial discrimination. Therefore, efforts to paint Starfleet Academy's representation as a radical politically-motivated departure suggest a lack of knowledge on what came before, but there are certainly other valid criticisms to be levelled at the spin-off. RadioTimes.com's Sci-Fi and Fantasy Editor Louise Griffin praised the performances of lead actors Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti, but criticised the bloated size of the supporting cast and a tone that is "too sickly sweet" for some palates. If you're sticking with the show and want to know when class is next in session, read on for your full guide to the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy release schedule on Paramount Plus. When is the next episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy out? Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is following a weekly release schedule on Paramount Plus, meaning that new episodes of the sci-fi drama will be released on Thursdays. The show premiered on Thursday 15th January 2026 with a double-bill launch, introducing USS Athena captain Nahla Ake (played by Holly Hunter) and her team of fresh-faced cadets. Expect episodes to keep dropping until the finale in mid-March. How many episodes are in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy? View Green Video on the source website Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 will consist of 10 episodes in total. If that leaves you wanting more, rest assured that a second season of the spin-off is already in production. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy release schedule Here's an overview of the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 release schedule, so you can mark your calendars for when each episode drops. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 1 – Thursday 15th January (out now) Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 2 – Thursday 15th January (out now) Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3 – Thursday 22nd January (out now) Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 4 – Thursday 29th January Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 – Thursday 5th February Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6 – Thursday 12th February Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7 – Thursday 19th February Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 8 – Thursday 26th February Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9 – Thursday 5th March Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 10 – Thursday 12th March Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is streaming on Paramount+. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/offers/?benefitId=paramountplusgb&ref_=DVM_PDS_CHN_UK_mi_C_mkw_sNynrT7ZC-dc_pcrid_637893181401&mrntrk=slid__pgrid_143491579803_pgeo_9045946_x__adext__ptid_kwd-1210995054370&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAs5i8BhDmARIsAGE4xHwTfGgy5aYKkYxNQV68UYUZhVWUr2bVS4o-EfnvpowOvplyXMbKqXAaArmvEALw_wcB&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2191954" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored">Sign up to your seven-day Paramount+ free trial. Add Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more 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.
For All Mankind season 5 release date confirmed with new first look and The Killing reunion
Mireille Enos is joining Joel Kinnaman in the cast for this season.
Get ready to reach for the stars once more, as Apple TV's alternate history series, For All Mankind, is coming back for season 5. The first trailer for the new season has now been unveiled, along with a new set of images, as the release date has been unveiled for the new batch of 10 episodes. Season 5 will officially debut on Friday 27th March, with episodes arriving weekly. This means the finale will debut on 29th May. The synopsis for this season says that it "picks up in the years since the Goldilocks asteroid heist". "Happy Valley has grown into a thriving colony with thousands of residents and a base for new missions that will take us even further into the solar system," the synopsis continues. "But with the nations of Earth now demanding law and order on the Red Planet, friction continues to build between the people who live on Mars and their former home." You can watch the trailer right here now. View oEmbed on the source website While Joel Kinnaman, Toby Kebbell, Edi Gathegi, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña and Wrenn Schmidt, will all be returning, this season also sees the introduction of some notable series regulars, including Kinnaman's former The Killing co-star Mireille Enos. 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. Costa Ronin (The Americans), Sean Kaufman (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Ruby Cruz (Mare of Easttown) and Ines Asserson (Royalteen) are all also joining the cast. For All Mankind fans ares really getting treated this year, as not only is season 5 on the way, but a spin-off, titled Star City, is also coming soon. That show is reportedly set to be led by Rhys Ifans, with the story focusing on the Soviet space programme in For All Mankind's alternate history, taking the timeline right back to the start of the series. For All Mankind season 5 will premiere on Apple TV on Friday 27th March 2026. Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Apple TV, sign up now with a 7-day free trial. Add For All Mankind 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 Beauty review: Ryan Murphy's body horror thriller is stylish but surface-level
A wild premise leads to some entertaining and preposterous moments in this body horror thriller from Ryan Murphy, but the series ultimately lacks depth and subtlety.
This review is based on the first two episodes of The Beauty. Following 2025’s All’s Fair, the critically-panned legal drama starring Kim Kardashian, Ryan Murphy is back with another surface-level critique of social issues in his new series The Beauty, which takes loose aim at society’s obsession with physical perfection and the lengths people will go to achieve it. The show, based on a 2015 comic book by Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley, is set in a dystopian world and follows FBI agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall), who’ve been sent to Paris to investigate a series of puzzling deaths that are connected by two strands: all of them are newly signed models, and they’ve all died by a mysterious and bizarre process of overheating and exploding. What follows is a glossy, campy and satirical body horror thriller as their investigation soon leads them into the path of an organisation known as The Corporation, led by a tech billionaire (Ashton Kutcher), who has managed to engineer a beauty-enhancing drug. Its label guarantees “One shot makes you hot”, and while it does fulfil its promise, there are a couple of unpleasant side effects: a painful mutation into the new conventionally attractive body, and, yeah, inevitable death. Oh, and there’s another drawback: the injection has actually been engineered from an STD, which is also spreading among society. It’s a wild and ironic premise that looks at the horrors of our obsession with physical attractiveness – the more attractive you are, the more dangerous you are to others who desire you – while the injection element engages with current discussions around Ozempic. Murphy leans into the un-seriousness of it all, and there are plenty of delightfully preposterous and entertaining moments. Yet this approach also leaves the social commentary lacking depth and subtlety. Murphy’s sledgehammer approach is particularly evident in one clumsy discussion between Cooper and Jordan who are, funnily enough, sleeping together, in which Cooper bluntly points out that the reason behind people wanting to look good, and wanting to be attractive in the first place, always boils down to one thing: sex. The Beauty is part of a growing trend of shows and films that are using body horror to visualise the internal consequences of external pressures such as health and beauty standards, from Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance to Alice Birch’s TV adaptation of David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers. Comparisons to The Substance, in which Demi Moore’s character reaches for a serum to transform her into the picture of youth that goes on to have side effects, in particular will be inevitable given the similarity of its premise. But while the likes of The Substance and Dead Ringers offer in-depth explorations of their character’s psychological struggles (through extended and escalating body horror), The Beauty pales in comparison, offering only surface-level insight into the interiority of the characters – a woman wants to to be a model, for example, or an incel wants to sleep with women. And while the first body horror transformation in the show is pretty wild and disturbing, once you’ve got the gist, it looks like the mutations are going to get quite predictable quite quickly (this is the case in the two episodes of the show that were available to review, anyway). Instead the focus is on story momentum and plot, which is certainly intriguing, and looks to be ramping up at the end of episode 2 as Cooper finds The Corporation on his tail. The series is also visually stunning – as fans will have come to expect from a Murphy production – and has a great cast. Hall and Peters in particular are terrific as sceptics of their image-obsessed society, while there are also some fun guest appearances from the likes of Bella Hadid. The Beauty will premiere Thursday 22nd January on Disney+ in the UK. 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.
