British Telly

> The BBC presenter Jay Blades has been charged with engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour against his wife. The Repair Shop presenter appeared at Kidderminster magistrates court on Friday, West Mercia police said. > >The Guardian understands that the BBC took steps to remove a programme featuring Blades from its Friday evening schedule after the charge, and that no programmes with the former furniture maker would be shown in the foreseeable future. > >Blades, 54, was charged with one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship. The presenter will appear at Worcester crown court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on 11 October. > > ... > > According to court documents, the charge relates to his fitness instructor wife, Lisa Zbozen, who announced on her Instagram page on 2 May that their relationship was over. > >Blades has become a well-known figure thanks to the BBC restoration programme The Repair Shop, in which members of the public take damaged but treasured family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts. A source at the broadcaster said Blades was not a BBC employee and the charge was unrelated to his work at the BBC. > >Blades’ rise from furniture maker to TV celebrity has been meteoric since he first featured on the show in 2017. In August Channel 4 broadcast Dame Judi and Jay: The Odd Couple, which charts the friendship between Blades and Dench, who he first met on The Repair Shop two years ago. > >On Friday the BBC removed the seventh episode of the first series of David & Jay’s Touring Toolshed, Blades which was first shown by the broadcaster in January and features Blades and David Jason touring the UK meeting master crafters and hobbyists. > >In 2022 Blades featured in the BBC documentary Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51, which followed his journey of learning to read and write, having not been taught to do so in childhood.

> It’s been almost 20 years since the pastel-hued houses in the picture-perfect harbour village of Balamory appeared on television screens. > >On Tuesday, the BBC has announced it had commissioned two new series of the beloved CBeebies show to return in 2026. > >Originally produced between 2002 until 2005, it is expected that the new series will once again be set in the Scottish village of Balamory where coloured houses nestle round a charming harbour with stories centred on a nursery school and teacher. > >Balamory’s first run attracted millions of viewers across the world, spawned a live show and won best pre-school live action series at the 2004 Bafta children’s awards. > > The show will once again be filmed in Scotland, the broadcaster said, either in the original location of Tobermory or another Scottish location such as Rothesay.

> Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos robustly defended Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd while speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London conference today, announcing the streamer has just agreed a multi-year first-look deal with Gadd for scripted series. > > ... > > “Baby Reindeer is his true story… it is not a documentary. And there are elements of the story that have been dramatised. We’re watching it performed by actors on television. We think it is abundantly clear that there is dramatisation involved.” > >Sarandos also said that “it’s a fairly British debate – this debate is not happening anywhere else in the world.” > >Sarandos also used his RTS platform to praise the UK as a home for producing film and TV series. > >He said the streamer’s top four rating shows worldwide from the first six months of 2024 were produced in the UK: Fool Me Once, Baby Reindeer, Bridgerton and The Gentleman. The four shows were watched a combined total of 360 million times, he said. > >Sarandos said: “I’ve always thought of the UK as the birthplace of prestige television. It’s why Netflix invests more here in the UK than anywhere else outside of the United States.” > > ... > > He said Netflix had invested $6bn in the UK creative industries since 2020, and had worked with over 30,000 cast and crew. “Today, we have over 100 productions active in the UK,” he said, citing Bridgerton and Thursday Murder Club and features My Oxford Year and Wake Up Deadman: A Knives Out Mystery. > >He said the roots of UK creative industry success lay in its “great public service broadcasting system” and institutions for nurturing a wealth of talent, as well as regulation that supports creativity, investment in arts education and the UK’s ‘highly competitive tax incentive.”

