Elaine Paige: 60 Years on Stage sees the musical theatre star mark six decades in showbusiness with a special TV interview looking back at her life and career.

In the BBC Four show, airing this May, Elaine Paige sits down with presenter Zoe Ball to chat about her most memorable roles and share some of her favourite performances.

Here’s everything you need to know about Elaine Paige: 60 Years on Stage including an interview with Elaine Paige about the show…

Elaine Paige: 60 Years on Stage – release date

The one-off show airs on Sunday, May 11 at 7.50 pm on BBC Four and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

A longer Radio 2 audio version of the programme is already available on BBC Sounds.

Elaine Paige: 60 Years on Stage – what is it about?

Elaine Paige joins Zoe Ball to share memories of her career, which began with 1964’s touring production of The Roar of the Greasepaint, before she made her West End debut in 1968 in Hair.

The star, who also hosts Radio 2's weekly musical theatre show Elaine Paige on Sunday, looks back at her life-changing role as Eva Perón in Evita in 1978, and recalls how she stepped in at the last minute to take over from Dame Judi Dench as Grizabella in Cats and made the hit song Memory her own.

Meanwhile she also chats about topping the charts alongside Barbara Dickson with I Know Him So Well from Chess in 1985, and making her Broadway debut in 1996 in Sunset Boulevard.

The show will feature clips of Elaine Paige singing Don't Cry for Me Argentina and Memory at Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration, it will also show include archive footage of her performing I Know Him So Well with Barbara Dickson, and the music video of As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard.

Elaine Paige: 60 Years on Stage – what other programmes are paying tribute to Elaine Paige?

The show is part of a whole evening on BBC Four dedicated to Elaine Paige on Sunday, May 11, and there’s also another chance to see the following shows, which will also be on BBC iPlayer.

Showstoppers 7pm
In Gary Wilmot’s musicals celebration from 1995, Elaine performs West End hits.

A Night on the Town 8.50pm
Elaine introduces this 1983 extravaganza featuring songs by Irving Berlin and Cole Porter.

Elaine Paige at the BBC 10.50pm
Archive clips showcase Elaine’s renditions of Don’t Cry for Me Argentina and Memory.

Elaine Paige: I’m Still Here 11.50pm
A glitzy concert filmed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2014 marks Elaine’s 50th anniversary.

Elaine Paige: 60 Years on Stage – interview with Elaine Paige

Spy/Master is a Romanian thriller set during the Cold War and is loosely based on the exploits of a real-life spy. It stars Alec Secăreanu (Happy Valley) as Victor Godeanu, the Romanian president’s right-hand man who is also a secret agent for the Russians. With his cover about to be blown, Victor defects to the US but must avoid the KGB and his own government’s spooks, while his family face the fall out back home. 

This top multi-lingual spy thriller also stars The Mummy’s Parker Sawyers, Deutschland 89’s Svenja Jung and The Trial of Christine Keeler star Aidan McArdle and former Hollyoaks star Nico Mirallegro. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Spy/Master on BBC4 and HBO Max….

Spy/Master release date

Spy/Master is six-part series that launches in the UK with a double bill at 9pm and 9.50pm on BBC4 from Saturday May 4 2024, while all six episodes will be available to stream as a box set on BBCiPlayer from that date. The series has already been shown in the US on HBO Max from May 2023.

Is there a trailer for Spy/Master?

Yes there's a trailer for Spy/Master that follows Soviet spy Victor as he defects to the US and see how his family back home are caught up in the fallout of the biggest defection from the Eastern bloc. Take a look below...

Spy/Master plot 

Spy/Master spans one week in the life of Victor Godeanu, the right-hand man and most trusted advisor to Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu (Claudiu Bleonț). 

With his government about to uncover that he’s a secret agent for the Soviets, Victor defects to the US during a diplomatic trip to Germany. It’s huge news for the Americans and Victor is helped by undercover Stasi agent Ingrid Von Weizendorff (Svenja Jung) and up-and-coming CIA agent Frank Jackson (Parker Sawyers). However the Stasi and Romania’s own spies are soon on Victor’s tail, and it looks as though his wife and daughter may face the consequences back home.

As a Soviet double agent, Victor’s knowledge of Russian secrets could be of great use to the Americans. But with Ceaușescu helping to facilitate peace talks between Egypt and Israel, President Jimmy Carter’s US administration is keen not to rock the diplomatic boat during the Camp David talks, leaving Victor, who is unhappily married with a teenage daughter, in limbo and fearing for his life. 

Spy/Master cast — Alec Secăreanu on playing Victor Godeanu

Alec Secăreanu plays defector Victor in Spy/Master. "The stakes are high," says Secăreanu. "Western intelligence doesn’t have a lot of information about what’s happening in the East, so Victor knows he has leverage. Victor cannot allow himself to show any vulnerability,’ he explains. ‘He knows when to push the right buttons to get something out of them. He’s constantly playing this chess game as he goes along."

Secăreanu was born in Romania just a few years after the events depicted in the series, and experienced the huge changes that came about after the overthrow of the Communist regime. "After 40 years of communism, Romania was a very scarred nation," he says. "My parents spent all of their youth and the first part of their adulthood under communism, and I was born in 1984, so I was five and a half when Ceaușescu was executed on TV on Christmas Eve 1989. That is still a very vivid image in my mind."

* Alec Secăreanu has previously played Darius Knezevic in the third series of Happy Valley and has also starred in Ammonite, Baptiste, Strike Back, God’s Own Country and The Bike Thief. 

Parker Sawyers on playing CIA agent Frank Jackson

World on Fire star Parker Sawyers plays CIA agent Frank Jackson in Spy/Master. While defection is a life-or-death matter for Victor, landing such a big fish could represent a significant career opportunity for the man trying to bring him under the protection of the United States. 

"Frank is very ambitious and chomping at the bit for something he can get his teeth into," says Sawyers, who played former US President Barack Obama in the 2016 biopic Southside with You. "Then along comes Victor, and he’s got this project that can really catapult him into the higher echelons of the CIA, and he can go back to America a hero."

Who else is starring in Spy/Master?

The Spy/Master cast also includes The Empress’ Svenja Jung as undercover Stasi agent Ingrid Weizendorff, Aidan McArdle (Tell Me Everything) plays Walter Simpson, Nico Mirallagro (Rillington Place) plays John Miller and Connor Lowson is Scott Dunlop. Ana Ularu,, Laurentiu Banescu, Conor Lowson and Alexandra Bob also star. 

Behind the scenes and more on Spy/Master

Spy/Master is produced by Proton Cinema and Mobra Films. It was created and written by Adina Sădeanu and Kirsten Peters, with all episodes directed by Christopher Smith and produced by Ioanina Pavel. The executive producers are Johnathan Young, Anke Greifeneder, and Antony Root, and co-producers include Viktória Petrányi and Tudor Reu.

Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says:  “A classic spy drama set at the height of the Cold War, Spy/Master is an atmospheric, complex thriller, dripping with style and suspense.”

The Gone is a police drama starring Richard Flood and Acushla-Tara Kupe as two detectives from opposite sides of the world teaming up to search for a young couple who disappeared in New Zealand. 