Doctor Who legend Carole Ann Ford reveals her "emotional" reaction when watching David Bradley’s William Hartnell
"Every time I see it, I burst into tears."
For many Doctor Who fans, watching the 50th anniversary docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time was emotional - but no one's experience could compare to Carole Ann Ford's. Ford played Susan, Doctor Who's first ever companion, who assisted the debut Doctor actor William Hartnell in his adventures across the galaxy from 1963-1964, with some of their earliest experiences on set being dramatised for the modern special. In the docudrama, David Bradley playing Hartnell and Claudia Grant played Ford. While Ford, who made a cameo in the special, admitted the experience of seeing herself played as a character felt "extremely creepy", on the whole, she loved An Adventure in Space and Time. Recalling how she felt when she watched the film, created by Mark Gatiss, she exclusively told RadioTimes.com: "I loved it. I've seen it a few times. Now, every time I see it, I burst into tears. I find it very emotional, looking at Bill as he was, and everybody else who’s no longer with us. "Mark did a fabulous job with his research. He took me out to lunch so we could have a good old chat about it, which was fabulous. I loved it. He's a wonderful man - he really digs deep into what he's doing. I know he researches everything. He certainly researched that really, very well." Meanwhile, during the in-depth chat about her time on Doctor Who, Ford also reflected on her close friendship with her old co-stars, including the late Hartnell. "I thought he was adorable!" she said. "He was very charming, very sweet, very considerate, and took it all very seriously, which I approved of. I don't like people messing about and giggling – they've got to take the work seriously." She added: "The part was so important to him. It was everything to him. And because of that, he was a real perfectionist with it." Meanwhile, she remembers Jaqueline Hill, who played Barbara Wright as "a lovely, kind, thoughtful lady, who was a great actress." As for William Russell? "My first impression was 'Cor!', and then I suggested to them that maybe Susan could have a sort of crush on him...I thought I was being reasonable, but, no way not allowed, that. No fun and games on the TARDIS!" Carole Ann Ford's full interview will be available on RadioTimes.com soon. Missing Doctor Who? Register now for Radio Times's Doctor Who Insiders club for exclusive interviews with Doctor Who legends every month. 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.
Doctor Who director says "something went wrong" with Disney deal: "It wasn't a better show with more money"
Peter Hoar, who directed The Robot Revolution and Lucky Day, was speaking about his new "genre-based" production company.
Peter Hoar, the director behind two of the most recent episodes of Doctor Who, has said that "something went wrong" with the series in its most recent era, when the show was co-produced with Disney. The director, who worked on two season 15 episodes, The Robot Revolution and Lucky Day, was speaking in an interview about his new "genre-based" production company Multitude Productions, which he's founded with executive producer Matthew Bouch and West End producer Jason Haigh-Ellery. Talking to Deadline, Hoar said of the sci-fi's latest iteration: "I don’t think anybody would doubt the skills at the front line of that show but something went wrong. "I think there were lots of areas you could point fingers at but ultimately it wasn’t a better show with more money. And that’s a good thing, because we haven’t got the money anymore, nobody has." Bouch also said that the "well-publicised dropping off of Doctor Who" gives them the sense that there is a gap in the market in the UK for "genre-based British IP", which they are looking to fill – in part – with their new reboot of Blake's 7. View Green Video on the source website Hoar was not only behind The Robot Revolution and Lucky Day, but also directed an episode from the Matt Smith era – season 6's mid-season finale A Good Man Goes to War. Elsewhere he has directed episodes of Daredevil, The Last Kingdom, The Umbrella Academy and The Last of Us. He was behind all five episodes of current Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies's Channel 4 drama It's a Sin, and all three episodes of his ITV show Nolly. 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. Doctor Who's Disney deal came to an end with last year's spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea, but the main show will return later this year for a Christmas special. That episode will be written by Davies, but nothing else is currently known about it – including whether it will be produced as part of a new deal with another production and distribution partner, or whether the BBC will go it alone once more. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our 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.
Doctor Who fan-favourite stories to get new Target novelisations – with series icons reading audiobooks
Three two-parters from the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctor eras are getting novelisations.
A set of three new Target novelisations have been confirmed for beloved Doctor Who two-part stories, which will be released this year. The stories set to be released as novelisations include season 1 story Aliens of London, which aired back in 2005. Introducing Whovians to the Slitheen for the very first time, the two-parter (which concluded with World War Three) starred Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, and was written by Joseph Lidster after being originally scripted by Russell T Davies. Season 2's The Satan Pit, which aired in 2006 along with The Impossible Planet, will also be among the stories, with this novelisation being written by original screenwriter Matt Jones. Debuting the Ood on-screen for the first time, this beloved two-parter starred David Tennant's Doctor alongside Piper, Danny Webb and Shaun Parkes. The third novelisation will be The Time of Angels, which aired in 2010 along with Flesh and Stone. Starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, the episodes brought the much-anticipated return of the Weeping Angels, with Steven Moffat's original scripts being used by Jenny T Colgan for the new novelisation. The novelisations will also be released as Audible audiobooks on 26th March 2026, with some Doctor Who legends lending their voices to the productions. Jackie Tyler star Camille Coduri will read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHP3C4MY/ref=sr_1_6?crid=147C9NS1YS721&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7YajrzRUOPBpCVWvihVuNzjWY4PJuKyA0AFPH337MTc-Kbqnx-2BvjkYk21GoL_6OjKdkEiLSQKqZpaFl5fovfKvqtglAJAKR84J95yrCK-RgpS4yWEycyKnLgdHjrUMH4ocJYVWFRwKZTkQhmkzlNhTidId9aIlUA7gzeerZZj1q-oPUGj05LAVhn4C52N7hyLv9NfuHFIfchqpTEbpSc6ojaoLsXC9y1xtd3Y9MOY.h6qRNYG_BX9bQV1MWNW2n4gO04BpmTW1RxBSuufjF1o&dib_tag=se&keywords=aliens+of+london+doctor+who&qid=1768907245&sprefix=aliens+of+london+doctor+who%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aliens of London, while Claire Rushbrook (Ida Scott), Ronny Jhutti (Danny Bartock) and Silas Carson (Voice of the Ood) will return for The Satan Pit, along with Maureen O'Brien, who played classic companion Vicki. O'Brien will also read The Time of Angels, bringing the terrifying tale to life in audio form. 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 novelisations should hopefully help to fill the Doctor Who-shaped gap for fans, as the series won't be returning until Christmas this year, when a new special will pick up where last season's finale, The Reality War, left off. Speaking with BBC Newsbeat, showrunner Russell T Davies recently said that while he hasn't written the special yet, he has shared plot details with BBC bosses, which left them "with jaws agape, loving it." Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our 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.