Superb series following Ukraine’s leader comes to an end. Plus: John Major chats with by Amol Rajan. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Two

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> Huw Edwards has been spared jail for accessing indecent images of children as young as seven. > >The former BBC presenter was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London after he pleaded guilty to three counts of "making" indecent images of children. > >The court heard how he paid up to £1,500 to a paedophile who sent him 41 illegal images between December 2020 and August 2021, seven of which were of the most serious type. > > Of those images, the estimated age of most of the children was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine. > > ... > > As part of his sentence, the 63-year-old must attend a sex offender treatment programme and 25 rehabilitation sessions. > >He is also required to sign the sex offenders' register for seven years and pay £3,128 in costs and a victim surcharge. > > ... > > The court heard that Edwards had told his probation officer that his offending arose out of his fixation on online communications of a sexual nature, his poor mental health, using alcohol and the deterioration of his marriage. > > The hearing was told of Edwards' "long-standing mental health struggles" and how he had been diagnosed with arteriosclerosis - a vascular disease which causes the gradual hardening of arteries - last December. > >Mr Hope noted "the effect of these conditions includes impact on and impairment of mood, behaviour and judgement". > >The court heard Edwards is an in-patient at a private hospital.

>Ahead of a timely re-airing of Mick Jackson’s famously bleak, rarely seen docudrama, its director recalls why he unleashed a mushroom cloud on Sheffield in 1984, while our writer explores the film’s lasting legacy

The Ilford standup delves into the murky world of American vigilantes. Plus: could another White House coup attempt be on the cards? Here’s what to watch this evening

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The writer is unsentimental about his devastating accident in a moving new film. Plus: Richard E Grant on Mozart the musical prodigy. Here’s what to watch this evening

10.40pm, BBC OneWriter Hanif Kureishi’s world changed on Boxing Day 2022 when a fall left him needing 24-hour care. In this moving film, he ponders his life before and after his accident. While he seems admirably unsentimental about almost everything, Kureishi is in reflective mood, talking about his new working practices, the paradoxes in his celebrated 80s work and being thrown out of a mosque for being friends with Salman Rushdie. Phil Harrison

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Joe Cole stars in Nightsleeper, the BBC’s new adrenalised treat for Sunday nights. Plus, a harrowing look at the civilian cost of the conflict in Israel and Gaza. Here’s what to watch this evening

Sun, 9pm, BBC One

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> BBC Factual has announced that Sir David Attenborough will present Asia, a seven-part natural history series for BBC One and iPlayer about the wildlife of our planet’s largest continent. Covering the length and breadth of Asia, the series will reveal its most remarkable landscapes and animals, and feature dramatic, previously unseen behaviour. > >Filmed over the course of nearly four years, this is the first time that Asia has been the focus of a major BBC wildlife series. From the vast Gobi Desert to the jungles of Borneo, and from the polar wilderness of Siberia to the coral seas of the Indian Ocean, this series will showcase the breath-taking variety of Asia’s wildest places. > >Seven one-hour episodes will feature thrilling wildlife stories from each corner of the continent.

> Junk food TV advertisements are to be banned from airing before the 9pm watershed as part of the government’s drive to improve public health. > >In addition, online ads for products that are high in fat, salt and sugar will be banned altogether, Andrew Gwynne, the public health minister, told the Commons on Thursday. Both measures will come into force on 1 October 2025. > >Health campaigners welcomed the move as an overdue restriction on firms’ ability to bombard children with ads for their unhealthy food and drink products. > > ... > > The previous, Conservative government pledged to bring in the TV watershed ban from January 2023. But a month before its introduction, Rishi Sunak decided to delay it until 2025, prompting a wave of criticism that he had put the interests of big business ahead of improving children’s health.

Fun antics as Alex Horne gets force-fed bubblegum in the new season of the TV challenge show. Plus: Jessica Ennis-Hill delves into her family history. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Channel 4TV’s greatest challenge show is getting a junior spin-off this autumn, but before that another cohort of game celebrities is taking on taskmaster Greg Davies: Andy Zaltzman, Babátúndé Aléshé, Emma Sidi, Jack Dee and Rosie Jones. In the first round, they have to search for a seal, throw yoga balls in a theme park and force-feed Alex Horne a bowlful of bubblegum. Nothing’s changed here then. Hollie Richardson

