British Telly

Rumours have been swirling in recent months about the future of Doctor Who beyond the upcoming Series 15. From speculation about the Disney+ deal falling through, to talk of Ncuti Gatwa quitting, and questions around Russell T Davies’ own future with the show. Now, in a new interview with BBC Newsround, Davies has strongly indicated that a “pause” is on the cards.

The segment began with Ncuti Gatwa and new companion Verada Sethu being asked if there was “any news about Series 3”. Gatwa, clearly cautious, responded, “I don’t know anything.”

Then the interview cuts to Davies, and his answer is far more illuminating. Up to now, Davies had maintained that no decisions about the future would be made until Series 15 had concluded. But now, even that cautious optimism seems to have faded.

Davies stated:

“I kind of know that the Doctor’s reached the status of like Robin Hood. Sometimes there might be a pause, and during that pause, the viewers of Newsround now will grow up a few years and start writing stories and they’ll bring it back. So I have absolute faith that that will survive because I am living proof of it and that’s what happens to good ideas. No good idea ever dies.”

This marks the strongest indication yet that a hiatus will follow the next series. Notably, Davies’ remark about today’s viewers “growing up” before reviving the show implies that any potential break may not be brief, but a significant pause that could stretch over several years.

Deborah and Ava get a late-night hosting gig, but it doesn’t help that they hate each other. Plus: a poisoned-chocolates case in Beyond Paradise. Here’s what to watch tonight

9pm, Sky MaxSeason four of the hit comedy arrives, and Deborah (Jean Smart) has the late-night hosting gig with Ava (Hannah Einbinder) as her head writer. Except it didn’t happen that easily – Ava had to use blackmail. Can they get the job done? With Deborah calling Ava the C-word “in that angry boomer way” and stitching her up by posting her “dirty panties” to new colleagues, that’s not likely. It’s all the better for our entertainment, though, and we’re rooting for them to pull this off. Hollie Richardson

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cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/27269746

Over the last 50 years, Saturday Night Live has become a cornerstone of US television and a conveyor belt for new comedy talent, attracting A-list cameos and launching careers. British TV executives are now hoping it can bring some of that lustre across the Atlantic in a deal to bring the show to the UK for the first time.

After numerous failed attempts to recreate the late-night comedy format that has proved so successful in the US, Sky has announced it is making a British version of the show to premiere next year. Crucially, the show’s original creator and champion, Lorne Michaels, will be an executive producer.

The broadcaster is already promising a “star-studded lineup of hosts”, adding that it will be filmed in London. It is also promising to stay true to the US show’s “live, fast-paced style” – which has included comedy sketches, a roster of comic presenters and musical guests – with a cast list of “the funniest British comedians around”.

It will no doubt be a draw for leading comedians in the UK, as the US original has launched the careers of comedy royalty including Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and Mike Myers.

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The move is also a gamble by Sky, given the number of previous attempts to recreate a live, late-night comedy show concentrating on topical issues. While the UK has had a number of hit comedy panel shows, such as Have I Got News for You, the live sketch-style programme has not endured in the same way.

In the 1980s, Saturday Live was launched and similarly featured rising and established talent, including Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry, Tracey Ullman, Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall. It was moved to Friday nights for its third series before being cancelled. It was briefly revived in 1996, hosted by Lee Hurst.

Channel 4 launched Saturday Zoo in the early 1990s, featuring comedy and celebrity interviews. It ran for just 13 episodes. Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show also worked with up-and-coming comedians and boosted the careers of Ricky Gervais, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jimmy Carr.

Brian Logan, the Guardian’s comedy critic, said there was a “strange alchemy” in the early successes of SNL in the US that had made it self-sustaining. “They’re quite different comedy cultures,” he said. “It’s not just SNL that has been tried here, but also late-night talkshows and comedy shows.

“And America has experimented with panel shows, which never seem to take off in America, but are a massive comedy vehicle for comedians in the UK. So there is clearly something going on whereby these things don’t always transfer. But if the SNL team are involved in this one, it stands a better chance than some.”