How to watch Doctor Who in order - including official TV spin-offs
The whole Whoniverse in order - get ready for the trip of a lifetime!
Doctor Who fans are counting down the days until the show makes its official return for the 2026 Christmas special. With the shocking Billie Piper cliffhanger at the end of the two-part season 15 finale, The Reality War, the Doctor Who fandom is undoubtedly holding its breath for the secrets behind the surprise regeneration. As we gear up for the next Christmas special, written by Russell T Davies, why not catch up on everything the Whoniverse has to offer? With a few exceptions, including the very first serial and a couple of Tom Baker classics, almost the entire Whoniverse is available on BBC iPlayer, ready for you to dive in. So, here’s how to watch the whole Whoniverse in order. Get ready for the (timey-wimey) trip of a lifetime! How to watch Doctor Who in release date order The following list is by release order, including Doctor Who and its main spin-offs: Torchwood (four seasons), The Sarah Jane Adventures (five seasons) and Class (one season), plus the failed spin-off K-9 and Company (just one pilot episode), Tales of the TARDIS (one season), and the next spin-off on the horizon, The War Between the Land and the Sea. It's not essential to watch them in release order – you could watch all of Doctor Who followed by its spin-offs one by one – but there is some crossover between the main series and the spin-offs, so if you want the full experience, release order is the way to go! Some of the early episodes of Doctor Who have been lost, with some being revived in the form of animation. An Unearthly Child, Doctor Who's first story (which consists of four episodes), did not arrive on BBC iPlayer with the rest of the episodes on 1st November 2023. The BBC confirmed to RadioTimes.com that this is because of a rights issue - however, it is available to watch elsewhere. Doctor Who season 1 (1963) Doctor Who season 2 (1964) Doctor Who season 3 (1965) Doctor Who season 4 (1966) Doctor Who season 5 (1967) Doctor Who season 6 (1968) Doctor Who season 7 (1970) Doctor Who season 8 (1971) Doctor Who season 9 (1972) Doctor Who season 10 (1972) Doctor Who season 11 (1973) Doctor Who season 12 (1974) Doctor Who season 13 (1975) Doctor Who season 14 (1976) Doctor Who season 15 (1977) Doctor Who season 16 (1978) Doctor Who season 17 (1979) Doctor Who season 18 (1980) K-9 and Company (1981) Doctor Who season 19 (1982) Doctor Who season 20 (1983) The Five Doctors (1983) Doctor Who season 21 (1984) Doctor Who season 22 (1985) Doctor Who season 23 (1986) Doctor Who season 24 (1987) Doctor Who season 25 (1988) Doctor Who season 26 (1989) Doctor Who was taken off air in 1989 and wouldn't return until 1996. Doctor Who TV movie (1996) After the TV movie, Doctor Who wouldn't return until the 2005 reboot, helmed by Russell T Davies. Multiple spin-offs were introduced, and the show featured regular Christmas (and New Year) specials. There are also various anniversary specials included. Doctor Who season 1 (2005) Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion (2005 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 2 (2006) Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride (2006 Christmas special) Torchwood season 1 (2006) Doctor Who season 3 (2006 to 2007) Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned (2007 Christmas special) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 1 (2007) Torchwood season 2 (2008) Doctor Who season 4 (2008) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 2 (2008) Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (2008 Christmas special) Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead (2009 Spring special) Torchwood season 3: Children of Earth (2009) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 3 (2009) Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009 Autumn special) Doctor Who: The End of Time Part 1 and Part 2 (2009 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 5 (2010) Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010 Christmas special) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 4 (2010) Doctor Who season 6 (2011) Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011 Christmas special) Torchwood season 4: Miracle Day (2011) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 5 (2011) Doctor Who season 7 part 1 (2012) Doctor Who: The Snowmen (2012 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 7 part 2 (2013) Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor (2013 mini-episode) Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor (2013 - 50th anniversary special) Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor (2013 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 8 (2014) Doctor Who: Last Christmas (2014 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 9 (2015) Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song (2015 Christmas special) Class (2016) Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 10 (2017) Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time (2017 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 11 (2018) Doctor Who: Resolution (2019 New Year special) Doctor Who season 12 (2020) Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (2021 New Year special) Doctor Who season 13: Flux (2021) Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks (2022 New Year special) Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils (2022 Spring special) Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor (2022 Autumn special) Tales of the TARDIS (2023) Doctor Who: The Star Beast (2023 - 60th anniversary special) Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023 - 60th anniversary special) Doctor Who: The Giggle (2023 - 60th anniversary special) Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road (2023 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 14 (May 2024) Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special (December 2024) Doctor Who season 15 (May 2025) The War Between the Land and the Sea (December 2025) Also worth a watch is An Adventure in Space and Time - the docudrama about the beginnings of Doctor Who. The special episode was first released in 2013 for the show's 50th anniversary, and re-vamped for the 60th anniversary in 2023. How to watch Doctor Who by Doctor It goes without saying that watching all of Doctor Who in release order is... a lot. An easier way would be to divide it down by Doctor and by spin-off, which would look a bit like this: William Hartnell - the First Doctor (1963 to 1966) Doctor Who season 1 (1963) Doctor Who season 2 (1964) Doctor Who season 3 (1965) Patrick Troughton - the Second Doctor (1966 to 1969) Doctor Who season 4 (1966) Doctor Who season 5 (1967) Doctor Who season 6 (1968) Jon Pertwee - the Third Doctor (1970 to 1974) Doctor Who season 7 (1970) Doctor Who season 