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Chris McCausland, Toyah Willcox and Punam Krishan are among the celebs braving the dancefloor. Plus: flag-waving mayhem at the Royal Albert Hall as the Proms conclude. Here’s what to watch this evening

BBC One, 7.20pm

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From Mark Elder’s final performance with the Hallé to the Kanneh-Masons covering Bob Marley, relive all of this year’s most epic Proms. Plus: Funny Woman is back. Here’s what to watch this evening

8pm, BBC FourMark Elder’s final Proms performance as music director of the Hallé; the Kanneh-Mason rendition of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song; Beethoven’s Ode to Joy climax on its 200th birthday. There are many beautiful Proms moments to catch up with on iPlayer, but here are the very best of the best in a joyous, poignant hour. Hollie Richardson

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Celebrating the grandest and greenest of house designs. Plus: who will get the gongs at The National Television Awards? Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Channel 4Sorry to make you feel ancient but Kevin McCloud’s self-building property series first aired a quarter of a century ago. Within that time, what started as an aspirational show of marvel now feels like a kick in the teeth during a housing crisis. Still, McCloud marks the anniversary by starting the newest series with a look at some of the most ambitious, green and emotionally draining designs. Hollie Richardson

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Kemp revisits the strange death of Robert Calvi, found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London. Plus: a new term at Waterloo Road. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Sky HistoryRoss Kemp is back at it and this time is delving into the world of mafia bosses, capos and hitmen in the UK. He starts in London, with the story of Roberto Calvi, an Italian banker who, in 1982, was found hanging from scaffolding under Blackfriars Bridge, with bricks in his pockets. But there were many clues that strongly suggested it wasn’t suicide though the case is still officially unsolved. Hollie Richardson

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Portrait of the artist whose pregnant figure caused outrage when it was erected as a Trafalgar Square sculpture in 2005. Plus: what if Trump wins? Here’s what to watch this evening

10.40pm, BBC OneMarc Quinn’s sculpture of pregnant artist Alison Lapper was a celebration of motherhood and disability, but it outraged many people when it was erected on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2005. She is still angry at the reaction, clips of which she rewatches in this frank documentary, before telling her remarkable and colourful life story. The main focus here, though, is on the beautiful relationship she had with her son, Parys, who died of an accidental drug overdose aged 19 after battling mental health issues. “All the doubting Thomases, they kind of won didn’t they?” she says, heartbreakingly, as she pours her grief into an exhibition of paintings about him.Hollie Richardson

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Jean-Michel Jarre headlines the closing ceremony. Plus: the puzzle starts to make sense in James Graham’s visceral drama Sherwood. Here’s what to watch this evening.

6.30pm, Channel 4

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All the action from the Radio 2 weekender in Preston. Plus: French drama Sambre: Anatomy of a Crime continues to grip and disturb. Here’s what to watch this evening

10.15pm, BBC TwoFestival season winds down with Radio 2’s weekender in Preston. Manic Street Preachers, Sugababes, Gabrielle and Paul Heaton are all set to play, with their sets available on iPlayer. Sting gets the Saturday headline slot, including songs from his new album, The Bridge. Tune in on Sunday for Pet Shop Boys. Hollie Richardson