Richard is Theo Richter, a respected cop who is struggling to cope with events in his past. He flies to Mount Affinity, a small rural town in New Zealand, to help his Kiwi counterpart DS Diana Huia (Acushla-Tara Kupe) find the pair. But could their disappearance be linked to a grisly murder that took place in the town years earlier? 

The series also stars Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones) and Gangs of New York actor Liam Carney. 

“We don’t really know why, or what’s going on, but this is Theo’s last job,” says Richard Flood. “He’s thrown into circumstances that are difficult for him personally and it’s also very difficult in the wider aspect of the situation that they’re in, the life and death aspect of it.”

It’s a detective mystery between two cultures that have a lot in common,” adds Acushla-Tara Kupe of the Irish and Kiwi influences. “It’s incredibly gripping up until the very last second.” 

Here’s everything you need to know about The Gone...

The Gone release date

The Gone will start in the UK on BBC4 on Saturday March 16 2024 from 9pm and 9.50pm, going out in double bills. It's a six-part series that will also be available as a box set on BBCiPlayer from that date. 

The Gone was previously shown in New Zealand from May 7 2023. We have no details yet on a US channel or air date.

Is there a trailer for The Gone?

Yes there's a trailer for The Gone. You can see how Theo and Diana team up to solve the disappearance of missing couple Sinead and Ronan, against the backdrop of a divided community and a town still reeling from a historic murder years earlier. Take a look below...

The Gone plot 

In The Gone, Irish detective Theo Richter (Richard Flood) is struggling with some personal demons but for his final job, flies to New Zealand to help search for two Irish tourists who have vanished without trace. 

He joins the investigation led by Māori detective sergeant Diana Huia (Acushla-Tara Kupe) and must face a community at war and a town full of secrets. Diana too is struggling, having reluctantly returned to her hometown, and the pair must work out whether the case is related to a previous murder in Mount Affinity or if it’s the work of a notorious Irish crime gang. 

The Gone cast — Richard Flood as Detective Theo Richter

Richard Flood plays Irish cop Theo. He’s best known for his roles as Dr Cormac Hayes in Grey’s Anatomy and Ford Kellogg in Shameless. Richard has also starred in Red Rock, Crossing Lines, The Unseen, Killing Kennedy and Made In Italy. 

Acushla-Tara Kupe as DS Diana Huia

Māori actor Acushla is the lead detective on the case. She previously played Sienna in Under The Vines and has also starred in The War at Home, Mr Corman and Encounters. Acushla-Tara also made an appearance in The Crown, as a Māori dancer. 

Who else is starring in The Gone?

Missing couple Sinead and Ronan are played by Rachel Morgan and Simon Mead, while Game of Thrones’ Michelle Fairley is Sinead’s mother Judge Hannah Martin.

Gangs of New York’s Liam Carney, Assassin’s Creed’s Aaron Monaghan, Wayne Hapi and Carolyn Bracken also star. 

COPA 71, also called Storyville: Copa '71: The Lost Lionesses, is a documentary movie that unearths the incredible story of the pioneering unofficial Women’s World Cup of football/soccer that was held in Mexico City in August 1971, but was written out of history because of the widespread misogyny and prejudice in the world of football. 

The 2024 Women’s World Cup in Australia left audiences around the globe gripped, as stars such as England's Alessia Russo and Mary Earps plus Spanish star Jenni Hermoso were celebrated for their skill and talent. But what most fans of the sport probably won’t know is that back in 1971 a tournament took place that created similar fanfare. That year women’s football teams from England, Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark and Italy gathered in Mexico’s two main stadiums for the second ever unofficial Women’s World Cup, a tournament that boasted crowds of 100,000 paying fans, extensive TV coverage and lavish sponsorship. But this was a time when women’s football was banned in many countries and while the players in Mexico were treated like rock stars by fans and the media alike, the event was dismissed by both the governing body and domestic football associations around the world and was therefore largely forgotten about — until now. 

Featuring archive footage, this documentary film has been executive produced by tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams and the story is told by the pioneering women who competed in the tournament. It also features current women’s footballers such as US star Brandi Chastain. “We first heard about the tournament during the Covid lockdown but there was nothing on the internet about it,” says COPA 71’s Rachel Ramsay, who co-directed the film with James Erskine. “There wasn’t even a Wikipedia page. It had completely dropped out of the bottom of history. How could something this big just disappear?” 

Made by New Black Films and Dogwoof productions, here’s everything you need to know about the film COPA 71 that will change the way we think about women’s sport forever…

COPA 71 release date

Storyville: Copa '71: The Lost Lionesses will be shown on BBC4 and BBCiPlayer in June 2024. We will update when this television launch date is confirmed.

COPA 71 was released in UK cinemas from Friday March 8 2024, having previously been shown in US cinemas from October 22 2023. We’re waiting to hear if it will then feature on a streaming service such as Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus or Apple TV+ and will update you on this page as soon as an announcement is made. Run time is 91 minutes.

Is there a trailer? 

Yes there's an official trailer and a first look teaser trailer for COPA 71 which shows how the unofficial Women’s World Cup was a tournament of unprecedented scale but has since been hidden for 50 years. "We were never allowed to play football," says one former player. But the event paved the way for future female footballing stars. Take a look at boih the trailers below...

What happens in COPA 71

COPA 71 follows the unofficial Women’s World Cup that took place in Mexico City in 1971. Denmark became the tournament champions, winning the final 3–0 against hosts Mexico, in front of a 110,000 crowd.

The event attracted huge crowds and the players were worshipped by fans and the media alike. In fact, it still ranks as the best attended women’s sporting event of all time. Eventually injustice prevailed and those in control of the so-called beautiful game ensured that the tournament was written out of the sport’s history. The film details why it’s the biggest sporting event that most people will never have heard of. 

Scrublands is a tense Australian drama set in an isolated country town. It stars Jay Ryan as a charismatic and dedicated young priest, who calmly opened fire on his congregation and killed five parishioners in the remote town of Riversend. A year on, investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold) is sent to file a feature on the anniversary of the shocking event but soon realises the accepted narrative is full of holes. As Martin digs further into the story to uncover the truth, he finds himself in extreme danger from hostile locals. 

Scrublands is based on the award-winning novel written by Chris Hammer and here’s everything you need to know about the four-part drama adaptation on Sundance Now and AMC+ in the US, BBC4 and BBCiPlayer in the UK, Stan in Australia…

Scrublands release date

Scrublands is a four-part drama launching in the US on Sundance Now and AMC+ on Thursday May 2 2024. The series has already been shown in the UK from Saturday November 18 at 9pm and 9.50pm on BBC4. All four episodes are also a box set on BBCiPlayer. Each episode is 50 minutes.

 In Australia. Scrublands premiered on Stan on Thursday November 16 2023.

Is there a trailer for Scrublands?

Yes you can see the Scrublands trailer right here or below. It looks like an intense mystery to follow...

What is the plot of Scrublands?

In Scrublands, investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold) is sent to a remote town where a young priest called Byron Swift (Jay Ryan) gunned down five five members of his congregation a year earlier. Martin has been tasked with writing a piece to commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy, but his instincts tell him that the truth behind the story has yet to be told. So he decides to investigate further but his search for the truth leads to a life-or-death battle. Locals are still deeply scarred from the event and have grown hostile to journalists — local bookstore owner Mandy Bond (Bella Heathcote), Constable Robbie Haus-Jones (Zwar) and widow of one of the massacre victims, Fran Landers (Victoria Thaine) all give him the cold shoulder.

