There's a superb season of Autumn TV playing out for the rest of 2025. It's an important time for telly fans after the summer holidays are over and they focus on what great television is in store during the Fall and run-up to Christmas.

It's the time of year where all channels give us their major output and Autumn 2025 sees many wonderful new TV shows starting, all with top stars, but also returning favourites, brand new crime thrillers, period dramas and everything in between.

So here at What to Watch we're previewing the best dramas of the Autumn TV season 2025, but please also look out for our August issues of our sister magazine titles TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week for more on the upcoming TV shows. Take a look at our Autumn TV drama picks right here...

Riot Women (BBC One and BBC iPlayer)

The six-parter Riot Women is by Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack writer Sally Wainwright follows a group of spirited middle-aged Yorkshire women who form a punk-rock band for a local talent contest. As their musical endeavours give them all a new lease of life, a revelation comes to the fore causes huge trouble. Lorraine Ashbourne, Joanna Scanlan, Amelia Bullmore, Rosalie Craig and Tamsin Greig play the band members. Do also look out for veteran stars Anne Reid and Sue Johnston.

* We will update with the launch date on BBC1 as soon as we can.

I Fought The Law (ITV1 and ITVX)

Sheridan Smith stars in I Fought The Law, which is an emotional four-part drama based on the true story of Ann Ming, who campaigned to change the Double Jeopardy law, which had prevented someone from being tried twice for the same crime, following her daughter’s brutal murder. Julie, 22, had gone missing in November 1989 in Billingham, Cleveland, and her body was found hidden under the bath in her home.

Her murderer, William Dunlop, was wrongfully acquitted but, years later, confessed to the crime. Thanks to Ann’s tireless campaigning, the 800-year-old legislation was overturned and Dunlop was jailed for life. Daniel York Loh plays Anne’s late husband Charlie Ming.

* We will update with the launch date on ITV1 as soon as we can.

The Guest (BBC One and BBC iPlayer)

Torchwood and Keeping Faith star Eve Myles plays business owner Fran, who recruits Ria (Gabrielle Creevy) as a cleaner in four-part thriller The Guest. The duo become friends when Fran helps Ria to decide what she really wants from life, but things go wrong after Fran’s advice leads to a devastating incident and the women are drawn into a chilling plot. Emun Elliott and Sion Daniel Young co-star.

* We will update with the release date date on BBC1 as soon as we can.

Trespasses (Channel 4)

Set in 1975 against the turbulent backdrop of all the Troubles in Northern Ireland, this four-parter follows star-crossed lovers Cushla (Lola Petticrew), a spirited Catholic schoolteacher, and Michael (Tom Cullen), a controversial married barrister, as they embark on a passionate but dangerous liaison. Gillian Anderson plays Cushla’s eccentric mother, Gina.

* We will update with the launch date on Channel 4 as soon as we can.

The Forsytes (5)

Based on the classic Forsyte Saga novels by John Galsworthy, six-part period drama The Forsytes is set in the late Victorian era and follows the lives a well-to-do family of stockbrokers, as they wrestle with who’ll take over the family firm. Joshua Orpin plays Soames Forsyte and Millie Gibson is his dancer bride Irene (see pictured above), while Francesca Annis is matriarch Ann, alongside a strong supporting cast that includes Stephen Moyer, Tuppence Middleton, Eleanor Tomlinson and Jack Davenport.

* We will update with the 5 release date as soon as we can.

King & Conqueror (BBC One and BBCIplayer)

This epic eight-part period drama King & Conqueror follows the Norman conquest of Britain, one of the most decisive historical events in our history, after the infamous Battle of Hastings in 1066. Harold of Wessex (James Norton) and William of Normandy (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) began as allies but ended up bitter enemies as they fought for control of the British throne. Emily Beecham plays Edith Swan Neck, the wife of Harold while Clémence Poésy is William’s wife, Matilda. Eddie Marsan, Claire Holman, Juliet Stevenson, Joseph Mawle, Elliot Cowan and Jean-Marc Barr also star.

* We will update with the launch date on BBC1 as soon as we can.

The Death of Bunny Munro (Sky Atlantic and NOW)

The Death of Bunny Munro is a drama starring former Doctor Who star Matt Smith, which is based on Nick Cave's book about a father/son road trip. After the suicide of his wife Libby, sex addict and lothario Bunny finds himself the sole carer of his nine-year-old son Bunny Junior (Rafael Mathé), with very little idea of how to parent.

As the pair embark on a road trip across southern England, Bunny Junior starts to unravel as a result of his grief. Both are dealing with their grief in very different ways. While older Bunny tries to bed every woman he can, Bunny Junior spends his time talking to his mother’s ghost and trying to distract himself from the fact his dad is a chaotic mess. As Bunny Junior starts to spiral, Bunny realises he must do something to rescue his son from his own outdated notions of what it is to be a man.

* We will update with the Sky Atlantic launch date as soon as we can.