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> In his appearance, Moffat also discussed his latest show, Douglas Is Cancelled, an ITV commission with SkyShowtime, which was produced by Hartswood Films and launched at the annual BBC Studios Showcase in London earlier this year. The series, which debuted in the U.K. in June and will be rolling out in other markets soon, stars Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington) and Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy) in four 45-minute episodes revolving around respected news host Douglas, regarded as a national treasure, and his younger co-anchor Madeline. Co-starring are Ben Miles (Hijack, The Crown), Alex Kingston (A Discovery of Witches, Treason), Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso, Intelligence), and Simon Russell Beale (Firebrand, Thor: Love and Thunder). Ben Palmer (Breeders) directed the series. > > ... > > Asked to explain the premise to the audience since the show hasn’t aired in Canada yet, Moffat quipped: “Illegally download it.” He later joked: “Please watch my new show. Legally.” In the context of piracy, Moffat shared that he used to look online to see how quickly new shows of his became available, suggesting the entertainment industry’s approach to release and windowing strategies may not be the best. “We are a strange industry. We get really, really cross that people are so enthusiastic about our product that they desperately want to get it early,” Moffat said. “I feel as though some other industries might have had a different solution to that. Yeah, it may not be the greatest business idea in the world: ‘no, you can’t have it yet’.” > > Moffat does not believe in the argument that in an age of political correctness comedy can’t be successfully conceived. “You make comedy by breaking rules, right? So the more rules there are, the better,” he explained. > >Was he ever canceled? He recalled that when he worked on Doctor Who, there was much hatred from fans directed at him. “The level of hate you get could down three passenger jets. I mean, seriously, it doesn’t stop,” he shared. “I was vilified endlessly. I was a homophobe, misandrist and a misanthrope and a sexist and misogynist and a racist. I was against so many people I could only be described as an omni- bigot, which I would suggest means I’m treating everybody equally.” Moffat concluded by joking that any Doctor Who showrunner is taking on the role of “chief Satan of the nation.” > > ... > > Moffat closed his appearance by explaining that his advice on writing is simple. “Every sentence has to make you want to read the next sentence,” he shared. “Keep people reading.”

The second season of the charming ode to British comedy begins. Plus: Michael Palin visits Africa’s biggest floating slum. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Sky Max

Gemma Arterton is back for a second season as the 60s sitcom star Sophie Straw in this charming ode to British comedy, written by Morwenna Banks and based on Nick Hornby’s hit 2014 novel Funny Girl. Now that her breakthrough show, Barbara & Jim, has been cancelled, she is going it alone with Just Barbara. Will she reunite with the old writing gang to ensure its success? The bigger question for fans, though, is: can she and Dennis (Arsher Ali) finally be together? Hollie Richardson

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The ceremony will be broadcast live from Abbey Road studios. Plus: a throuple seek help in Couples Therapy. Here’s what to watch this evening

8pm, BBC Four

A sense of mounting disarray surrounds the music awards this year – expect a scaled-down event at Abbey Road studios (no sponsor has been forthcoming) and the usual sense of mild confusion about what exactly is being celebrated. The do is being filmed and broadcast live, with this year’s leading contenders including Charli xcx (for the summer-defining Brat), Corinne Bailey Rae (for Black Rainbows), Cat Burns (above, for Early Twenties) and Beth Gibbons (for Lives Outgrown). Annie Macmanus and Huw Stephens host the ceremony. Phil Harrison

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> With Lost back in the air for its 20th anniversary, and the wait for Yellowjackets Season 3 stretching on, you might be looking for your next desert island TV fix. And the BBC has picked up your message in a bottle: the broadcaster (along with Australian streamer Stan) is preparing to strand a cast of kids on a faraway shore in a new four-part series take on Lord Of The Flies. William Golding’s novel is being adapted by none other than the perpetually-busy Jack Thorne, with director Marc Munden behind the camera. While the series was announced last year, new details are emerging now that it's started filming in Malaysia. > >Most notably, Hans Zimmer has signed on to provide a score – along with Kara Talve – meaning this take on the castaway tale should sound suitably epic. “Hans has already shared his first sketches for the score, which are hugely inspiring. We are honoured to be working with him,” says executive producer Joel Wilson. Plus, after an open casting call, the cast of youngsters has been confirmed: David McKenna will play Piggy; Winston Sawyers is Ralph; Lox Pratt is Jack; Isaac Talbut is Simonl; Thomas Connor is Roger; Noah and Cassius Flemyng are twins Sam and Eric; Cornelius Brandreth is Maurice; Tom Page-Turner is Bill.