Scrublands cast — Luke Arnold as Martin Scarsden

Former Home and Away star Luke Arnold, who was Lewis Hayes in the Aussie soap, is playing journalist Martin Scarsden in Scrublands. 

"Scrublands is about motive, history and what people are going through. There's tragedy, romance, action, it's got everything and deeper layers than your usual mystery," Luke recently told Daily Mail Australia. "It is a great Australian drama which moves at a great pace. Hammer's writing is so great and we had a great team, Wolf Creek director Greg McLean and [Underbelly writer] Felicity Packard."

* Luke Arnold has also starred in True Colours, Preppers, Black Sails and The End. He also played frontman Michael Hutchence in the series INXS: Never Tear us Apart. 

Jay Ryan as priest Byron Swift 

Jay Ryan is playing the villain in Scrublands — a young priest Byron Swift who committed a terrible atrocity. 

* Jay Ryan also made his name in soaps, having played Jack Scully in Neighbours. This year he starred in the Paramount Plus series No Escape and he has also appeared in Creamerie, Beauty and the Beast, Go Girls and Mary Kills People. 

Who else is starring in Scrublands? 

The cast of Scrublands also includes Bella Heathcote (Relic, C*A*U*G*H*T) as Mandy Bond, plus Adam Zwar (Squinters) as policeman Robbie Haus-Jones and Victoria Thaine plays widow of one of the massacre victims, Fran Landers. Stacy Clausen (True Spirit) plays Allen Newkirk, Robert Taylor (The Newsreader) plays Harley Reagan, Zane Ciarma (Neighbours) is Jamie Landers, Martin Copping is Craig Landers, Genevieve Morris (No Activity) is Mandy Bond's mother Flick who is battling cancer, Ben De Pagter is Hugh Grovesnor and newcomer Ella Ferris plays Shaz McIntyre.

Scrublands episode guide

Here's a brief guide to each of the four episodes of Scrublands...

Episode 1
A year after a horrific mass shooting by priest Byron Swift, who killed five of his parishoners, investigative journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in the remote country town of Riversend to write an article on the tragic anniversary. Soon Martin realises there is far more to this story than what was in the previous headlines. But non of the locals are at all keen to talk.

Episode 2
Despite hostility from the locals, Martin's investigation leads to a series of revelations that draw him deeper into the local scrublands and uncovering the secrets of Riversend. A tragic road accident which Martin is involved in further hits the community of Riversend.

Episode 3
Gradually, pieces of the puzzle behidd Bryon's Swift's murders are starting to come together but Martin's excitement is short lived when his search for the truth causes him to becomes a target, and he very nearly pays for it with his life

Episode 4
All the answers as to who killer priest Byron Swift really was and why he chose to kill five people are eventually revealed as Martin comes face to face with the true mastermind behind the events of the massacre.

Behind the scenes and more on Scrublands

Scrublands is a four-part series from Australian production company Easy Tiger (Colin from Accounts, The Twelve). The thriller was acquired by the BBC from Abacus Media Rights who have international distribution rights for the series. It was produced by Easy Tiger for Stan Australia and the Nine Network. Produced by Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, David Redman and Felicity Packard, the series is directed by Greg McLean and written by Felicity Packard, Kelsey Munro and Jock Serong. 

Black Snow is a six-part Australian crime drama starring Travis Fimmel of Vikings fame. It follows shocking events at a high school after a ceremony to open a time capsule that was buried 20 years previously, shortly after the mysterious murder of pupil Isabelle. Inside it is a highly cryptic message written by Isabelle which leads to a reopening of her murder case and turmoil in the town...

Here's everything you need to know about Black Snow on BBC Four...

Black Snow release date

Black Snow arrives on Acorn TV from Monday 15 April 2024. The series was first shown in the UK with two episodes on BBC4 on Saturday 23 September 2023 at 9pm and 9.50pm. Double episodes ran weekly. All six episodes are available on BBCiPlayer. Black Snow was previously shown in the US on Sundance Now from Thursday, February 23, 2023 and in Australia on Stan from January 1 2023. 

Black Snow plot

Black Snow is set in the small Australian town of Ashford was rocked to its core when 17 year-old schoolgirl Isabel Baker was murdered back in 1994. Her killer was never found, but when a time capsule buried a few weeks before her death is opened it reveals some chilling clues about the case! 

Following two timelines, one in 1994 and one in 2019, this six-part drama follows Detective James Cormack, played by Vikings star Travis Fimmel, as he tries to crack a cold case that has haunted the town for decades. "James has a lot of issues, childhood issues that he’s still dealing with, parental figures, and I think that’s the reason he became a cold-case detective," says Travis. "It’s cathartic for him to investigate the case, but it brings up lots of painful memories.

"Detective Cormack is a very flawed character. He isn’t from Ashford, but he’s intrigued when he hears Isabel warn of ‘predators posing as friends’ from beyond the grave, once the time capsule is opened.

"He went through some stuff that’s very similar to the stuff that’s going on in the main storyline,’ explains Travis. ‘I think it’s cathartic for him to be doing what he’s doing, but at the same time it brings up a lot of painful memories. The flawed aspect attracted me to the character and the scripts are great - it’s a real whodunit sort of story!"

Following the two timelines of 1994 and 2019, the drama delves into Ashford’s past and brings up heartbreaking memories for Isabelle’s best friend, Chloe Walcott (Neighbours star Brooke Satchwell) who still lives in Ashford. 

Isabel’s death was also devastating for her younger sister Hazel Baker (Jemmason Power) who believes her family were discriminated against by the police because of their heritage as South Sea Islanders. 

Like many other Queensland towns, Ashford is home to a large South Sea community, many of whom were tricked into coming to Australia to work the sugar cane fields from the mid-19th to early 20th century. The controversial slavery-like practice was known as ‘blackbirding’ and is a dark chapter from Australia’s past..

"We never learned that at school, did we?" says Travis. "It was such a great learning curve. I love that Black Snow is going to put the community out there and represent it in some way, educate people, because I was amazed by some of the stuff that I read and learnt and was told.’

Black Snow cast — who's who in the drama

The lead character in Black Snow is Detective James Cormack, played by Vikings star Travis Fimmel. Brooke Satchwell is Chloe Walcott, Jemmason Power plays Hazel Baker, Talijah Blackman-Corowa is Isabel Baker, Seini Willett is Glenda Baker, Eden Cassady plays Kalana Baker, Gulliver McGrath plays Constable Dale Quinn, Annabel Wolfe is young Chloe Walcott, Jimi Banj plays as Joe Baker, Fraser Anderson is young Hector Ford, Josh Macqueen is young Anton Bianchi, Erik Thomson plays Steve Walcott, Lisa Blackman is Aunty Rosa, Kim Gyngell plays Sergeant Troy Turner, Rob Carlton plays Victor Bianchi, Alexander England is Anton Bianchi, Ava Carmont palys young Tasha Hopkins and Kestie Morassi plays Tasha Hopkins.