Coldwater (ITV1 and ITVX)

Coldwater sees Andrew Lincoln play John, a stay-at-home dad struggling to cope when a violent incident in a playground leaves him so troubled that he and wife Fiona (Indira Varma) decide to move their family to the (fictional) titular Scottish village to start over. But things get even more complicated in this six-part thriller when John bonds with charismatic neighbour Tommy (Ewen Bremner) who is hiding some very dark secrets…

* We will update with the start date on ITV as soon as we can.

Murder Before Evensong (5)

Murder Before Evensong is based on the debut novel Murder Before Evensong by the Reverend Richard Coles and is a six-part whodunnit series. Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis plays crime-solving cleric Canon Daniel Clement, while Amanda Redman as his nonsense mother, Audrey.

* We will update with the launch date on 5 as soon as we can.

The Woman in Cabin 10 (Netflix)

Based on the bestseller The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware this one-off thriller follows a journalist, played by Keira Knightley (above), who is given the travel assignment of a lifetime when she's asked to cover the maiden voyage of a luxury cruise liner, which then sets sail. Then, late one night, she witnesses a passenger tossed overboard and tries to raise the alarm. However, she is told she must have dreamed it because all passengers are safe and accounted for.

Yet despite no one believing her, she continues to search for the truth, even if it means putting her own life in danger. Other stars include Hollywood star Guy Pearce, Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham, Ajala, Gitte Witt, Art Malik, Daniel Ings, David Morrissey, Christopher Rygh, Paul Kaye, Kaya Scodelario, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, John Macmillan, Pippa Bennett-Warner and Ayọ̀ Owóyẹmi-Peters.

* The launch date on Netflix for The Woman In Cabin 10 is October 10, 2025.

Down Cemetery Road (Apple TV Plus)

Adapted from the 2003 novel Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron, who is also the author of Slow Horses, this eight-episode thriller stars Ruth Wilson as Sarah Tucker, who asks private eye Zoë Boehm (Dame Emma Thompson) to help find a child she suspects has vanished in Oxford, UK, but a complex conspiracy unfolds.

* Down Cemetery Road launches on Apple TV Plus on October 29 2025.

Atomic (Sky Atlantic)

Atomic is an intense five-part thriller stars Alfie Allen as drug-smuggler Max and mysterious Mohammed (Shazad Latif) who find themselves flung together and caught up in a sinister terrorist plot to steal uranium to build an atomic weapon. The pair must decide whether to save themselves or save humanity and must also avoid CIA agent Cassie Elliot (played by Samira Wiley) who is hot on their heels.

The Thursday Murder Club (Netflix)

The movie adaptation of Richard Osman’s 2020 novel The Thursday Murder Club boasts a killer cast as four pensioners-turned-amateur sleuths create cosy chaos in their retirement village. Ex-spy Elizabeth (Dame Helen Mirren), former union activist Ron (Pierce Brosnan), retired psychiatrist Ibrahim (Sir Ben Kingsley) and ex-nurse Joyce (Celia Imrie) meet weekly to discuss cold cases. But when a murder occurs on their doorstep, the quirky quartet becomes embroiled in a real whodunnit. David Tennant, Richard E. Grant, Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Ackie and Tom Ellis star, while Harry Potter’s Chris Columbus directs. ‘It’s a dream to see this book in such incredible hands,’ says Osman. ‘What a cast! I’m pinching myself.’

Succession creator Jesse Armstrong is back with another project about the super rich and their influence with the new HBO original movie Mountainhead.

This is the first project for Armstrong since Succession ended back in 2023. After creating one of the best TV shows of all time and a winner of numerous Emmys, Armstrong wrote, produced and is making his directorial debut with Mountainhead. Helping him out is a star-studded cast and a premise right up his alley.

Get all the information on that and more about Mountainhead directly below.

Mountainhead release date

HBO debuts Mountainhead on Saturday, May 31, at 8 pm ET/PT. It will also be available to stream simultaneously on Max.

You can watch Mountainhead on HBO if you have a pay-TV provider that carries the cable network, a streaming service that allows for Max as an add-on service (i.e. YouTube TV, Prime Video) or by simply signing for a Max subscription.

For those in the UK, the TV movie is going to be available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW starting June 1 at 9pm.

Mountainhead cast

The main quartet leading the Mountainhead cast are Steve Carell (The Office) as Randall, Jason Schwartzman (Queer) as Souper, Corey Michael Smith (Saturday Night) as Venis and Ramy Youssef (Ramy) as Jeff.

Also starring in Mountainhead are:

• Hadley Robinson (Anyone But You) as Hester
• Andy Daly (Unfrosted) as Casper
• Ali Kinkade (Lessons in Chemistry) as Berry
• Daniel Oreskes (A Real Pain) as Dr.Phipps
• David Thompson (Gotham) as Leo
• Amie MacKenzie (Pulse) as Janine
• Ava Kostia (Love Across Time) as Paula

Mountainhead plot

Here is the official logline for Mountainhead:

“A group of billionaire friends get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.”

Mountainhead trailer

Check out the trailers for Mountainhead right here.

Mountainhead reviews

Mountainhead reviews have been pretty good, with the movie scoring an 81% "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes as of May 30.

Mountainhead behind the scenes

Mountainhead was filmed in Park City, Utah.