How a TV star playing a fictional leader went on to lead Ukraine. Plus: Rob and Romesh perform a Metallica classic at Download. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Two

It is not a new story, but it is remarkable and almost unbelievable – the TV comedian who played a fictional president and went on to be elected the real president of Ukraine. It’s told here in three parts. In the first episode, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, his wife, Olena, and the people who know him best rewind and paint a portrait of a clever, funny, popular man who had the unlikeliest rise to power. Other contributors include Nancy Pelosi and the Guardian’s Luke Harding. Hollie Richardson

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Can Ashley and Gordon’s new relationship survive without their dog? Plus: Freddie Flintoff’s cricket tour wraps up. Here’s what to watch this evening

10pm, BBC Two

The word-of-mouth hit Aussie comedy is back – but there is a paw-shaped hole as the second series starts. Ashley and Gordon (real-life couple and co-creators Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall) are regretting giving away Colin, the injured dog who brought them together. They are also realising that their relationship may not last in his absence. Can they get him back? The hurdles ahead include a bombshell secret and an excruciating meet-the-parents encounter. High jinks, hilarious one-liners and heartbreaking shots of Colin ensue. Hollie Richardson

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Louis Theroux’s production company is behind this startling documentary. Plus, Gemma Whelan’s crime drama The Tower returns. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Three

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The popular Brighton-based cosy crime drama is back for a third series. Plus, behind-the-scenes footy action in Mission to Burley. Here’s what to watch this evening

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cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/16878799

> > The BBC has unveiled a first look at the upcoming Wallace and Gromit adventure that will air on the BBC in 2024. > > > >In Vengeance Most Fowl, Gromit worries that Wallace has become unduly reliant on his creations, and his worries are validated when Wallace creates a "smart gnome" that appears to have an independent mind. > > > > The League of Gentlemen and Inside No. 9's Reece Shearsmith is the voice for Norbot, who can be heard in the new teaser. > > > > In terms of other cast members, Ben Whitehead stars as Wallace, who previously worked alongside the late Peter Sallis (the original voice of Wallace) on other Wallace and Gromit brand projects. > > > > The cast also includes Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Diane Morgan, Adjoa Andoh, Lenny Henry, and Buzz Khan. > > > >The BBC confirmed earlier this year that the renowned supervillain Feathers McGraw will make a comeback in the new 79-minute film. > > > > Directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, the film will make its UK premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this Christmas. Later in the winter, it will be accessible on Netflix worldwide.

Stephen Mangan hosts Password, with team captains Daisy May Cooper and Alan Carr. Plus: a gripping new French drama. Here’s what to watch this evening

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Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is joyously celebrated at the Proms. Plus: what happened when a pilot was sucked halfway out of the cockpit. Here’s what to watch this evening

8pm, BBC FourIt is the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and given that it’s arguably the most well-known piece of classical music, it’s only right that it is commemorated. Nicholas Collon conducts the Aurora Orchestra in a signature memorised Proms performance. Soloists include Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Marta Fontanals-Simmons, Brenden Gunnell and Christopher Purves. The National Youth Choir of Great Britain joins for the final, joyous movement. Phil Harrison

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She is this week’s adventurer into the past on Who Do You Think You Are? Plus: Interview With the Vampire takes an intriguing turn. Here’s what to watch today

9pm, BBC OneThis popular long-running genealogy series has a way of making you count your blessings: one thing that’s usually evident is how few generations most of us are from grinding poverty. That’s true of this week’s adventurer into the past, former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, whose Liverpudlian family’s journey involves a workhouse, incredibly bleak manual work and a hasty flight from the great Irish famine of the 19th century. She is also fascinated to learn that her fourth great-grandfather was a campaigner for improving working men’s lives and rights. Phil Harrison

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The 17th summer instalment promises 11 days of sublime sport. Plus: Chloe Ayling is interrogated in Kidnapped. Here’s what to watch this evening

6.30pm, Channel 4

If you’re feeling wistful for the wholesome cheer of the Olympics, part two of the summer Games, the 17th of the season’s Paralympics, is here. Clare Balding presents coverage of the opening ceremony – this time, the participants will parade up the Champs-Élysées and then in the Place de la Concorde. Eleven days of competition involving more than 4,000 athletes start on Thursday. Team GB finished second in the medal table in Japan three years ago; how will they fare this time out? Phil Harrison