Clean Sweep is based on real events as it stars Charlene McKenna as a mother with a dark past. She plays Irish suburban housewife and mother-of-three Shelly Mohan, who seems to have it all. But when her past catches up with her and threatens the life she has built up, she turns to murder. In an intriguing twist, Shelly's husband Jason (Barry Ward) is the Irish Garda detective who, oblivious to his wife’s part in the crime, is assigned to the case.

 "This was one of those parts that I got to explore all kinds of emotions - there’s Shelly’s past life, her current construction of a life and then there’s the balance or hiding in plain sight and being a killer,” says Charlene. “It was just a gift to play." 

Here’s everything you need to know about Clean Sweep…

Clean Sweep release date

Clean Sweep is a six-part that launches in the UK with episodes running as weekly double bills on BBC4 from Saturday July 29 at 9pm and 9.50pm, while the whole series is box setted on BBC iPlayer from that date. The drama was previously been shown on RTE and RTEplayer in Ireland from May 14 2023. It's also available in the US on Sundance Now and AMC+ from June 22 2023. As soon as a UK release date is confirmed we’ll update you here. 

Is there a trailer for Clean Sweep? 

Yes, as Clean Sweep has already been shown in Ireland there's a trailer to view. shows a figure from Shelly’s past re-emerge and we witness her taking drastic action to protect her new life. We also see the net start to close in around her as her husband Jason investigates the case. Take a look below...

Clean Sweep plot

Clean Sweep is inspired by true events and follows suburban housewife Shelly, who has a happy marriage, three children and a beautiful home. But then her old partner-in-crime Charlie Lynch resurfaces. When Charlie threatens to expose her ‘past sins’, Shelly shoots him dead. But her problems are only just beginning when, as a murder hunt is launched, Shelly’s husband, Garda detective Jason, is tasked with tracking down the killer alongside his police colleague Fiona. As the noose tightens, can Shelly cope with the pressure..? 

Clean Sweep cast — Charlene McKenna on playing Shelly Mohan

Charlene McKenna, who stars as killer housewife Shelly, says of Clean Sweep: "It's got depth, tension, love, family, crime and it really runs the emotional gamut. Creator and showrunner Gary Tieche has this fascination with soccer mums who commit crimes - his words, not mine - and that's what started him down the rabbit hole of creating the character of Shelly. I couldn’t believe I was offered the part - and being executive producer on the show as well makes me feel like I'm wearing my mummy's high heels!"

* Previously, Charlene played Leah Liebermann in Vienna Blood and Niamh McGovern in Bloodlands. Charlene has also starred in Peaky Blinders, Ripper Street, Holding, Raw and Death and Nightingales. 

Barry Ward as Jason Mohan

Barry Ward plays Shelly’s husband, detective Jason who works on the murder case which his swife Shelly is responsible for. 

Barry has previously starred in The End of the F***ing World, Save Me, Des and Bad Sisters. He’s also appeared in White Lines, The Capture and Britannia. 

Who else is starring in Clean Sweep? 

Other Clean Sweep cast includes Cathy Belton (The Catch) who plays Scotland Yard investigator DCI Gwen Crichett. Rhys Mannion, Katelyn Rose Downey and Aidan McCann play the Mohan children. Aoibheann McCann and Robert Mitchell also star. 

Adam Fergus plays Charlie Lynch. Shelly gets a shock when mysterious Charlie turns up claiming to want to ‘save her’ from her past sins. How exactly were they ‘partners in crime’?

Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle is playing Fiona Uba. Jason and his detective colleague Fiona get stuck into tracking down Charlie’s killer. But amid suspicion they’re more than just friends, can they keep things professional?

Trevor Kaneswaran plays Matt Wilson. Writer Matt sits alongside Shelly on the PTA and the pair soon bond - but does he have more on his mind than bake sales and fundraisers?

Clean Sweep episode guide

Here's a brief episode guide for Clean Sweep with a few spoilers, so do move on if you don't wish to read them.

Episode 1: Done is Done
Shelly Mohan, a housewife and mother of three, makes an irreversible decision, and commits an unspeakable act, when a man from her distant past surfaces – she commits murder.

Episode 2: Post Mortem
Shelly’s husband Jason, a Garda Detective, is delighted to be assigned to case, with no sense where the trail may lead.  While he and his co-worker, Fiona, focus on a sex worker, Shelly realizes she may have left evidence in the dead man’s hotel room.

Episode 3: Find Her 
We learn of Shelly’s dark history, as a teenager who was part of a drug ring in London 20 years earlier with Charlie Lynch, the man she shot. When Lynch’s true identity is uncovered, a UK officer, DSI Crichett, reopens an old murder case Shelly and Charlie were linked to.

Episode 4: Deirdre 
The investigation continues to build steam in both countries, while Shelly continues to juggle her parenting and family responsibilities – problems with her husband and children that would stress anyone.  As Jason’s partner Fiona grows suspicious of Shelly, we learn of the measures Shelly took to change her identity.

Episode 5: Let it Go
Shelly tries to change her fingerprints, while the investigation in London is developing new leads despite political pressure to close the case.  New witnesses give descriptions of the suspect that may point to Shelly.

Episode 6: Silent Mouth
The pressure builds on all fronts as Jason tries to close the case.  Will Shelly be able survive as the pressure builds?  The one option closed to her is to flee—she would never leave her children.

Behind the scenes and more on Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep was acquired for the BBC from ZDF Studios. It was produced by ShinAwil and Incendo.

Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “Clean Sweep is a gripping psychological thriller – BBC viewers will be hooked by Shelly, and how she copes with all of the repercussions of her secret life.”

Life Drawing Live! is a new live masterclass which will be hosted by comedian, presenter and artist Joe Lycett. Last year, BBC4 ran a life drawing programme that proved to be very popular among viewers, with plenty of them trying their hand at sketching during lockdown. In fact, viewers sent in 30,000 artworks from home, prompting the broadcaster to create a new special.

Speaking about the project, Joe Lycett said: “Like many people I found great solace from making art during lockdown and am really excited to help get the nation creative through learning about life drawing. Any nudity is just an added bonus!” 

Here's everything you need to know...

Life Drawing Live! release date

Life Drawing Live! will be released in September on BBC2 and BBC4, but an exact date hasn't yet been confirmed for the two-hour special. We'll be sure to keep you updated.

What should we expect from the programme?

According to the BBC: "this new two-hour special produced by Avanti, is bigger and bolder: broadcasting live across two channels, from English Heritage’s Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, where life models will disrobe and assume poses inspired by great works of art."

On BBC4 there'll be a "Pose Cam" giving a fixed-camera view of each model’s pose, and audiences at home will be encouraged to upload their work during the show. Josie d’Arby will assessing and selecting the work of those drawing from home, while Daphne Todd and Lachlan Goudie will be on hand to guide some famous faces through the poses. 

Meanwhile on BBC2, viewers can watch the amateur artists create their works as the experts share their knowledge and techniques. In addition to this, artist Adebanji Alade will be encouraging people who think drawing is not for them to have a go, so there'll be something for everyone on both channels.