In addition to Armstrong, the movie is executive produced by Frank Rich, Lucy Prebble, Jon Brown, Tony Roche, Will Tracy, Mark Mylod and Jill Footlick.

The White Lotus season 3 sees a new batch of ultra-wealthy guests heading to a luxury hotel on the sunny shores of Koh Samui in Thailand.

But, once again, they're about to see their trip of a lifetime descend into a living nightmare as the series opened with a flash-forward where we see at least one character meet a grisly end.

The holidaymakers this time include successful businessman Timothy and his family, while actor Jaclyn has brought her two best friends to the resort for a much-needed girls' catch-up. Then there is free spirit Chelsea, who arrives with her tetchy boyfriend Rick. But as each resort guest finds their holiday thrown off course, who will make it home from the vacation in one piece?

Here is everything that happens in The White Lotus season 3 episode 8...

The final episode of the third season opens with Piper and Lachlan waking up at the Buddhist retreat while Tim is back at the hotel taking more of Victoria's medication. In Bangkok, Rick wakes up in his hotel room after sleeping on a chair, while Frank has been partying all night and is well and truly off the wagon. Frank tries to stop Rick from leaving, but when more women arrive at the hotel suite, Rick makes a hasty exit.

At the hotel, Mook and Gaitok arrive for work and it's the morning after their date. He tells her that he knows who was responsible for the robbery and Mook is happy, knowing that if he helps catch the thieves, then it could help him get a promotion at work.

Jaclyn finds Kate and asks if she has seen Laurie that morning, but she is still sleeping after the eventful evening the night before. Jaclyn goes to wake Laurie and appologises for sleeping with Valentin as she didn't know Laurie cared so much, not realising what Laurie went through the previous evening.

Lachlan and Piper leave the retreat and he has decided he wants to move to Thailand with her, but she doesn't let on that she has changed her mind about moving. They get back to the hotel and Victoria is desperate to know how they got on, hoping it was awful... However, neither Piper or Lachlan want to talk about it and head off to get ready for breakfast.

Belinda and Zion are having breakfast when Pornchai comes over and Belinda introduces him to her son. Belinda explains that Pornchai wants to go into business, but neither of them has the cash - and Zion is quick to remind her that Gary's cash would be the answer to all her problems. She is adamant that it wouldn't be enough anyway and she doesn't want the blood money - but Zion is adamant that she should negotiate with Gary and get him to up his $100,000 offer to £1 million.

At breakfast, Tim is telling Piper he is happy she has realised she can live a simpler life and that they could all do with having a bit less while Victoria shoots him daggers from across the table. But Piper doesn't seem convinced and says the food was bland and not organic, and there wasn't any air conditioning. She says she feels awful for needing these things and cries becasue she can't help being a princess - while Tim looks on, horrified. Victoria is thrilled, telling her daughter that she doesn't have to prove anything and that Piper is right; they are very lucky, but they should just enjoy what they have, otherwise it is offensive to people who don't have what they have.

Back in their room, Saxon can barely look at Lachlan. Lachlan asks what he has done wrong, and Saxon reminds him of what happened between them at the boat party and Lachlan tells him he thought he looked left out and he is a pleaser, so he thought he was doing the right thing... Saxon doesn't want to talk about it and tells his brother to drop it. Forever.

Gaitok calls his boss and leaves a voicemail telling him that he knows it is his day off, but he has something important to tell him. Valentin comes over and says he looked for Gaitok and Mook after the fight but he couldn't find them. Gaitok asks what Valentin's friends are called and he fobs him off, telling Gaitok that they are just men from his gym.

Saxon finds Chloe and Chelsea on the beach and he tells Chelsea that he has read her book on meditation - while they are talking Chelsea sees Rick walking down the beach towards her and she runs to him, throwing herself into his arms and they have sweet reunion, where even Rick seems pleeased to be reunited with Chelsea. She asks him how it went and he tells her he didn't kill anyone and that he said what he had to say and got the monkey off his back, and she is happy for him.

Now that Piper has realized she is just as materialistic as everyone else in her family, a thrilled Victoria takes her to the resort store and encourages her to spend lots of money as Tim watches on, horrified. Eventually, he goes back to the room and finds Lachlan there, reading. He asks his youngest if he could live without money, and he thinks for a moment and says yes, which pleases Tim. He encourages him to go for a swim or to the beach as it is their last day, and Tim is left once again alone with his own thoughts.

Valentin confronts Gaitok and tells him he knows that he has worked out it was his friends who robbed the resort. He begs him not to report him as he will be deported and be killed when he gets back to his country. He says that reporting him is the same as killing him, but before Gaitok can respond, Fabian interrupts him and asks if he can get Jaclyn to agree to a photo with the Hollingers tomorrow when they return from Bangkok.

Tim goes to the tree in their suite that has poisonous fruit and picks one, but before he can eat it Pam arrives to return their phones as their holiday is almost over. Tim is adamant that he doesn't want them back, and she just assumes that he has enjoyed the break from technology and says she will put them on the boat that takes them back to the airport and he agrees. He asks her about the tree and the fruit and she says the locals call it the suicide tree becasue people who want to kill themselves grind the seeds and eat them. Once she has gone, he picks the fruit and tears it open.