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Your biggest foodie questions are answered by experts. Plus: Celebrity MasterChef cooks on. Here’s what to watch this evening

8pm, Channel 4

Why is there so much air in a bag of crisps? What distinguishes cordial from squash? How does the shape of a chocolate change its flavour? These are the big foodie questions answered by Jimmy Doherty, Kate Quilton and their team of experts in this special Unwrapped episode about the best party food and drink. Samosas, martinis and sugarwork are also on the menu, as well as the essential ice bag. Hollie Richardson

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cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/16672044

> > Shot on color 35mm film, the 1.37:1 2K restorations look outstanding, the 17 episodes generously spread across six Region_Free Blu-ray discs. Partly this is to accommodate all the extra features accompanying specific episodes, but in any case, each episode is extraordinarily clean with excellent color and contrast. Audio is offered in LPCM 2.0 mono and DTS-HD 5.1 remixes (the latter on episodes of The Prisoner only, not the Danger Man shows). While the 5.1 remixes aren’t original to the initial broadcasts they do add enormous oomph and are well-mixed. Also included are original music & effects tracks. In English only, optional English subtitles are provided. It all comes in sturdy hardbox packaging limited to 1,500 copies. > > > > > > > ... > > > > The extra features, much of it new, is practically endless. The fat booklet is loaded with great behind-the-scenes photos, an exhaustively researched making-of article by Andrew Pixley, material prepared by ITC to sell the show abroad, and an excellent episode guide with detailed credits. > > > >Two feature-length documentaries are included: Don’t Knock Yourself Out, a 95-minute piece from 2007 about the making of the series, and In My Mind (2017), an 82-minute documentary about filmmaker Chris Rodley’s experiences trying to wrangle and interview with Patrick McGoohan. Patrick McGoohan 1983 is 30 minutes of outtakes of Rodley’s McGoohan interview. Catherine McGoohan 2017 features the actor’s daughter. > > > >Seven episodes—Arrival, The Chimes of Big Ben, The Schizoid Man, The General, Dance of the Dead, A Change of Mind, and Fall Out—feature audio commentaries by various writers, directors, production managers and others that worked on the show. All 17 episodes offer text commentaries. These are, like everything else, very informative and exhaustively researched, though a little difficult to focus on in conjunction with the running of each episode. > > > > ... > > > > If you’re a fan of The Prisoner, British ‘60s television, or innovative television generally, you are going to want to have this. The shows look great and the extras are extremely worthwhile though it will take you weeks and weeks to go through everything. One of the year’s best TV releases.

> I still have the notepad where I first doodled an idea about MI5 spies. I pitched it to the production company Kudos, which made documentaries: they didn’t have a drama department but the idea appealed. What producer doesn’t secretly want to make James Bond? Channel 4 and ITV said no, but the BBC liked it and we were off. > >I grew up in the US and wanted to capture the adrenaline, ambition and scale of American shows. I remember asking: “Can I blow up a car?” The BBC kept saying yes. Back then, spy dramas still had this dark, dour Le Carré legacy. We dared to be shiny. > >We had written four scripts when 9/11 happened. The show then became about the people stopping that happening in Britain. Who are they? How do they operate? Spooks was my preferred title. I had considered Five, then the BBC came up with the tagline: “MI5, not 9 to 5.” > > ... > > Killing off Lisa’s character with a deep fat fryer was originally going to be in the series finale of season one. We decided to move it to episode two and break viewers’ hearts. It created the sense that nobody was safe. There was a furore afterward but you hardly see anything – it’s all implied. Somebody in LA told me that JJ Abrams screened it for his writers’ room and said: “This is how you do it!” > > Advisers who can’t be named were instrumental in keeping things authentic. We’d rip plots from the headlines. Sometimes, the Ten O’Clock News bulletin after the show looked like an extra scene. One episode was referenced in Hansard. After a storyline about an attack on Sellafield with a Scimitar missile, an MP asked: “This TV drama is talking about our defences, why aren’t we?” > >The morning after it first aired, I got a call saying ratings were 9.6m and we’d been recommissioned straight away. It was the sort of moment you dream about. MI5 had been having some trouble with recruitment but applications went through the roof. Today’s geopolitics mean you can easily imagine Spooks returning. New threats, a new generation, Harry passing the torch. In fact, I recently had an idea for a festive reboot. Imagine Harry alone on Christmas Day, drinking a rare Scotch. Someone visits with a gift and it gets worse from there …