Mark Bell, Commissioning Editor at BBC Arts said: “Life Drawing Live! has been an incredible catalyst for the nation’s amateur artists on BBC Four - where tens of thousands of viewers have taken the time to upload their life drawings. Now we are taking it to the next level. 

"For the first time, it will take over the schedules across two channels, giving viewers the option of watching from the sofa on BBC Two, or to go to BBC Four with paper in hand to participate in the class itself. We hope this unprecedented event will entertain and inspire, and hopefully give audiences the chance to up their skills with the charcoal.” 

Is there a trailer?

There isn't a trailer for the new class as it's a live broadcast, but you can watch the one from 2020 to give you an idea of what to expect.

The Hunt for a Killer is a chilling, true-crime miniseries from Swedish broadcaster Yellow Bird. It deals with a deeply shocking murder case, and follows the police officers determined to catch the killer 16 years on. 

Here's everything you need to know about The Hunt for a Killer.

The Hunt for a Killer release date

The series was originally broadcast in Sweden in 2020, and is due to transmit in the UK later this summer on BBC Four. We don’t know whether the series will be released in the US just yet. 

The Hunt for a Killer cast 

The show stars Anders Beckman (Midsommar) as Per-Åke Åkesson and Lotten Roos (Wallander) as Monica Olhed, with Magnus Schmitz portraying Ulf Olsson. 

The Hunt for a Killer plot

The Hunt for a Killer revolves around a chilling cold case. In March 1989, a 10-year-old girl called Helen Nilsson was abducted and murdered in Hörby, southern Sweden, shocking the nation. Her case remained unsolved for 16 years, creating a gulf between the community and the police force supposedly entrusted with protecting it.

The miniseries follows police officers Per-Åke Åkesson and Monica Olhed. They lead an investigation team that have already solved multiple murders in southern Sweden in the past. Against all odds, they’re tasked with finally tracking down the person responsible for the child's murder.

Described as "Sweden’s answer to Manhunter" and "guaranteed to get under the skin" by Chris Stewart, SVP of the production company Banijay Rights, The Hunt for a Killer was critically acclaimed by the Swedish press upon its initial release.

How many episodes of The Hunt for a Killer are there? 

There are six episodes of The Hunt for a Killer, and each one is 60 minutes long. 

Is there a trailer?  

You can watch a subtitled trailer from production company Yellow Bird below, and it's extremely tense. It gives us a brief lowdown on the case, as well as introducing us to the local area traumatised by the crime.

The criminal himself confesses to his crime via a public payphone, telling the police to stop pursuing their other suspects. Meanwhile, the two officers are being pushed harder and harder to ensure they crack the case. 

What is clear is The Hunt for a Killer won’t be for the faint-hearted! 

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Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer is a new factual BBC Four series which examines the science and medical innovations that conquered some of the world’s deadliest diseases and doubled life expectancies for many across the globe. 

As we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, the series explores the lessons we've learned from previous global pandemics and how they've paved the way to modern medicine.

Featuring historian and broadcaster David Olusoga and best-selling author Steven Johnson, the two join forces to take viewers on a journey across 300 years of medical innovation.

Speaking about the series, Olusoga said: "The revolution in medicine and public health that has taken place over the past three centuries is one of the greatest achievements of all time. The series is a history of unsung heroes and forgotten pioneers whose incredible stories deserve to be better known."

Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer release date

A release date for Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer has not yet been confirmed, but we do know it will air on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer. The series will be made up of four parts, with each episode focusing on a different aspect of global public health.

What is Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer about?

The four part series features leading public health authorities and scientists working on the front line of the current pandemic, and gives viewers insight into the history of revolutionary medical breakthroughs like vaccines, fact-based research, medicines and drugs, and how raising awareness of behaviours such as handwashing, wearing face masks and implementing lockdowns can help to save lives.

Mandy Chang, BBC Commissioning Editor, says: “We are thrilled to be involved in this very timely series with David Olusoga and Steven Johnson, tracking key breakthroughs in science and medicine and the incredible impact this has had on our lives. 

"Taking four critical subjects: vaccination, data, behavioural change and medicine, the stories in each of these episodes demonstrate how the past can help us understand the present, as we face and deal with the coronavirus pandemic and David and Steven’s journeys through these compelling stories will resonate deeply with us all.”

What else should we know?

The series is based on the book of the same name, by Steven Johnson. The synopsis reads: "As a species we have doubled our life expectancy in just one hundred years. All the advances of modern life — the medical breakthroughs, the public health institutions, the rising standards of living have given us each about twenty thousand extra days on average. 

"There are few measures of human progress more astonishing than our increased longevity. This book is Steven Johnson's attempt to understand where that progress came from."

Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer will be released on May 13th 2021 and is currently available to pre-order.

Is there a trailer?

Not yet, but watch this space!

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Sitting is a one-off special coming to BBC4 soon, based on the stage play of the same name by BAFTA Award winning Katherine Parkinson. The play was first performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of a BBC Arts and Avalon playwright’s initiative, and now it's coming to the screen directed by Jeremy Herrin.

This one-off was commissioned for the BBC by Jonty Claypole. It is produced by Avalon with Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner as Executive Producers. 

Here's everything you need to know...

Sitting release date

Sitting airs on BBC4 at 10.30pm on Wednesday April 7. It will also be available on demand via BBC iPlayer.

What is Sitting about?

Sitting follows three characters as they sit for a silent painter. In these sittings, Luke, Cassandra and Mary reveal truths about love, loss and the importance of human connection. The screen adaptation of the play is being released as part of BBC Lights Up, BBC Arts’ Culture In Quarantine season celebrating British Theatre.

Who is Katherine Parkinson?

Katherine Parkinson is an English actress known for her role as Jen Barber in Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd, for which she received two British Comedy Best TV Actress Awards. She also starred as Pauline Lamb in ITV's Doc Martin between 2005 and 2009 and as Laura Hawkins in BBC drama Humans between 2015 and 2018.

Other appearances include a role as Sophie in BBC4's three-part comedy series The Great Outdoors, and a guest role in the Sardines episode of Inside No 9. 

Who stars in Sitting?

Sitting stars playwright Katherine Parkinson, After Life star Mark Weinman, and Les Misérables star Alex Jarrett in the three main roles. Meanwhile, award winning figurative painter Roxana Halls’ work will feature.

Is there a trailer?

Not yet, but we'll update you if that changes!

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The BBC goes all out with a gigantic weekend music fest

There’s no Glastonbury this year, but there’s still an excuse to sing at the top of your lungs!

Graham Norton, Claudia Winkleman and Alex Jones guide us through this huge bank holiday event with coverage on BBC1, 2 and 4 and iPlayer (plus Radio 1, 2, 3 and 6 Music).

Taking place in four venues – Swansea, Coventry, Belfast and Perth – there’s something for everyone, with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Sam Smith sharing the bill with classical stars including Evelyn Glennie and Nigel Kennedy.

And watch out for the Strictly professionals, who team up with the BBC Concert Orchestra for something rather fab-u-lous.

Rita Ray traces Africa’s musical influence on the West

Rita Ray – presenter, DJ and singer from 1980s rhythm and blues revival band Darts – explores the enduring influence of African music on popular culture in this new three-part series.

She begins in Nigeria, where Rita outlines a brief history of the ‘source of the sound’ – the drumbeat ubiquitous throughout Africa.