Zion and Belinda go to see Gary to ask for more money and Zion goes into full business mode, launching into a speech about how Gary's initial offer wasn't enough, while Belinda sits there silently, terrified. Gary isn't impressed with Zion, especially when he asks for $5 million. Gary says it isn't happening, but Zion says that he has done his research and knows how much Tanya was worth and that surely $5 million is worth the peace of mind knowing that Belinda won't say anything about how Tanya died. Belinda looks like she has had enough and storms out, with Zion following behind, wondering why she walked out of the meeting when he was so close to closing the deal. Zion follows his mom and questions what she is doing, and realizes that it was all an act and that she wants Gary to realize that she is a threat to his future and tells Zion to get back in there and close the deal.

In his room, Tim gets all the poisonous seeds and blends them in Saxon's blender, but instead of eating them straight away, he hides them in the kitchen cupboard.

Mook goes to see Gaitok at the end of her shift and realises something is wrong... he tells her he has to quit his job becasue he isn't meant to be a guard. She tells him that he has worked hard to get to where he is now and that he would have to start at the bottom somewhere else. Mook clearly wants a successful boyfriend and tells him that she isn't sure she can make dinner tonight and when he asks when they can rearrange it for, she tells him she will think about it.

The Ratliff family head to dinner and as they order, Tim tells the waitress that it is their last night and he wants to make Piña Coladas in their room later and that they have the blender but could they deliver the ingredients to their room. She agrees and Victirua is surprised at Tim's new-found enthusiasm. Lachlan asks if he can have a Piña Colada later, but Tim says no as he isn't 21.

Laurie goes to dinner with Jaclyn and Kate and tells them what happened with Alexi - but while she is talking, Valentin comes and interrupts and asks about the photo that Sritala would like with Jaclyn. She agrees and then things are awkward, so he leaves.

Belinda says she is too nervous to eat because Zion failed to close the deal with Gary. He is going to think about the offer and while Zion thinks that perhaps Gary could be wiring the cash to Belinda's account right now, she thinks her son is delusional.

Rick and Chelsea have dinner tgoether and she says she is pleased to have him back and that she thinks they are going to be together forever, and this time, instead of fobbing her off or being mean, Rick tells her 'that's the plan' and she is shocked and silently thrilled that he seems happy at last.

At dinner Kate and Jaclyn are both talking about what a brilliant holiday they have and that they've been on cloud nine being with true friends, but Laurie disagrees and says that she has felt sad all week and that being with her old friends has made her question her life choices. She adds that she loves them dearly and wouldn't be without them, and the three women all cry.

Back in their room, Tim makes Piña Coladas in the blender - he pours out four, one for each of his family members who have said that they couldn't live without their wealth - Victoria, Saxon and Piper - but doesn't let Lachlan have any, telling him he should get a Coke. Tim claims it is becasue he is underage, but it is really becasue he told his dad earlier in the day that he could live without their money.

Tim makes a speech, telling his family that they have had a perfect life and that he loves them all. Saxon says the Piña Colada tastes weird, but Tim just claims it is a bit strong, that's all. As he watches his family drink he realizes the enormity of what he is doing and swats the glass out of Saxon's hand and tells them all that the coconut milk must be off as he pours the cocktails down the sink. Victoria says they should have wine instead. We then see the blender with some of the poisonous crushed up seeds in it has been left on the side of the bar.

The next morning, Sritala and Jim return to the hotel and Gaitok tells his boss that he isn't cut out for this job - but Pee Lek tells him he is a good worker and tells him to think about what he is about to say and that they will talk later.

Belinda checks her bank account and can't believe it when she sees she is $5 million better off. She tells Zion that she has checked with the bank and it is real and that she has booked him a treatment at the spa and then they are leaving as she wants to be as far away from Gary as she can possibly be.

Lachlan makes a protein shake in the blender without cleaning it out and soon collapses next to the pool while Tim sleeps and Saxon, Victoria and Piper go to breakfast. Lachlan is sick into the pool and then lies down all alone, and we see that he feels like he is drowning as underwater shots show him struggling to breathe. At the same time, Tim wakes and realises someone has used the blender before seeing Lachlan lying by the pool. He races out and grabs his son, yelling for help as he cradles his limp body in his lap.

Rick runs into Jim at breakfast and Jim is furious seeing him at the hotel and tells him he needs to leave. He tells Rick that his mother was a liar and that she has painted his father to be a hero, when he was anything but. Rick steps towards Jim, intending to hurt him, but he shows he has a gun on him and Rick walks away and back to Chelsea who asks him what is wrong. She is shocked to see that he is back at square one and once again haunted by his past. Before they know what is happening, Jim's bodyguards are chasing after Rick and he and Chelsea panic. Rick goes to find Amrita, saying he desperately needs to talk to her, but she has a session with Zion and says she will come and find him in an hour.