Others in the TV industry say the format’s mixed success in the UK comes down to money. In the US, the show’s backers are able to pay and retain top comedy talent. But shows in the UK, made on far lower budgets, often lose their star performers to more lucrative ventures.

Ride Or Die meets competitors in the North West 200 race. Plus: Paul Chuckle guest stars in a whodunnit. Here’s what to watch this evening

10.40pm, BBC OneWhy do more than 100 motorcycle road racers from around the world make the pilgrimage to Northern Ireland every May to take part in the North West 200 – a dangerous race that involves competitors riding at speeds in excess of 200mph? This documentary speaks to the people doing it – including five-time winner Lee Johnston and trailblazer Maria Costello – whose reasons range from religion to gaining a sense of purpose. Hollie Richardson

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Inside the alarming case of ‘witchcraft, sexual exploitation and missing women’. Plus: a fascinating look at fridges. Here’s what to watch this evening

11pm, BBC TwoLast year, rags-to-riches Brazilian model and “wellness influencer” Kat Torres was sentenced to eight years in prison for human trafficking and slavery (which she still strongly and passionately denies). Her victims were her followers. This alarming documentary, an investigation by BBC Eye, tells a story of “witchcraft, sexual exploitation and missing women”, with those she exploited and her ex-husband recalling what happened. Then Torres herself offers her side of the story from inside jail. Hollie Richardson

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The married couple jump into cold water in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Plus: Ben Fogle encounters stone-age living. Here’s what to watch this evening

8.30pm, BBC Two

In case you’ve missed it in the Guardian’s pages over the past 10 years, wild swimming is really good for you! Julie Wilson Nimmo and Greg Hemphill are testament to this – they have been married for 25 years and seem very happy. In this six-parter, they explore the best cold water spots across Scotland, starting with urban locations in Glasgow and Edinburgh. But first, they must “warm up” by plunging into an ice bath for something “colder than you’ve ever experienced” for more than 10 minutes. Hollie Richardson

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cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/27043917

There goes my productivity for a day!

Reunion tells an intriguingly layered story of redemption. Plus: Sam Mendes’ documentary about the cameramen who filmed the horrors of Belsen. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC OneAfter serving time for the murder of his best friend, Ray, Daniel Brennan (Matthew Gurney) is having his pre-release interview. The officer is firing questions but there is silence – Daniel is deaf, and an interpreter hasn’t been booked. This means the officials quickly lose track of him, as he leaves prison to reunite with his estranged daughter Carly (Lara Peake) and embark on a mission of revenge and redemption. Meanwhile, Ray’s wife Christine (Anne-Marie Duff) is keeping Daniel’s release from daughter Miri (Rose Ayling-Ellis) and new boyfriend Stephen (Eddie Marsan). This intriguingly layered opener sets up an unravelling story about what really happened between Ray and Daniel. Hollie Richardson

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Adrien Brody, Paapa Essiedu and Romola Garai are some of the big stars of the night. Plus: Bruce Parry watches a teeth-removal ritual. Here’s what to watch this evening

10.15pm, ITV1

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Watch fantastic performances from LaBelle, Nine Inch Nails and artists that will surprise you. Plus: record-breaking action in Gladiators. Here’s what to watch this evening

8.20pm, BBC Two

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Ben Miller goes down under and meets an unexpected new relative in Austin. Plus: Ezra Collective play the 6 Music festival. Here’s what to watch tonight

9.30pm, BBC OneWhat starts as a zippy Aussie comedy about a man on the brink of being cancelled soon turns into something quite heartwarming. Ben Miller is British children’s author Julian, who is about to lose his career and wife Ingrid (Sally Phillips) while on tour in Australia, when neurodivergent Austin (Michael Theo) introduces himself as Julian’s estranged son … It has been a hit in Oz, so may just have the Colin from Accounts effect. Hollie Richardson

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When Adolescence launched on Netflix a week ago, its timing felt uncanny. This hard-hitting series about the malign influence of the online “manosphere” arrived just as news broke about a story that had been making UK headlines for nine months: that of notorious crossbow killer Kyle Clifford, who raped and murdered 25-year-old Louise Hunt last year after she ended their relationship. The latest update showed that Clifford had searched the web for Andrew Tate’s podcast mere hours before killing Hunt, her sister Hannah and mother Carol at their family home in Hertfordshire.