Rita then heads off to meet pop royalty King Sunny Adé, who became the first Nigerian to have success in the West with his 1982 album Juju Music.

Rita is clearly having a blast as she meets her musical heroes, including Victor Uwaifo of Guitar Boy fame and Femi, the son of high-life legend Fela Kuti, and his musical protégés who have blazed a trail in afrobeat, afrosoul and funk. An hour of joyful rhythms you can’t help swaying along to.

If Scandi-noir is all about bodies on the slab and troubled cops, Inspector Montalbano is its very welcome antidote, a show full of sunshine and lives lived well

If Scandi-noir is all about bodies on the slab and troubled cops, Inspector Montalbano is its very welcome antidote, a show full of sunshine and lives lived well.

This short, two-episode series kicks off with Luca Zingaretti’s sturdy cop swimming in the bay by his Sicilian home before he gets stuck into a case of arson and multiple kidnappings – with many a break for coffee, lunch or a glass of wine.

Perfetto!

As part of BBC4’s Dance Season, actor Clarke Peters (below), creator of the musical Five Guys Named Moe, explores the history of tap dancing

As part of BBC4’s Dance Season, actor Clarke Peters, creator of the musical Five Guys Named Moe, explores the history of tap dancing.

It’s a treat for the eyes and ears as Clarke reveals how the genre originated out of the slave trade, when men would make music with their feet in chain gangs.

By the 19th Century Irish clogging had further influenced the Afro-American dance scene.

Stars including Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers emerged, playing supporting roles to white Hollywood stars.

Includes fabulous archive film footage, scenes from the Cotton Club and, of course, the legendary Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.

Having painted the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci is probably a shoe-in for the title of the most famous painter who ever lived

Having painted the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci is probably a shoe-in for the title of the most famous painter who ever lived.

But this Florentine genius was also interested in mathematics, music, anatomy, engineering and architecture, and he can lay some claim to early designs of a flying machine, tank and parachute.

So there’s plenty for Janina Ramirez to get stuck into as she delves into the BBC archives to find out what secrets lie beneath da Vinci’s most famous works.

And how TV programmes of old viewed this true Renaissance man.

Salamander the gripping Belgian cop drama, starring Filip Peeters as Chief Inspector Paul Gerardi, is back after four years

Salamander the gripping Belgian cop drama, starring Filip Peeters as Chief Inspector Paul Gerardi, is back after four years.

The high-profile case this time around starts out as an investigation into the murder of a political exile, but soon dips into murkier territory as blood diamonds enter the frame…

More rookie crafters try their hand at creating something beautiful as this relaxing series continues.

More rookie crafters try their hand at creating something beautiful as this relaxing series continues.

Jamie Chalmers couldn’t look less like a cross-stitch teacher if his life depended on it.

But this young man is revolutionising the art and bringing its creative and calming properties to a whole new audience.

Jamie’s class of six cross-stitch their initials on a T-shirt and then come up with their own design of something important to them.

Do you know what the Government considers to be the biggest risk to life in the UK?

Do you know what the Government considers to be the biggest risk to life in the UK?

It’s not terrorism or war; it’s flu. In the past century there have been four pandemics, the worst of them in 1918 when the Spanish flu killed 100 million people worldwide. In this one-off documentary we meet the experts working to prevent and manage the next big outbreak.

Dr Hannah Fry spearheads an experiment to simulate a deadly virus, using app technology to ‘infect’ and track volunteer users to see how far they travel and how many people they come into contact with.

The results are astonishing and will help scientists predict how disease spreads and what can be done about it.

On Easter Sunday 1955, Ruth Ellis shot her lover, David Blakely, outside a pub in Hampstead, London

On Easter Sunday 1955, Ruth Ellis shot her lover, David Blakely, outside a pub in Hampstead, London.

That murder later gained Ellis notoriety as ‘the last woman to be hanged in the UK’.

But was there more to her than the brassy peroxide blonde of newspaper reports?

Director Gillian Pachter is more used to making programmes about American killers, but here brings her exhaustive technique – part Who Do You Think You Are? archive-trawl, part reconstruction, part collage of period film clips – to build, over three separate hours, a rounded picture of the woman and her times.

Was Ellis, perhaps, more of a victim than we might think? Continues tomorrow and Thursday.

What begins as a normal day in Copenhagen soon escalates into a nightmare scenario in this ace new thriller from the makers of The Killing and Borgen

What begins as a normal day in Copenhagen soon escalates into a nightmare scenario in this ace new thriller from the makers of The Killing and Borgen.

A subway train has been hijacked and 15 passengers taken hostage – and the man negotiating their release is a cop (Johannes Lassen, Follow the Money) reliving a horrifying trauma of his own…

Modus’s Paprika Steen also stars, as a news anchor determined to get the scoop.

A new series brings a new case for criminal profiler Inger Johanne Vik (Melinda Kinnaman), who’s now pregnant and settled down with kindly cop Ingvar from series one

A new series brings a new case for criminal profiler Inger Johanne Vik (Melinda Kinnaman), who’s now pregnant and settled down with kindly cop Ingvar from series one.

However, as the gripping Swedish drama returns with a double bill, the loved-up law enforcers’ domestic bliss is soon (predictably) disrupted.

Stockholm is preparing for a state visit from Helen Tyler, the US president (Kim Cattrall) – and there’s a shock for Inger when she spots in the entourage Warren Schifford (an exceptionally creepy Greg Wise), a sinister face from her own past.

Schifford is Helen Tyler’s personal advisor – but has he got her interests at heart?

And what will he do when he sees Inger again?

Ever since the 2015 killing of Cecil the lion by a US dentist, the practice of big-game trophy hunting has been a hugely emotive issue.

Ever since the 2015 killing of Cecil the lion by a US dentist, the practice of big-game trophy hunting has been a hugely emotive issue.

This Storyville film investigates the industry, looking at the big money some wealthy hunters will pay to kill endangered animals.

One is a Texas hunter coveting the ‘big five grand slam’ – shooting one each of a lion, buffalo, leopard, elephant and rhino. A bleak, shocking watch on the implications of hunting for sport and profit.

George IV was known as an extravagant king who cared more about luxury and fancy surroundings than he did anything else.

George IV was known as an extravagant king who cared more about luxury and fancy surroundings than he did anything else.

But, says art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon, he added hugely to the Royal Collection, buying art and furniture that is still treasured today.

It was Prince Albert, though, who built the museums and art galleries of South Kensington in London, believing that everyone should be able to appreciate great art.

Part history lesson, part celebration of art, this four-part series from Andrew Graham-Dixon takes us on a journey into the history of the Royal Collection

Part history lesson, part celebration of art, this four-part series from Andrew Graham-Dixon takes us on a journey into the history of the Royal Collection – the vast array of art and decorative objects collected by kings and queens over 500 years.

Beginning with the Tudor and Stuart eras, it’s not just extravagant paintings and opulent jewels that Andrew concentrates on – he also studies obscure pieces, including the bust of a mystery child. Whatever the work, one thing is clear: they were collected to inspire awe as well as to intimidate…

Lady Jane Grey was the very first reigning queen of England

Lady Jane Grey was the very first reigning queen of England.