As Sritala and Jim have their photo taken with Jaclyn, Rick's demons return and he is consumed with hatred for what Jim has done. Despite Chelsea trying to stop him, Rick runs up to Jim, grabs his gun from inside his jacket and shoots him twice in his chest. Sritala yells at him as Jim lays in her lap dying, asking Rick why he shot Jim. He tells her it is revenge for him killing his father, and to his horror, she yells back that he IS his father. Soon, a gun fight gets underway with the Hollingers' bodyguards shooting at Rick, however, he manages to avoid their shots and kills them both.

As the gun fight is happening, Gaitok hears the shots from the security gate and grabs the gun before racing to where the gun fight is playing out between Rick and the security guards. As everyone dives for cover, Rick turns around and finds Chelsea lying on the ground, having been shot in the chest. He is beside himself with grief, telling her that she is going to be okay and that he is sorry as she dies in his arms.

Rick picks Chelsea's body up, telling her that they are going to be together forever, just like she said, as Gaitok finds Sritala with Jim and she yells at him to kill Rick as he is walking away with Chelsea in his arms. It takes Gaitok a little while to gather his courage, and then, with Sritala shouting at him, he shoots Rick twice in the back, killing him and causing him and Chelsea to fall into the water.

Meanwhile. Lachlan suddenly wakes up after eating the poisoned fruit and Tim is over the moon, relieved that his son is going to be okay and they have been given a second chance. He cradles him in his arms and kisses his head, relieved he is still alive.

Elsewhere, Belinda, now a multimillionaire, goes to see Pornchai and tells him that she is leaving and that as her situation has changed, she needs time to get her head straight. He asks about the business they were going to start together, and she says it might happen, but not yet... basically doing to him what Tanya did to her all those years ago.

As the episode comes to a close, we see the boat taking Tim and his family to the airport. Saxon is a changed man now reading a self-help book, while Lachlan looks a little worse for wear but alive. Victoria gets their phones back and hands them out to everyone, and Tim realises this is the moment they are going to find out about his money laundering. He tells them all that he loves them and that family is all that matters - as they all look at him, stunned as their phones ping into life and reality hits.

In another part of the boat, Kate, Laurie and Jaclyn are also heading home, and they hug each other after their holiday came to a traumatic ending with Jim being shot in front of them.

Back at Gary's house, we see Chloe chatting up a man at a party, and she is clearly trying to recruit him to act out Gary's sexual fantasy where he watches her have sex with someone else after Saxon turned her down. Gary is still the king of the castle, sitting in his huge house and although he might be $5 million lighter after paying to keep Belinda quiet, he looks like he might have just gotten away with Tanya's death.

The very end of the epsiode sees Valentin and his friends all partying with a new group of women, seemingly having gotten away with the robbery, while Frank is back on the wagon and finding religion again.

Gaitok and Mook hug as he leaves, this time in plain clothes - his security uniform long gone - as he has now been promoted to be Sritala's bodyguard after proving himself when he shot Rick. As he drives off with Sritala, Mook watches on proudly.

Finally, two body bags containing Chelsea and Rick are loaded onto a plane as Belinda and Zion head home on a very fancy boat. As Belinda waves goodbye to the hotel staff, we see Pornchai waving her off with a sad look in his eye as she speeds off into the sunset.

The White Lotus season 3 is available on HBO in the US and on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.

The White Lotus season 3 sees a new batch of ultra-wealthy guests heading to a luxury hotel on the sunny shores of Koh Samui in Thailand.

But, once again, they're about to see their trip of a lifetime descend into a living nightmare as the series opens with a flash forward where we see at least one character meet a grisly end.

The holidaymakers this time around include successful businessman Timothy and his family, while actor Jaclyn has brought her two best friends to the resort for a much-needed girls' catch-up. Then there is free spirit Chelsea, who arrives with her tetchy boyfriend Rick. But as each resort guest finds their holiday thrown off course, who will make it home from the vacation in one piece?

Here is everything that happens in The White Lotus season 3 episode 2...

The second episode opens on the same night that episode 1 ended, with Kate and Jaclyn sitting chatting after dinner about Laurie and how much her divorce must have hurt her and her daughter, Ellie. Kate talks about how Ellie has been thrown out of two schools for hitting and throwing furniture, Kate thinks it is because Laurie raised her daughter in New York.

They then talk about how Laurie has always been defined by her career, but Jaclyn points out that Laurie never got that promotion to partner that she talked about and they talk like they are sympathetic, but the underlying tone of their conversation is judgemental and mean.

The women talk about how she looks tired and defeated, despite the fact they both said to her face that she looks great, and then they judge her on her drinking and talk about how much wine she had with dinner. As they are talking, Laurie scares them by banging on the door, and as soon as they let her in they say they were just talking about how great she looks and how they can't wait to spend the week together.

The next morning as everyone gets up after their first night at The White Lotus Resort, Belinda gets ready for her first day learning on the job, while Gaitok asks Mook if she will have lunch with him as he has something important to talk to her about.

At breakfast, Kate corners Victoria who is eating with her family, and tells her that she recognizes her from somewhere and it turns out they went to a baby shower for their mutual friend, Claire, years ago. Victoria is rude and clearly doesn't remember Kate, and the whole conversation is awkward.