8 (1971) Doctor Who season 9 (1972) Doctor Who season 10 (1972) Doctor Who season 11 (1973) Tom Baker - the Fourth Doctor (1974 to 1981) Doctor Who season 12 (1974) Doctor Who season 13 (1975) Doctor Who season 14 (1977) Doctor Who season 15 (1977) Doctor Who season 16 (1978) Doctor Who season 17 (1979) Doctor Who season 18 (1980) Peter Davison - the Fifth Doctor (1982 to 1984) Doctor Who season 19 (1982) Doctor Who season 20 (1983) The Five Doctors (1983) Doctor Who season 21 (1984) Colin Baker - the Sixth Doctor (1984 to 1986) Doctor Who season 22 (1985) Doctor Who season 23 (1986) Sylvester McCoy - the Seventh Doctor (1987 to 1989) Doctor Who season 24 (1987) Doctor Who season 25 (1988) Doctor Who season 26 (1989) Paul McGann - the Eighth Doctor (1996) Doctor Who TV movie (1996) Christopher Eccleston - the Ninth Doctor (2005) Doctor Who season 1 (2005) David Tennant - the Tenth Doctor (2005 to 2010) Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion (2005 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 2 (2006) Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride (2006 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 3 (2006 to 2007) Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned (2007 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 4 (2008 to 2010) Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (2008 Christmas special) Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead (2009 Spring special) Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009 Autumn special) Doctor Who: The End of Time Part 1 and Part 2 (2010 Christmas special) Matt Smith - the Eleventh Doctor (2010 to 2013) Doctor Who season 5 (2010) Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 6 (2011) Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 7 part 1 (2012) Doctor Who: The Snowmen (2012 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 7 part 2 (2013) Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor (2013 mini-episode) Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor (2013 - 50th anniversary special) Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor (2013 Christmas special) Peter Capaldi - the Twelfth Doctor (2014 to 2017) Doctor Who season 8 (2014) Doctor Who: Last Christmas (2014 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 9 (2015) Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song (2015 Christmas special) Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 10 (2017) Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time (2017 Christmas special) Jodie Whittaker - the Thirteenth Doctor (2018 to 2022) Doctor Who season 11 (2018) Doctor Who: Resolution (2019 New Year special) Doctor Who season 12 (2020) Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (2021 New Year special) Doctor Who season 13: Flux (2021) Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks (2022 New Year special) Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils (2022 Spring special) Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor (2022 Autumn special) David Tennant - the Fourteenth Doctor (2023) Doctor Who: The Star Beast (2023 - 60th anniversary special) Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023 - 60th anniversary special) Doctor Who: The Giggle (2023 - 60th anniversary special) Ncuti Gatwa - the Fifteenth Doctor (2023-2025) Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road (2023 Christmas special) Doctor Who season 14 (2024) Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special (December 2024) Doctor Who season 15 (2025) Torchwood (2006 to 2008) Torchwood season 1 (2006) Torchwood season 2 (2008) Torchwood season 3: Children of Earth (2009) Torchwood season 4: Miracle Day (2011) The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007 to 2011) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 1 (2007) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 2 (2008) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 3 (2009) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 4 (2010) The Sarah Jane Adventures season 5 (2011) Tales of the TARDIS (2023) Earthshock The Mind Robber Vengeance on Varos The Three Doctors The Time Meddler The Curse of Fenric The War Between the Land and the Sea (2025) Episode 1 - Homo Aqua Episode 2 - Plastic Apocalypse Episode 3 - The Deep Episode 4 - The Witch of the Waterfall Episode 5 - The End of the War Doctor Who will return in May. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Beloved '70s BBC sci-fi series from Daleks creator confirmed for reboot with Doctor Who director
It's been almost 50 years since Blake's 7 first hit screens, but fans could be in for quite the comeback, as a reboot is in development! Doctor Who and The Last of Us director Peter Hoar has opened a "genre-based" production company, Multitude Productions, and has acquired the IP for the iconic '70s and '80s sci-fi hit along with exec Matthew Bouch and producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, Deadline has confirmed. The outlet adds that Bouch would "love it to go to the BBC", where the show originally aired from 1978 to 1981, depicting political dissident Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas) and his untrustworthy rebels amid their battle with the totalitarian Terran Federation. Hoar told Deadline: "The Blake’s 7 story is legendary because they were given a ‘softly softly’ slot that was intended for police drama with a budget intended for one big set and a few location shoots. "At the time it felt like it meant something. Those shows got into my veins. I could tell they didn’t have money but I was able to compartmentalise and enjoy the ride knowing that the sets wobbled." Bouch added: "We’re driven by our passions but also seeing that there is a gap in the market in the UK – particularly with the well-publicised dropping off of Doctor Who – for genre-based British IP." Multitude is also working on TV adaptations of Luke Rhinehart’s The Search for the Dice Man, Patrick Carman’s Skeleton Creek, and an adaptation of a currently unnamed "well-known video game and a sci-fi series". Created by Doctor Who legend Terry Nation (who invented the Daleks), Blake's 7 quickly became a hit. In 1978, producer David Maloney told Radio Times: "We’ve got something Star Wars doesn’t have – time to develop our plot, characters and action. They’ve got two hours we’ve got 12." Of course, that's completely changed with the rise of streaming, with Hoar now directly comparing Blake's 7 to beloved Star Wars spin-off Andor, arguing that it succeeded not because of its budget, but "because of the integrity, wit and sophistication." As for whether a Blake's 7 reboot can do the same? Watch this space! 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.
Doctor Who legend Carole Ann Ford says BBC has a "duty to the fans" to continue show
"The fans are very loyal and they've stuck with it through thick and thin."