The show’s star and co-creator Stephen Graham was originally horrified by a spate of violent incidents across Britain in which teenage boys committed deadly knife crimes against girls. The actor said these shocking stories “hurt my heart” and asked of him: “What’s going on in our society where this kind of thing is becoming a regular occurrence?” He teamed up with screenwriter Jack Thorne – a regular collaborator who has worked with Graham on such acclaimed British dramas as This Is England, The Virtues and Help – to create a potent drama interrogating this distressing trend. Thorne says they wanted to “look into the eye of male rage”.

The series tackles the devastating and sometimes fatal consequences of toxic masculinity. The manosphere and Andrew Tate are name-checked in the script but the central character, says Thorne, has been “indoctrinated by voices a lot more dangerous than Tate’s”.

Jamie has fallen under the spell of misogynistic influencers and suffered cyber-bullying for being an “incel”. His parents admit that he would shut himself in his bedroom and be on his computer long into the night. They assumed he was safe but he was secretly being radicalised. His story highlights the corrosive impact of social media on impressionable minds and has resonated profoundly with audiences. Parents of teenagers have been watching rapt, heartbroken and horrified in equal measure – with the show clocking up an astonishing 24.3m views in its first four days of release, four times more than the number two show. It tops the Netflix ratings in 71 countries, ranging from Chile to Vietnam. One British police force has even said it should be a “wake-up call for parents”.

Labour MP Anneliese Midgley has called for the series to be screened in parliament and in schools, arguing that it could help counter misogyny and violence against women and girls. PM Keir Starmer backed the idea, praising Adolescence and saying that he’d watched it with his own teenage children. Starmer added that violence against girls was “abhorrent … a growing problem … we have to tackle it”.

The former MP tells her surprising story in a candid documentary. Plus, Nick Grimshaw’s chaotic show about dogs. Here’s what to watch this evening

7pm, BBC Two“This place is a farce. Absolute farce.” Last year, the SNP’s Mhairi Black – the youngest elected MP since 1832 – stood down as an MP, and swapped parliament for standup comedy (she was describing the former there). In this candid film, she talks about rising to prominence after the Scottish referendum, the anxiety she constantly felt as a young, gay, neurodivergent woman in politics, and her first show at the Edinburgh festival fringe. Hollie Richardson

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Prof Hannah Fry examines the kitchen phenomenon in her fascinating tech series. Plus: Rose Ayling-Ellis’s emotional signing project. Here’s what to watch this evening

8pm, BBC TwoYet another show about the air fryer – but it’s OK, because this time it’s to kick off the brilliant Prof Hannah Fry’s third tech series, in which she examines seemingly ordinary objects in “obscene detail”. And this isn’t about just recipes. Fry – a self-confessed convert – traces the origins of the kitchen phenomenon back to the “accidental creation of a ‘wonder wire’” in the 1900s and one first world war pilot’s need for a hot dinner. Hollie Richardson

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The celebrity duo reveal the realities of raising five children, two dogs and four ducks. Plus: Bradley Walsh signs off on his Egyptian travelogue. Here’s what to watch this evening

8pm, BBC One

Pickle Cottage opens its doors for the newest celebrity fly-on-the-wall series. Golden couple Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash let the cameras in to their home for six months, as they raise their five children, two dogs and four ducks. The duo are easy to like – especially when the besotted Joe recalls the day they met (“I haven’t been able to shake him since,” says Stacey) – in what can be described only as soft TV. It starts with them celebrating their wedding anniversary. Hollie Richardson