When Kate leaves, Victoria's son, Lochlan, tells her she was rude but she doesn't seem to care. Elsewhere, Mook comes to see Chelsea and Rick and goes through their treatments at the spa that morning. Chelsea is looking forward to her massage, while Rick is annoyed she has booked him in for a stress-reducing meditation treatment that he tells her he won't be going to. She reveals that she made a new friend at the bar the previous night and she has asked them to finner, and Chelsea tells Rick she accepted the invitation, which he's cross about. Chelsea tells Rick he will get on with Chloe's boyfriend becasue they have a lot in common, like the fact they are both old and going bald.

Valentin, the health mentor, comes to see Kate, Laurie and Jaclyn and tells them he is looking forward to working with them all - Kate and Jaclyn joke that Laurie needs to flirt with him as she is the only single one between them.

At the spa, the Ratliff family gets their individual relaxation schedules, but Timothy just wants to go to the gym. Meanwhile, Belinda talks with Pornchai from the spa and they agree to give each other their signature treatment and then they can compare notes afterward.

As his family has their treatments, Timothy calls his assistant at home and she says that she hasn't heard from his colleague that he was trying to get hold of, but that someone from the Washington Post was trying to get hold of him, meaning a second newspaper is after an interview.

As Chelsea has her massage, which she talks all the way through, Rick goes for his stress-relieving session with spa worker, Amrita. She asks him about his stress levels and he says he has always been stressed even when he was a child becasue his father was murdered and his mother was a drug addict who overdosed when he was 10.

Gaitok tells Mook over lunch that he likes her, that they are from the same town and her brothers even like him. He asks her on a date, but it seems she doesn't feel the same way, becasue she jokes about the date, telling him to stop acting weird and to just eat his lunch.

Over lunch, Chelsea asks Rick how his session with Amrita was but he fobs her off and says there is no way he is going back for another session. Chloe comes to the table to see if Chelsea wants to hang out together, and Chelsea makes excuses for why Rick is so rude and walks off with her new friend.

At the beach, Kate, Laurie and Jaclyn are hanging out and Jaclyn asks Laurie how her session with Valentin went. She tells her friends that he told her she had the stats of a woman half her age, and Jaclyn says he said the same thing to her... it then gets competitive between the women about who got what readings for hydration and fat levels before talk turns to Jaclyn and her new husband, who she says she is addicted to. Laurie, who is divorced, says that she has only been married a year, so give it time, and the conversation turns awkward and sour.

Chelsea and Chloe complain to one another about their rude boyfriends and Chloe says she has Gary's credit card and they should go to the resort shop and spend his money.

Lachlan and Piper are sitting on hammocks in the sea when Lachlan tells his sister that their older brother Saxon, who is obsessed with the opposite sex, says that Piper has never slept with anyone, which is weird, becasue she is hot. Piper is horrified that her brother is talking about her like that and swims off, disgusted.

At the front gate, Valentin arrives on a motorbike and distracts Gaitok with talk about a fight that he is going to that weekend and asking if he would like a ticket. As they are talking, a black car drives into the resort, and a man jumps out with a mask on and his hood up... he storms into the resort shop and gets out a gun, pointing it at Chelsea who is shopping with Chloe. He smashes the jewelry cases open and takes out the necklaces and stuffs them into his backpack. He then runs out of the shop and back into the car, which drives towards the gate... he gets out and forces the barrier, but Gaitok tries to stop him. However, they end up in a fight and Gaitok is knocked out. The car speeds off and later the police and an ambulance arrive to take statements and check Gaitok over, while Chelsea struggles with being held at gunpoint.

Mook comes to see Gaitok to make sure he is okay - she says he is very brave and she was worried about him, which he likes and we see an attraction between them both.

At dinner, Chloe is miffed about missing seeing the thief as she was in the changing room, but Chelsea tells her that she almost died and she was lucky to miss it. Rick seems pleased that as a result of Chelsea being caught up in the robbery they have got their room for free for the duration of their stay, but things are awkward when Chloe's boyfriend, Gary, doesn't say much. They end up talking about work, but neither of the men gives away what they do, both claiming their careers cover 'this and that'. While they are talking, Belinda sees Gary from afar, and it looks like she might recognize him from somewhere - while she seems to struggle to place him, we know it is Greg from seasons 1 and 2, who was married to Jennifer Coolidge's character, Tanya.

As people finish dinner the evening entertainment begins and hotel owner, Sritala, sings as her staff dance - but while everyone enjoys the show, Rick is fixated on Sritala, clearly still determined to somehow speak to her husband. Later, he overhears Sritala telling Jaclyn that she is going to Bangkok the next day becasue her husband has just got out of hospital there.

Timothy finally gets through to his colleague, Kenny, at home and he is shocked when he tells him he doesn't care about the Wall Street Journal calling becasue the FBI has just been and raided his office after a whistleblower called them. Timothy tells Kenny that he promised this would never happen, but Kenny is panicking about going to jail now the police have everything from his emails to his personal documents. He tells Tim he should never have gone to Bruni and that he regrets taking the position. It turns out that Tim is now caught up in a money laundering business after doing a favor to his friend, and he starts to panic when Ken tells him that he needs to get a decent lawyer and fast. Tim's fuming becasue he 'only' made $10 million out of the scheme and now he could be facing prison. Tim tells his friend that if he mentions his name when questioned by the police, he will find him and kill him, but Kenny replies that he doesn't have to bother becasue he is going to kill himself... and the whole time Tim is talking on the phone, Gaitok is secretly listening in from his security hut.