Doctor Who's first ever companion has said the BBC has a "duty to the fans" to continue the show after recent discussions about its future following the end of the deal with Disney. Carole Ann Ford, who reprised her role as Susan Foreman in the latest season of the show alongside Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor, has praised the loyalty of the fanbase. "The fans are very loyal and they've stuck with it through thick and thin over the years," she exclusively told RadioTimes.com. "And when the BBC weren't producing it, they were producing it themselves. There's a huge love out there [and] it'd be a shame to to squash that. I do think they have a duty to the fans to reproduce it, to carry it [on], to keep it going." Ford's words echo those of former showrunner Steven Moffat, who also spoke to RadioTimes.com about the BBC's "national duty" to continue Doctor Who. Thankfully, despite the deal ending with Disney, it seems the Beeb are very committed to Doctor Who, with chief content officer Kate Phillips assuring fans that the show will continue. Indeed it has since been confirmed that Russell T Davies will return to pen a new Christmas special this year. Elsewhere during the in-depth chat, Ford looked back on her first memories on Doctor Who, starting with filming the first ever serial An Unearthly Child, which aired in 1963. "It somehow cemented Susan within me," she recalled. "Strangely enough, I think, when I walked through the junkyard and saw the TARDIS, it was a feeling of home... By this time, I was very familiar with it, and it was Susan's home, and when I looked at it, I didn't see the outside, I saw the inside, which was much bigger!" Meanwhile, she also reflected on how she and her co-star, the late William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor, would invent backstories for their characters, after they felt they hadn't been given enough information from the writers. "Bill and I put our heads together and we made it up," she revealed. "We thought that the most likely thing was that the TARDIS was not this year's model. It was a previous model which had been tarted up a bit, and the tarted up bits weren't quite working as smoothly as they should have done. "So Bill, my grandfather, was in a huge sort of aircraft hangar-type place with loads and loads and loads of other TARDISes, all being tinkered with. And he was tinkering away with it and making everything work more smoothly, when suddenly there was an invasion from another planet. "Everybody was going crazy, and he just bundled me into the TARDIS and said, 'Right, we're out of here.' So we got in with only a partially-working TARDIS, which he continued to fiddle with throughout the series, and finished up where we finished up – Totter's Lane." Carole Ann Ford's full interview will be available on RadioTimes.com soon. Missing Doctor Who? Register now for Radio Times's Doctor Who Insiders club for exclusive interviews with Doctor Who legends every month. 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.
From season 4: Release date speculation, casting updates, latest news
It's going to be quite the wait for season 4.
It's an exciting time for fans of MGM's best horror hit, with From season 4 getting an exciting release date update from one of its stars. Catalina Sandino Moreno, who plays Tabitha Matthews in the sci-fi horror series, recently revealed a new tidbit ahead of the series’ highly anticipated return later this year. The series, starring Harold Perrineau and following the residents of the nightmarish small town that fans call Fromville, has also officially wrapped production. While we've still got a little time to wait until we see season 4, it does mean we're inching ever closer to finding out some answers after the cliffhanger of season 3's ending, including what's behind the arrival of a mysterious new villain known as The Man in Yellow, and what on earth is going on with Julie and her time travel. But when can we expect new episodes to arrive? Here's everything we know about the highly anticipated From season 4, from its release date window, to some exciting casting news. From season 4 release date speculation From season 4 will premiere on MGM+ in 2026 – likely either March or April. As promotion gets under way for the upcoming Netflix crime film The Rip, From star Catalina Sandino Moreno has been opening up about the horror series during press interviews. In a recent chat with The Direct, the Colombian actress teased when fans might expect the next chapter to arrive on the streaming service – and it looks like it could be sooner than previously thought. “I think it’s coming out in March, maybe April. But it’s coming out,” she revealed. “It’s a great season. You’re gonna love it. I enjoyed working on that show. It’s fun. Again, it’s fun to watch.” Moreno also teased that the upcoming fourth instalment is “gonna be great”, comparing the addictive series to – checks notes – eating Pringles! “You open up Pringles, and you take one, and then you keep just popping them in your mouth, because it’s addictive to watch,” she continued. “It’s like eating a can of Pringles. You know, it’s just one, two, three – just eat it, because it’s easy, it’s fun, it’s entertaining. It’s a good show, and this season is gonna be great.” This potential March-to-April release window would mark a quicker turnaround for the fourth outing, following production wrapping in November 2025. Fans previously had to contend with a 17-month gap between the season 2 finale and the premiere of season 3, partly due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. This faster turnaround likely reflects MGM+ prioritising the show’s production and release in order to maintain momentum following season 3’s wild cliffhanger – and the show’s popularity. In November, MGM confirmed that From season 4 has officially wrapped filming, sharing a video of the cast members celebrating on social media (which you can check out below) and the caption: "#FROM has officially wrapped and is coming soon to @mgmplus!" This 2026 release date was confirmed by Deadline, along with the news that season 4 has been filming in Nova Scotia, Canada, where the previous three seasons were filmed. Stay tuned for more news! Which cast members could return in From season 4? Amid characters returning from season 3, a new face will also be joining the main cast of From season 4! Sophia, described as "a sheltered and vulnerable pastor’s daughter," will be played by Julia Doyle, who previously appeared in the teen comedy series Astrid & Lilly Save the World. While the rest of the cast hasn't officially been confirmed, we can expect these lead actors to return in some capacity in season 4: Harold Perrineau as Boyd Stevens Catalina Sandino Moreno as Tabitha Matthews David Alpay as Jade Herrera Elizabeth Saunders as Donna Raines Scott McCord as Victor Kavanaugh Ricky He as Kenny Liu Chloe Van Landschoot as Kristi Miller Kaelen Ohm as Marielle 'Mari' Sinclair Pegah Ghafoori as Fatima Hassan Corteon Moore as Ellis Stevens Hannah Cheramy as Julie Matthews Simon Webster as Ethan Matthews Avery Konrad as Sara Myers Robert Joy as Henry Kavanaugh Samantha Brown as Dani Acosta AJ Simmons as Randall Kirkland Nathan D Simmons as Elgin Douglas E Hughes as The Man in the Yellow Suit It wouldn't be From without the show's troubled hero Boyd Stevens, so Harold Perrineau is obviously expected to return. However there's a big question mark over another lead character, Jim (Eion Bailey), who appeared to die in the season 3 finale. This is definitely the kind of show where dead characters can return, whether it's as a ghost, a hallucination, or some kind of parallel timeline. So far there's been no official announcement about Jim's future, but he could easily return in a smaller role in season 4. There's already one obvious precedent for a dead character getting resurrected: Father Khatri, who was part of the main cast in season 1, and continued on as Boyd's hallucination buddy for the next two seasons. One character we are expecting to see more of is the Man in the Yellow Suit (Douglas E Hughes), who is clearly being set up as a recurring villain. Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed hints of his presence earlier in the show, but the season 3 finale revealed him as a major player. What could happen in From season 4? Coinciding with the season 4 renewal announcement, From's creator John Griffin shared some hints about upcoming storylines: "In season 4, a new journey begins. The question is whether it will lead our characters home, or deeper into this unrelenting nightmare." Judging by From's previous seasons, we're going with "deeper into this unrelenting nightmare." That's really the show's defining appeal, constantly coming up with bizarre new ways to torment its main characters. Harrold Perrineau also previously spoke to RadioTimes.com about his predictions for season 4, saying he expects a "rift" and "division" between the residents of From's nameless town. Along with a bigger role for the ominous Man in the Yellow Suit, we're expecting to see more screentime between Tabitha and Jade. Season 3 revealed that these two were married in a previous life, hinting at a potential romance now Tabitha's husband Jim is seemingly out of the picture. The show also seems to be teasing a bigger role for Julie, following the whole time-travel situation in the finale. Over on the Colony House side of the community, we can also expect some updates from the aftermath of Fatima's pregnancy, which culminated in her giving birth to a new incarnation of the Smiley Creature - one of the most memorable monsters from earlier seasons. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, From's creator John Griffin said: “The mythology is our road map. "But we’ve left ourselves very open to the organic nature of surprise. I won’t go into the whole metaphor, but I often think about this as a road trip where you know where you’re starting, you know where you’re ending, but you get to wander, get lost, get surprised, because you know what the structure of the trip looks like.” From's chaotic storytelling style keeps fans coming back for more – but it also leaves them with a lot of unanswered questions. Actor Harold Perrineau apparently had a similar experience, admitting that even he was still baffled about one particular storyline. How many episodes will there be in From season 4? Much like the first three seasons, From season 4 will consist of 10 episodes, according to Variety. Considering the show's previous track record, that will offer more than enough time for a wild array of new twists and turns. Will From season 4 be available to watch in the UK? Yes, we'd expect so. The UK release date hasn't been confirmed yet, but we'd expect it to be in 2026, soon after the US release. Given that From's previous seasons aired in the UK following the US release, we can expect season 4 to air in the UK – likely on Sky and NOW again. Is there a trailer for From season 4? There's no trailer just yet, but we'll make sure to update this page when it arrives. From is available on Sky Sci-Fi and NOW – sign up for Sky TV here. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to watch Star Trek in order – both release and chronological orders
From The Original Series to Starfleet Academy, here's how to watch the entire Star Trek canon in order.
With the franchise continuing the events of Discovery in the far flung future, Starfleet Academy marks the first Star Trek series to be set primarily within the hallowed institution, following a whole new generation of competitive cadets. The Paramount Plus series is set in the 32nd century and follows a new group of Starfleet recruits at the iconic San Francisco academy, as they’re taught by a collection of new and returning faces. With fan-favourite characters such as Voyager’s EMH (Robert Picardo) and Discovery’s Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) returning - along with a whole assortment of wide-ranging Easter eggs - there’s certainly plenty for Trekkies to enjoy. But if you're feeling a little daunted by the depth of the lore and the sheer amount of Star Trek at your disposal, never fear! Read on for our overview of how to watch Star Trek in both release and chronological order. Once you have all the information you need, venture forth into the final frontier. How to watch Star Trek in release order Arguably, the most faithful way of watching Star Trek is in the order each series was made, allowing you to follow the franchise from its inception and explore its universe as the original fans did decades ago. It makes sense to do it this way as while the shows do jump around in terms of time period, they still find ways to build on what came before in order of release. In that sense, you're likely to get a slightly more complete picture of Star Trek by watching in this order, instead of piecing the shows together in a chronological timeline. Star Trek release order (films listed in italics) Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS) The first six Star Trek films (The Motion Picture up to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) Star Trek: Generations Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) Star Trek: Voyager (VOY) Star Trek films 8-10 (First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis) Star Trek: Enterprise (ENT) Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond Star Trek: Discovery (DSC) Star Trek: Short Treks* Star Trek: Picard (PIC) Star Trek: Lower Decks (LOW) Star Trek: Prodigy (PRO) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (SNW) Star Trek: Section 31 Star Trek: Starfleet Academy *Star Trek: Short Treks premiered after Discovery, hence the listing here. However, Short Treks season 2 sets up some plot threads picked up in Discovery season 2 and beyond, so it's best to alternate between them if you can. Some people who watch in this order choose to skip over the first three steps and begin with Star Trek: The Next Generation. There is a belief among certain Trekkies that TNG has aged better than The Original Series, making it an easier entry point for newcomers to the franchise. It would be worth watching the first few episodes of TOS to see what you think of it, but if William Shatner's Captain Kirk doesn't quite cut it for you, feel free to move on to the dulcet tones of Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard. The two shows have relatively few connections, so you don't need to worry about feeling lost (although they do eventually cross over in a major way in the Star Trek: Generations movie). How to watch Star Trek in chronological order As previously stated, the various shows in the Star Trek universe take place at different points in a sprawling timeline, so an alternative method is to watch in chronological order. This comes with pros and cons: on the one hand, it allows you to begin with a modern show, which may be preferable to some people. But on the other hand, some of the references contained in more recent episodes may not land with you in the way they were intended. Star Trek chronological order (films listed in italics) Star Trek: Enterprise (Year: 2151-2161) Short Trek: The Girl Who Made the Stars (Year: 2230s) Short Trek: The Brightest Star (Year: 2239) Star Trek: The Cage – The Original Series one-off pilot episode (Year: 2254) Short Trek: The Escape Artist (Year: 2250s) Short Trek: Q&A (Year: 2253) Star Trek: Discovery season 1 (Year: 2256) Short Trek: Runaway (Year: 