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The good, the bad and the ugly about the social media platform. Plus: celebrities mark the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Two“This is the stupidest thing ever.” That was a common reaction to Twitter in 2006, according to the San Francisco startup’s “ragtag” founders who created it in just under two weeks. They give their input on the social media platform’s legacy in this documentary (Jack Dorsey, who stepped down as CEO and sold it to Elon Musk in 2022 is noticeably absent), along with former employees, journalists and activists. While Musk’s renamed X may be a hellscape today – and it has been hugely damaging to society – there is plenty of good to be found in its history. All the highs, lows and grey areas are laid out here, including the revelation that Oprah didn’t actually type her first tweet. Hollie Richardson

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The director of acclaimed period drama Wolf Hall says filming of last year's second series was nearly called off weeks before it was due to begin because of budget pressures.

Peter Kosminsky told BBC Two's Newsnight they eventually opted to axe costly exterior scenes in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light, meaning almost everything in the Tudor drama, screened by the BBC, became "conversations in rooms" instead.

He argues public service broadcasters including the BBC and ITV can no longer afford to make high-end British drama.

The Bafta and Golden Globe-winning director is calling for a 5% levy on UK subscription streaming revenues, with the proceeds collected for a British cultural fund.

It’s been two decades since the original eye-popping Tribe series. Plus: Dreamers is an invigorating new dance drama. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Two

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It’s going to be a night to remember for Soho’s underworld. Plus: so much fun to be had in 99 to Beat. Here’s what to watch this evening

9.05pm, BBC One

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Clemency Burton-Hill recorded her journey after being left unable to speak or walk. Plus: the twist-filled season finale of Death in Paradise. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Two“Music was my greatest ally, and now it’s like my toxic friend.” A film following the remarkable story of Clemency Burton-Hill, who was 38 years old when a brain injury left her unable to speak or walk. Before that, she was a violinist who had also achieved a double first from Cambridge and had a successful career as a broadcaster and writer. Through recordings from her early days of recovery, we trace an inspiring journey as she is reunited with her “ally”, the violin. Hollie Richardson

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A devastating documentary about the teenager’s life, murder and legacy. Plus: the people trying to flee Putin’s kill list. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, ITV1The last text Esther Ghey sent to her daughter, Brianna, said “how good it was” that she was going out and re-entering society. Esther doesn’t know if she ever saw that message – Brianna was murdered in 2023 by two 15-year-olds, one who she believed was her friend, in a brutal attack partly motivated by her transgender identity. This devastating and brave documentary tells Brianna’s story, from the sparkling, beloved girl she was to how the disturbing online world affected her wellbeing. It also examines the legacy she has left, as her mother continues to campaign for social media reform. Her friends help paint a picture of her, while journalists and police give insights into a case that shocked and saddened the nation. Hollie Richardson

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Rose Ayling-Ellis is inspirational as she meets a retirement community ready to learn new skills. Plus: the finale of an excellent true crime drama. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC OneIt’s not an easy pitch for deaf actor and Strictly champion Rose Ayling-Ellis to teach sign language to a retirement community. But she finds a group of enthusiastic 65-95-year-olds, some of whom are experiencing hearing loss. Along with charismatic teacher Marios Costi, she determinedly starts a two-part experiment to highlight the increasing need for signing. This is moving, inspirational television – with added bingo and karaoke. As one of the students says: “We’re not old people; we’re recycled teenagers.” Hollie Richardson

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The Change is funnier than ever, as Linda continues her journey of self-discovery. Plus: the gripping finale of Sky’s Mussolini drama. Here’s what to watch this evening

10pm, Channel 4

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I gave it a look because it's been in the news a bit and friends gave it the thumbs up. It's a bit heavy, but not overwhelmingly so, and I enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'd put it up there as a great bit of TV, but certainly the message about what kids have to go through these days is interesting.