She made the brave decision to make this emotional documentary. Plus: Saudi Arabia’s prince shells out for a Leonardo. Here’s what to watch tonight

8pm, BBC One

When Strictly dancer Amy Dowden was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in May 2023, she made the brave decision to allow cameras to follow her during treatment. This film is the result and, as you might expect, it’s an emotional rollercoaster involving surgery and chemotherapy – but also uplifting moments, including her appearance in last year’s series finale. It has been a difficult few months in Strictlyworld but this story, at least, offers some redemption. Phil Harrison

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Crime and corruption in the former coalfields as Monica Dolan and David Harewood join the cast. Plus, what becomes of a dangerous illegal dog? Here’s what to watch this evening

Sunday, 9pm, BBC One.

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cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/16589411

> > The old eat the young. That is the back-of-a-beermat pitch for new Channel 4 drama Generation Z. And because the Z stands for zombie, the eating is meant literally. “I loved the idea of a horror story about societal breakdown, told from the perspective of different generations,” says its writer-director Ben Wheatley. “Once I started writing it, I couldn’t stop.” > > > >The film-maker’s first original series for TV begins with an army convoy crashing outside a care home. The subsequent chemical leak turns the residents into marauding monsters who attack local youngsters. “It’s a bit of a Brexit metaphor,” admits Wheatley. “But it’s by no means binary. We discuss it from each generation’s viewpoint, exploring the notion that boomers have ruined the lives of the young. Because it’s a genre piece, that’s basically by biting their hands and eating their brains.” > > > > ... > > > > “I love telly and watch a lot of it – Battlestar Galactica, The Sopranos and Deadwood were the golden age for me – so I was keen to play with a different train set,” he says. “It was exciting to write in longer form, rather than the sprint that is a film script. In terms of production values and cinematic scale, TV has closed the gap on film. It’s like the difference between a single and an album. Actors move freely between the two now. The skillset’s no different. Any stigma has long gone.” > > > > Fittingly for a series punctuated by gruesome deaths, he’s assembled a killer cast. Playing the pensioners are veterans such as Sue Johnston and Anita Dobson. “Sue’s first day on set, she was biting someone’s nose off,” he says. “They got to do stuff they don’t usually do, running around covered in gore, and had a blast doing it.” The gore is created the old-fashioned way. “Everything is practical, with prosthetics or models. There are very few CG effects. When arms are ripped off and blood spurts, there are people pumping plasma just out of shot. We use jelly when organs need to be edible. It’s all very visceral.” > > > > ... > > > > Generation Z is coming to Channel 4 this autumn.

The pop-soul star performs orchestral versions of their hefty back catalogue. Plus, a sunny jaunt for Tory traveloguer Michael Portillo who visits Lisbon. Here’s what to watch this evening.

8.25pm, BBC Two

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Nigella’s ‘meecro-wah-vey’ and a Bake Off controversy are just some of the topics covered. Plus: Brian May goes to battle for badgers. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Channel 4

Pedro Pascal’s brutal Game of Thrones death, a controversy on Bake Off and Nigella Lawson’s “meecro-wah-vey” are just some of the topics in Jimmy Carr’s ultimate quiz on all things television. Babatunde Aléshé, Daisy May Cooper, Natasia Demetriou, Jamie Demetriou, Judi Love and Russell Howard form the teams. Hollie Richardson

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