2257) Star Trek: Discovery season 2 (Year: 2258) Short Trek: The Trouble with Edward (Year: 2250s) Short Trek: Ask Not (Year: 2250s) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Year: 2259) Star Trek: The Original Series (Year: 2265-2269) Short Trek: Ephraim and Dot (Year: 2267-2285) Star Trek: The Animated Series (Year: 2269-2270) The first six Star Trek films (Year: 2273-2293) Star Trek: Section 31 (Year: 2333) Star Trek: The Next Generation (Year: 2364-2370) Star Trek films 7-10: Generations up to Nemesis (Year: 2293-2379) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Year: 2369-2375) Star Trek: Voyager (Year: 2371-2378) Star Trek: Lower Decks (2380) Star Trek: Prodigy (Year: 2383) Short Trek: Children of Mars (Year: 2385) Star Trek: Picard seasons 1-3 (Year: 2399-2402) Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3-4 (32nd Century) Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 (32nd Century*) Short Trek: Calypso (far future, year unknown) *Starfleet Academy opens with a prologue set at stardate 853724.6, roughly placing it in 3176. The series then jumps ahead around fifteen years to 3191, aligning it with the events of Discovery season 5. Note – Star Trek: Short Treks was a two-season anthology series, which visits various periods on the franchise timeline. Anything listed as a Short Trek is a single episode of this show (with a runtime between 8 and 18 minutes). It's not currently confirmed where precisely Toby Haynes' film will sit in the chronology but we do know it'll be a prequel film, taking place "decades" before Star Trek (2009). For those wondering, the recent trilogy of Star Trek movies directed by JJ Abrams and Justin Lin – Star Trek, Into Darkness and Beyond – are set in an alternate universe, meaning they do not connect to a chronological order of the series. They do, however, contain references to The Original Series – most notably the return of Leonard Nimoy as Spock – but can be watched at any point as standalone stories. Star Trek: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine and Enterprise are available to stream on Netflix. Star Trek: Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds and Section 31 are available to stream on Paramount Plus. Sign up via Prime Video or Sky. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Star Trek legend reveals improvised callback to 30-year-old episode in new spin-off
Robert Picardo wanted to plant Easter eggs for Voyager fans.
Star Trek legend Robert Picardo has revealed that fans are in for a callback that has been 30 years in the making in new spin-off Starfleet Academy. The actor is reprising his role as the Doctor in the new spin-off, three decades after he originated the role on Star Trek: Voyager. And for him, it was crucial to give fans of the '90s series some Easter eggs to find. "I had the [greatest] Easter egg of all time," Picardo exclusively told RadioTimes.com. "I repeated the same first laugh that I got in Voyager when I say the line 'Medical Tricorder' with withering sarcasm. It's exactly my first scene in Voyager, when they hand me the wrong instrument and [it's like] ‘You're the biggest idiot I've ever seen.’ "So I asked if I could do that again as a surprise for the fans who've watched the old pilot 30 times." The new spin-off is set in the 32nd century, after the events of Discovery and a whopping 800 years after we last saw the Doctor. Now, we're set to see him dispensing wisdom (and sharing his love of opera) with cadets at Starfleet Academy as a teacher, with the spin-off following the next generation of officers as they try to save the world while grappling with school pranks, classmate rivalry and first loves. Picardo has also teased that we're set to see a completely new side to the Doctor in the new series. "Late in the season, you'll see a side of the character that you've never seen before, as far as the emotionality. So that was a challenge to do," he told us. "There's a sort of a surprise event that happens late in the episode for my character. I'm anxious to see how longtime fans who know the character respond." "It's hard to say what he's been doing for the last 800 years!" Picardo added. "Now the Star Trek canon sort of acts as a whole, and there's a reference in the pilot to my having taught young cadets on Star Trek: Prodigy, so the Doctor has a history of teaching... In that respect, he has been teaching before and he's a natural teacher, if not an easy one, because he's full of himself. He likes to pontificate!" Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is coming to Paramount+ on 15th January. Add Starfleet Academy to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
When is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy set? Timeline explained
The Star Trek franchise boldly goes back to school with a brand new class of cadets.
As the latest Star Trek entry, Starfleet Academy, beams onto streaming service Paramount+, fans could certainly be forgiven for being confused about where it sits in the current timeline of the beloved, long-running sci-fi franchise. 2017's Star Trek: Discovery kicked off a whole new era for Trek, with Paramount significantly expanding the existing canon. Since then, we’ve had a variety of instalments, ranging from an animated comedy and an animated children’s show to prequels, legacy sequels, and even a made-for-streaming movie. But with franchise captain Alex Kurtzman behind so many different projects, it’s easy to be left baffled by the continuity puzzle of the Star Trek timeline. Need a hand? Here's where Starfleet Academy fits on the current Star Trek. When is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy set? The ninth(!) live-action series centres on the newly reopened Starfleet Academy in San Francisco and is set in the 32nd Century, an era where no storyteller has gone before. Therefore, the series takes place over 800 years after the events of the much loved Roddenberry/Berman Era wave, including The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. Starfleet Academy is for all intents and purposes a direct Star Trek: Discovery spinoff, complete with significant legacy characters such as Mary Wiseman’s Sylvia Tilly and Tig Notaro’s Jett Reno returning, along with Oded Fehr’s 32nd-century Admiral, Charles Vance. Opening with an explanation of the galaxy wide cataclysmic event known as ‘the Burn’ in which the Federation and Starfleet almost didn’t survive, the series focuses on the rebuilding of Starfleet in the far flung future with a whole new generation. Where does Starfleet Academy sit in the Star Trek timeline? Here’s where Starfleet Academy sits on the Star Trek timeline: 2151 to 2161: Enterprise 2256 to 2258: Discovery (seasons 1-2) 2259 onwards: Strange New Worlds 2265 to 2269: Star Trek TOS 2324: Section 31 2364 to 2370: The Next Generation 2369 to 2375: Deep Space Nine 2371 to 2378: Voyager 2380 to 2382: Lower Decks 2383: Prodigy 2399 to 2401: Picard 3191: Starfleet Academy* 3188 to 3191 onwards: Discovery (seasons 3-5) - plus throw in the 20-30 year time skip in the season finale epilogue *Starfleet Academy opens with a prologue set at stardate 853724.6, roughly placing it in 3176. The series then jumps ahead around fifteen years to 3191, aligning it with the events of Discovery season 5. View Green Video on the source website Why is Starfleet Academy set so far in the future? Continuing in this far-flung ‘Discovery’ era, Star Trek head honcho Alex Kurtzman has chosen the 32nd era as a prime time for exploration, with undoubtedly plenty of futuristic new life and species to seek out – boldly going where only Discovery has (briefly) gone before, with the shadow of the cataclysmic event known as "the Burn" still hanging over the series. The newly established