As Jaclyn heads to bed, Kate and Laurie stay up and talk, but instead of bitching about Laurie like the previous night, Kate now talks about Jaclyn to Laurie. The women say that Jaclyn's marriage sounds fake and that she has had lots of work done to maintain her perfect complexion - both clearly jealous of their friend.

As Tim tries to get himself a lawyer and fast, Gary tells Chelsea that he needs to go to Bangkok, but he won't tell her why and she doesn't seem to mind that he is so mysterious.

But what business does he have with Jim Hollinger?

The White Lotus season 3 airs in the US on Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO and Max. In the UK new episodes land on Sky Atlantic and NOW every Monday.

The White Lotus season 3 sees a new batch of ultra-wealthy guests heading to a luxury hotel on the sunny shores of Koh Samui in Thailand.

But, once again, they're about to see their trip of a lifetime descend into a living nightmare as the series opens with a flash-forward where we see at least one character meet a grisly end.

The holidaymakers this time around include successful businessman Timothy and his family, while actor Jaclyn has brought her two best friends to the resort for a much-needed girls' catch-up. Then there is free spirit Chelsea, who arrives with her tetchy boyfriend Rick. But as each resort guest finds their holiday thrown off course, who will make it home from the vacation in one piece?

Here is everything that happens in The White Lotus season 3 epsiode 1...

The first episode opens with a hotel guest called Zion sitting on a dock overlooking a tranquil lake, taking a meditation class with spa employee, Amrita. But, as they are trying to focus on their breathing, gunshots go off in the distance and soon panic sets in as a bullet comes through the window of the retreat. Zion worries that his mum is out in the resort somewhere and as Amrita runs to safety, he gets in the lake to swim to the other side to get a closer look at what is happening. But as he prays his mum is okay a body comes floating past him in the water and he flees.

The episode then goes back in time to a week earlier and we see Belinda, the spa manager from season 1, on a boat in the middle of the ocean. On the same boat are the other new guests for the hotel and they are already arguing as Rick lights a cigarette and no one is happy about him smoking.

As the boat comes into the bay, the resort staff are there to welcome their guests, including Fabian, who is the hotel manager. First up is Chelsea and Rick, who are a couple that appear to be like chalk and cheese. Chelsea takes an instant shine to Mook, who is part of the White Lotus Resort staff, while Rick looks like he would rather be anywhere else but with his girlfriend.

Then the Ratliff family are welcomed next - mum and dad - Victoria and Timothy - and their kids, Saxon, the eldest, and then daughter Piper and their youngest, Lochlan. Resort staff member Pam welcomes them (played by Morgana O'Reilly who Neighbours fans will remember as Ramsay Street's Naomi Canning) and she encourages them to leave the phones in a bag that she will lock in a safe so they can have a restful vacation with no distractions. Of course, no one wants to part with their phones and they're outraged when she says there is no wifi.

Finally comes Jaclyn who is well known to the hotel owner, Sritala, as she is a famous actress. Jaclyn is with her friends Kate and Laurie who she has known for years. They are introduced to Valentin, who is a health mentor and very handsome, which doesn't go unnoticed by the women.

Belinda is then welcomed to the resort by Pornchai, who works at the hotel spa and she says she can't wait to start working and learn on the job.

As Rick and Chelsea settle into their room, Chelsea tries to encourage Rick to get a facial at the spa as someone at the airport thought he was her dad. He clearly finds her irritating and tells her no. But while Chelsea is there for a good time, it seems Rick has business to attend to, which he has absolutely no intention of talking about with his girlfriend.

Kate, Jaclyn, and Laurie settle into their rooms and talk about how happy they are to be away together after so many years of being friends. Kate tells Jaclyn that she looks amazing and while they are complimenting one another, it seems some underlying rivalry or jealousy is going on.

Belinda is driven to the spa and welcomed by the staff there - they are all keen to share their wellness knowledge with her and she is happy until she gets freaked out by a huge lizard on the path in front of her. Pornchai tells her she will get used to the wildlife and helps her get settled in. She is thrilled with her room, especially as there are two beds because her son is coming to stay once he has finished his exams and we learn her son is Zion from the opening flashforward scene.

At the resort entrance Mook thanks Gaitok, the resort's security guard, for a lift into work that morning, and as they chat it is clear that he likes her. Meanwhile, Saxon is at the pool when he spots Chelsea sunbathing and tries to get her attention by towling himself off nearby, while elsewhere his younger siblings go to check out a local temple so that Piper can start her thesis that she is writing.

At dinner that evening Chelsea is amused when Rick complains that there is only healthy food on the menu, but he is soon distracted by hotel owner Sritala going to talk to Kate, Jaclyn and Laurie - and it turns out Sritala's husband, an American called Jim Hollinger, who she co-owns the hotel with, is who he wants to talk to.