She was still a teenager when she took the throne in 1553 and yet, just nine days later, she had been deposed and was later beheaded.

This three-part series uncovers the true story behind Lady Jane’s dramatic, short-lived and ultimately tragic time as Queen of England, which also saw the country taken to the brink of civil war.

Presenter and historian Helen Castor reveals that the main manipulator was the powerful Duke of Northumberland.

Did he persuade dying king Edward VI to make sure the protestant Lady Jane (who was also the duke’s daughter-in-law) was crowned over the Catholic Mary Tudor?

Continues tomorrow and Thursday.

Meet the man behind the mirth in the story of Morecambe and Wise’s gag writer

Meet the man behind the mirth in the story of Morecambe and Wise’s gag writer

Christmas isn’t complete without a helping of Morecambe and Wise repeats, but this year, a new one-off drama reveals the story of the famous duo’s long-serving writer, Eddie Braben.

Played by Stephen Tompkinson, Eddie teamed up with Eric (Mark Bonnar) and Ernie (Neil Maskell) during their 1970s golden years, working tirelessly on every script and dreaming up fresh sketches for the iconic Christmas specials.

The overwhelming success caused Eddie to have two breakdowns, yet his love for the boys kept him going.

A touching and funny biopic, preceded by Eric & Ernie’s Home Movies at 8.00pm on BBC2.

Ever wondered what it’s like to hunt like a cheetah, swim like a turtle or have an eagle’s eye view of the world?

Ever wondered what it’s like to hunt like a cheetah, swim like a turtle or have an eagle’s eye view of the world?

Thanks to cameras fitted onto three animals’ backs, this ‘slow’ documentary transports us into their worlds, so we see first-hand what happens when a cheetah searches for prey, a turtle cruises coral reefs and a white-tailed sea eagle battles the forces of nature on Scotland’s rugged west coast.

Following hot on the heels of a welcome reshowing of Lucy Worsley’s Tales of the Royal Wardrobe (7.30pm) is this new series on a similar theme

Following hot on the heels of a welcome reshowing of Lucy Worsley’s Tales of the Royal Wardrobe (7.30pm) is this new series on a similar theme.

Amber Butchart is our guide, a fashion historian who sets out, with a team of experts, to reconstruct historical garments stitch by stitch.

Over the coming six weeks she’ll be tackling clothes from the various centuries, starting this week with King Charles II, a fashion-obsessed monarch who would have between 30 and 40 suits of clothes made each year and a man who was acutely aware of the need to dress regally.

As you might be if your father had lost his head.

Just when you think you’ve heard everything there is to say about Elvis Presley, along comes a documentary to make you fall in love with the King all over again.

Just when you think you’ve heard everything there is to say about Elvis Presley, along comes a documentary to make you fall in love with the King all over again.

This film focuses on the singer’s early years in Las Vegas from 1969, when he ditched movies to return to singing.

Collaborators share their memories, and there’s lots of wonderful archive footage.

The performer’s sons – Alex, Roy Jr and Wesley reflect on the life and career of their singer-songwriter father

The performer’s sons – Alex, Roy Jr and Wesley reflect on the life and career of their singer-songwriter father, talking about what inspired him, his determination and sharing unseen home videos.

Roy Orbison & Friends: A Black and White Night follows, featuring a performance in LA in 1988 – the year he died – including hits Oh, Pretty Woman and Crying.

A look at the singers whose work is all about the message

A look at the singers whose work is all about the message

Gregory tells the story of talking voices – ‘great voices that don’t have to be technically perfect to be truly great’, but have something to say.

He looks at the growlers and poets who have made their name in music, from the conversational rasping – a combination of speech and jazz singing – of Billie Holiday (including an emotional showing of her final performance, filmed for the BBC in 1959) to the talking blues twang of a young Bob Dylan.

The kind of singers with a message that’s not dressed up or refined – it’s been given from the heart, like the poetry of Leonard Cohen, of whom Gregory says: ‘He makes me lean in and listen’, and the real-life street style of Lou Reed.

Gregory Porter’s series charting great pop singers through the ages centres on crooners this week

Gregory Porter’s series charting great pop singers through the ages centres on crooners this week.

The invention of the electric microphone allowed singing with subtlety to flourish. From Bing Crosby and Nat ‘King’ Cole via Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye and David Bowie, the crooner can ‘caress with the voice’ – but also crop up in unexpected places, as Iggy Pop, one of many fine contributors here, proves.

Bing Crosby’s daughter Mary, guitar ace Lenny Kaye, singer Beck, producer and Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti and The Wire actor Clarke Peters are among the talking heads in this lovingly curated series.

In this Swedish horror-film series, a terrible story of what happened there 20 years ago unfolds

In this Swedish horror-film series, a terrible story of what happened there 20 years ago unfolds.

'My body is just telling me this is a bad place,' says Hanne, whose boyfriend has brought her and several young, attractive mates to a posh ski lodge he's thinking of buying.

It's just one of several horror-film tropes deployed in this Swedish series, along with sinister dolls, a mysterious old man and things going bump in the night.

As the gang settles in, the terrible story of what happened there 20 years ago unfolds – and they begin to feel very unwelcome…

An effective chiller which still manages to find originality in the familiar.

Tonight's Late Night Prom promises to be an absolute treat, paying tribute to legendary Memphis label Stax Records

Tonight's Late Night Prom promises to be an absolute treat, paying tribute to legendary Memphis label Stax Records.

Jools Holland performs alongside original Stax recording artists including Eddie Floyd, Booker T Jones and Steve Cropper, with tributes from UK artists including Tom Jones and Beverley Knight.

Earlier in the evening (8.00pm), the Proms celebrate big band classics of the 1930s and 1940s.

This feature-length documentary tells the story of the many battles between Moses and Jacobs, and the Jacobs's influential 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities

When ruthless city planner Robert Moses announced in 1955 that a four-lane highway was to be built through New York's beloved Washington Square, journalist Jane Jacobs, a local resident, decided she couldn't let this travesty happen.

This feature-length documentary tells the story of the many battles between Moses and Jacobs, and the clarion call that was Jacobs's influential 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

A passionate urban activist, she believed cities were about people, not buildings – in contrast to Moses, who was known as 'the master builder'. Inspiring.

The second leg of Reginald D Hunter's journey through the musical landscape of the US South sees him in Georgia, his home state, and Alabama

The second leg of Reginald D Hunter's journey through the musical landscape of the US South sees him in Georgia, his home state, and Alabama.

He meets Lynyrd Skynyrd, Muscle Shoals studio founder Rick Hall, gospel legends the Blind Boys of Alabama and Rainy Night in Georgia writer Tony Joe White. And that's all before visiting the Atlanta church where Martin Luther King preached his sermons on non-violent protest.

Then it's on to meeting Chris Bridges, aka Ludacris, the rapper and actor who explains the 'Dirty South' style to Reginald. You certainly can't accuse this show of not packing a lot in!

Another chance to see comedian and panel-show regular Reginald D Hunter taking a journey through the southern states of America to trace the history of the region’s music

Another chance to see comedian and panel-show regular Reginald D Hunter taking a journey through the southern states of America (he was born in Albany, Georgia) to trace the history of the region’s music, which is central to all American music.