branch of Starfleet Academy directly ties into the 'Modern Trek' flagship series, as revealed in the emotional Discovery season 5 epilogue. The finale introduces Leto Burnham-Booker – the son of Michael Burnham and Cleveland "Book" Booker – as a young Starfleet Captain. This reveal, along with the confirmation that Burnham’s colleagues, including Sylvia Tilly, have gone on to help the newly flourishing school, continues his mother's legacy. A brand new generation is now hoping to replicate the success and spirit of the Federation’s former heroes in an uncertain future. This setting bridges the gap between beloved former shows such as Voyager - complete with Robert Picardo’s holographic Doctor in tow - and a future-facing first class of cadets, marking the return of Starfleet training after more than a century. Executive producer Kurtzman has also spoken about his personal reasons for focusing on a younger set of cadets, telling the LA Times about his connection to his 17-year-old son. "I see what my son is feeling as he looks at the world and to his future. I see the uncertainty; I see all the things we took for granted as given are not certainties for him. "I see him recognising he’s inheriting an enormous mess to clean up and it’s going to be on his generation to figure out how to do that, and that’s a lot to ask of a kid. My thinking was, if we set Starfleet Academy in the halcyon days of the Federation where everything was fine, it’s not going to speak to what kids are going through right now." The setting also serves as a welcome callback to previous shows and films, with Starfleet Academy featuring prominently throughout the franchise. It has appeared in several episodes of The Next Generation - most notably the Wesley Crusher-centric The First Duty - as well as in Deep Space Nine and the 2009 Star Trek film. After all, who could forget Kirk cheating the Kobayashi Maru test? Whether Starfleet Academy sparks a love of Star Trek in the next generation is yet to be seen, but class is officially back in session. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is coming to Paramount+ on 15th January. Add Starfleet Academy to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
All 10 seasons of beloved superhero series arrive on Netflix nearly 15 years since its finale
If you didn't catch it the first time round, now's your chance.
Netflix's latest acquisition has sent fans into a spin as it has acquired one of the most beloved superhero TV series of all time. Subscribers of the streaming service can now immerse themselves in all 10 seasons of the Superman coming-of-age series Smallville. Originally airing from 2001 to 2011 on The WB and later on The CW, Tom Welling plays the iconic Clark Kent as a Kansas teen, who uses his superpowers to fight crime while also battling the everyday troubles and concerns of growing up. The first five seasons chart Clark's journey through high school where he encounters young love in early flame Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and also develops a friendship with Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), who will become his nemesis in the future. The second half focuses on his early adult years where Kent finds a job at The Daily Planet, the famous fictional newspaper in the DC Comics universe. Here we meet familiar love interest Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and colleague Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore) as they combat corruption in Metropolis. Netflix has brought the much-loved series back to audiences in the UK and Ireland, as well as Australia, Canada, France, Italy and Austria. In 2011, Smallville's Welling and Rosenbaum explained that they were trying to launch an animated version of the show involving the original cast as voice actors. However, the show's co-creator Alfred Gough shared a disappointing update last year, explaining on the Talk Ville podcast: "Warners has obviously gone through a lot, and I think the fact that they are in the process of rebooting Superman again, kind of unfortunately, I think, keeps our thing off the table for a bit." Smallville is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. Check out more of our latest news 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.
Doctor Who icon reveals her and William Hartnell's own alternative backstory for the Doctor and Susan
"Bill and I put our heads together and we made it up."
Doctor Who has seen countless writers across its 62-year history – but now it's been revealed that even its original stars, William Hartnell and Carole Ann Ford gave it a go! Ford, who played the first ever companion Susan Foreman, has revealed that she and Hartnell, who starred as the first incarnation of the Time Lord, invented a backstory to explain how the Doctor's travels began, before the first ever serial An Unearthly Child. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Ford recalled that the pair were "never given any" backstory – so felt they should fill in the gaps! "Bill and I put our heads together and we made it up," she revealed. "We thought that the most likely thing was that the TARDIS was not this year's model. It was a previous model which had been tarted up a bit, and the tarted up bits weren't quite working as smoothly as they should have done. "So Bill, my grandfather, was in a huge sort of aircraft hangar-type place with loads and loads and loads of other TARDISes, all being tinkered with. And he was tinkering away with it and making everything work more smoothly, when suddenly there was an invasion from another planet. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2008/09/15.jpg" width="1500" height="900" alt="Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, and William Hartnell as The Doctor for Doctor Who." title="Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, and William Hartnell as The Doctor for Doctor Who." /> "Everybody was going crazy, and he just bundled me into the TARDIS and said, 'Right, we're out of here.' So we got in with only a partially-working TARDIS, which he continued to fiddle with throughout the series, and finished up where we finished up – Totter's Lane." Speaking about the importance of having a backstory to work with, Ford added: "An actor has to have an idea of what happened before you stepped through the door, and also what's going to happen after you step through the other door." During the in-depth interview, Ford also reflected on her friendship with Hartnell, including her first impressions of the actor. "I thought he was adorable!" she said. "He was very charming, very sweet, very considerate, and took it all very seriously, which I approved of. I don't like people messing about and giggling – they've got to take the work seriously." She added: "The part was so important to him. It was everything to him. And because of that, he was a real perfectionist with it. "I think if people were a little bit off about the idea of Bill, it may be because he was such a perfectionist, and if he saw people fooling around with the part, not taking it all seriously... but he was right. "Unless you're doing it seriously, it doesn't mean anything to the audience. If you're thinking, 'Oh, a load of rubbish', then how are the audience going to ever accept what's going on and be entertained by it? "We got rid of all our giggles about the various monsters in rehearsals, and just as well we did, because sometimes I look back and I think, 'How did I ever keep a straight face?!'" Carole Ann Ford's full interview will be available on RadioTimes.com soon. Missing Doctor Who? Register now for Radio Times's Doctor Who Insiders club for exclusive interviews with Doctor Who legends every month. 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.