First, he’s in Tennessee and Kentucky, where he visits Dolly Parton theme park Dollywood, tries moonshine in Gatlinburg and finds out about bluegrass in Nashville and minstrel shows in Bardstown.

Reg is a wonderful – and honest – guide who initially didn’t have high hopes for his visit to the racist South of his youth but on this trip, he concedes, ‘I’ve never been so happy to be wrong’.

Chris Packham is on a mission to find out how much wildlife can be found in the Great British garden.

Chris Packham is on a mission to find out how much wildlife can be found in the Great British garden.

In Welwyn Garden City, eight residents have agreed to let naturalists explore their backyards for a year.

As the team sets up netting, collects samples and ‘vacuums’ the lawns for microscopic life, Chris reveals the hidden world of our smallest garden residents.

You’ll never look at your borders in the same way again.

There's no room for ego in this untold story of the 'sidemen' of rock

Ladies and gentlemen, the Rolling Stones! Mick. Keith. Charlie. Ronnie… and Bernard?

If you've seen the Stones live in the past 30 years you'll likely have clapped eyes on singer Bernard Fowler.

His story and those of other sidemen and women are told in this excellent documentary presented by Earl Slick, David Bowie's 'sidey' for 40 years.

Backing vocalists, guitarists, keyboard players – these unsung heroes' job is to be invisible and let the star shine.

Featuring Prince collaborators Wendy and Lisa, Booker T and the MGs guitarist and Stax mainstay Steve Cropper and more, plus interviews with those whose names sell the tickets, including Mick Jagger and Billy Joel.

Another chance to see this intensely personal film, in which Tom Jones returns to his hometown of Pontypridd, South Wales

Another chance to see this intensely personal film, in which Tom Jones returns to his hometown of Pontypridd, South Wales, and reveals the huge effect the explosion of popular culture during the 1950s had on him.

Stuck in bed for two years after a TB diagnosis at 12, Tom had lots of time to catch the new rock 'n' roll songs on the radio – and he would later become a Teddy Boy and begin performing.

There are chats with other stars who grew up in the 1950s, but this is really Tom's story.

Where the idealists of 1967 went wrong – and the positive things they left behind

What began as a social experiment in free love quickly descended into chaos as up to 500,000 naive kids poured into San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district in the summer of 1967.

This second and concluding part of the exploration of the far-reaching impact of the Summer of Love looks at the dark side of the counterculture.

The death of the hippie, the birth of the yippie and a militant new left followed.

They lost political arguments, but the cultural influence of hippies can still be felt today in the rise of feminism, not-for-profit enterprises and the development of the internet, with global, collaborative ideals the hippies would recognise.

This two-part documentary tells the story of the summer of 1967

In 1967, revolution was in the air. In Haight-Ashbury, a small suburb of San Francisco, the counter-culture movement was beginning to form, fuelled by radical ideas, LSD and music.

It culminated in the famed Summer of Love, which saw up to 100,000 young people create their own utopia in San Francisco, fundamentally changing youth consciousness for ever.

This two-part documentary tells the story of that summer. After the war, a free-thinking German naturalist cult, Lebensreform, brought their ideas to California, where they mixed with maverick British thinkers, such as Aldous Huxley, student activists and war protestors – and, of course, LSD.

A portrait of Kenneth William's life played by Michael Sheen

Pity poor Kenneth Williams, sat in his sparse, spotless flat, struggling with painful piles.

Kenneth (Michael Sheen) was adored by the public but – as this 2006 biopic never lets us forget – riven with self-doubt and illness.

Though the Carry On star would have loathed it, this sympathetic portrait lays open his private world and also manages to convey some of the star's peculiar genius.

A Parkinson compilation of Kenneth's interviews follows.

A new chilling Canadian crime drama starring Billy Campbell

Five minutes into this excellent Canadian crime drama and we're thinking about digging out our woolly jumpers – every other scene features cartoonishly giant icicles and snow-laden forests.

Set in Ontario, it follows John Cardinal (Billy Campbell), a dour homicide detective – yes, another one – who was demoted after refusing to back down over a case.

When a missing girl's body is found, horribly frozen in a block of ice, Cardinal is back on the job – but he's not happy about his new partner…

Documentary examining the pop charts of the mid-Eighties...

Remember seeing Wham! celebrating a festive No 1 on Top of the Pops in 1984? It never happened – Last Christmas was the biggest-selling record to fail to top the UK charts, as Band Aid's single swept all before it.

This documentary is full of snippets like that as it guides us through Top of the Pops's 20th anniversary year, encompassing big hair, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, politically-charged hits such as Free Nelson Mandela and, of course, Do They Know It's Christmas?

For anyone who fondly remembers Nik Kershaw's snood or Nena's controversial armpits, this is an hour of TV to leave you with a huge smile on your face.

Eight discs, a book and a luxury item, that's what the castaways on the Radio 4 show are asked to choose to take away to their imaginary desert island

Eight discs, a book and a luxury item, that’s what the castaways on the Radio 4 show are asked to choose to take away to their imaginary desert island.

Proof that the best ideas are often the simple ones, DID has notched up 75 years with only four presenters.

Kirsty Young is the current incumbent – her recent castaways include David Beckham and Ed Sheeran – and Kirsty introduces this re-showing of an Arena, made in 1982 and with guest Paul McCartney, when the show was 40.

Alastair Sooke and Janina Ramirez conclude this three-part series with a fascinating, if exhausting-looking, zoom around St Petersburg

Alastair Sooke and Janina Ramirez conclude this three-part series with a fascinating, if exhausting-looking, zoom around St Petersburg.

Janina in particular is beside herself with excitement. She's always wanted to go there and her enthusiasm spills over as the pair explore the city’s incredible art and architecture.

From the kaleidoscopic colours of St Isaac's Cathedral (and its dark cellars, which hid precious works of art during the siege) to sombre 'apartment museums', the opulence of the Winter Palace and the stark paintings of 'dissident babushka' Yelena Osipova, there's so much to squeeze in that St Petersburg could really do with a whole series of its own.

A look at the all-too-short life of one of the pioneers of modern music Buddy Holly

Elvis may have changed the face of music, but it was Buddy Holly who inspired singer-songwriters and guitarists such as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen and, most of all, The Beatles, whose very name pays homage to The Crickets.

This new documentary looks back at Holly’s shockingly short career (he was killed in a plane crash in 1959, aged 22, just 18 months after his first No 1) with contributions from fans of Holly’s music and those who knew him.

There’s a theme to this evening on BBC4, as Rave On is preceded by It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (9.00pm), featuring music from Jerry Lee Lewis among others, then at 11.00pm you can see Kings of Rock 'n' Roll.

Welcome to series three of the superior English/Welsh detective drama, Hinterland

A discarded trainer lies on the ground, behind it a mobile home gutted by fire, in the distance rooks caw hoarsely in the damp morning.

Welcome to series three of the superior English/Welsh detective drama – think The Bridge with more sheep and rain – and things are as picturesquely moody as ever as DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington) looks into the death of a minister.

He was a godly man, perhaps too godly for the local vet and his family who lost a child and found the minister keener on bashing the Book than giving spiritual comfort.

But did one of them do it? Previously on BBC1 Wales.