Timothy gets a call from a reporter at The Wall Street Journal who is running a story on someone he used to work with. He is spooked when they ask questions and doesn't want to talk, so he uses the fact he is on vacation with his family as an excuse and hangs up.

Later Rick does some research on Jim and it is clear he needs to talk to him desperately... but Chelsea isn't happy about being left to have dinner on her own and sits and has cocktails at the bar instead. She meets someone called Chloe and they bond over how much they hate their boyfriends and decide to get drunk together.

Meanwhile, Kate and Jaclyn heap praise on one another, telling each other how amazing they are, and it seems Laurie is feeling a little left out. They try and include her, but she claims the jetlag is catching up with her and she heads off to bed, taking her wine with her. From her room, she can see Kate and Jaclyn still talking at the table and she cries alone in her room.

At the end of the epsiode, Timothy and Victoria are in their room and Timothy is complaining to his wife about Rick, saying he doesn't like him. Victoria says that he is just jealous of Timothy and his beautiful family, but Timothy seems to have something on his mind that he isn't sharing with Victoria.

What is he hiding from his wife and kids?

The White Lotus season 3 airs in the US on Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO and Max. In the UK new episodes land on Sky Atlantic and NOW every Monday.

When we last saw spa manager Belinda Lindsay (Natasha Rothwell), spa manager of the Hawaii resort, in the season one finale of The White Lotus, she'd just learnt the hard way that you should never put your faith in a flighty rich person.

After forming a bond with grieving guest Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge), Tanya offered to bankroll Belinda's dream of setting up her own wellness business — but Tanya ended up bailing on their plans and, although she did leave Belinda some money before checking out, it was far less than they'd been discussing and not enough for Belinda to start thinking about handing in her notice.

As The White Lotus season 3 arrives Belinda is also back as she travels to one of the chain's other resorts in Thailand as part of a research program for her work. But what awaits her upon her arrival — and how is she coping after being left in the lurch by Tanya?

We caught up with Natasha to find out more...

Natasha Rothwell interview for The White Lotus season 3

The White Lotus season three launches in the US on Sunday February 16 at 9pm ET/PT on HBO and streaming simultaneously on Max. In the UK, it launches on Monday February 17 at 2am and 9pm on Sky Atlantic.

Mussolini: Son Of The Century is a period drama series that chronicles the birth of Fascism in Italy and shows how dictator Benito Mussolini rose to power in the 1920s. Based on the 2018 novel "M: Son of the Century: A Novel" by Antonio Scurati and starring Luca Marinelli as Mussolini, the Italian-language drama also explores his relationships with his wife Rachele, played by Benedetta Cimatti, and his lover Margherita Sarfatti (Barbara Chichiarelli).

 The series i by Joe Wright, the director who brought us The Darkest Hour and Pride and Prejudice. He believes is should be viewed as a warning from history. But he also wants viewers to understand the terrible allure fascism can hold. 

"What I hope to do in the series is sometimes allow the audience to be seduced by Mussolini and to get excited by what he’s doing. To demonise these characters absolves us of moral responsibility and that’s really dangerous."

Here’s everything you need to know about the Sky Atlantic series Mussolini: Son Of The Century…

Mussolini: Son Of The Century release date

Mussolini: Son of the Century is an eight-part series that will premiere on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Tuesday February 4 2025 at 9pm, and all eight episodes will also be available from that date as a box set on Sky Box Sets. We'll update on US and international release dates.

Is there a trailer?

Yes the trailer for Mussolini: Son of the Century starts with the dictator declaring, “My name is Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea and my time has come.” It shows his lust for power and hints at how he will rise to power as the violent leader of the fascist revolution. Take a look below...

Mussolini: Son of the Century plot

This Italian-language period drama chronicles Fascism in Italy from its start in 1919 and shows how dictator Benito Mussolini (Luca Marinelli), also called Il Duce, rose to power in 1920s Italy. It follows through to Mussolini’s infamous speech in parliament following the murder of socialist Giacomo Matteotti in 1925. The story also explores his relationships with his wife Rachele, played by Benedetta Cimatti, and his lover Margherita Sarfatti (Barbara Chichiarelli).

Filmed in Italian with English subtitles, the drama opens in March 1919 when Mussolini breaks from his left-wing roots to establish the Italian Nationalist Party, a group of veterans who feel betrayed after World War One. Mussolini dreams of revolution and orchestrates violent attacks on the left-wing press. However, before he can take the next step towards power, he must make a deal with Italy’s de facto leader, Gabriele D'Annunzio, who has taken control of Fiume, a city the Allies promised to Italy after the war, but gave to Yugoslavia instead.

Mussolini: Son of the Century cast — Luca Marinelli as Mussolini

in Mussolini: Son of the Century, 40-year-old Italian actor Luca Marinelli plays the power-hungry dictator. He has also starred in in The Old Guard, They Call Me Jeeg Robot and The Eight Mountains.

"I’m an anti-fascist, so playing the part was a very big journey,’ says Marinelli, who gained three stones and shaved his head for the role. ‘I had to suspend my judgement of Mussolini to try to understand him. But the physical transformation was also painful. One day my mother came on set and she didn't recognise me!"

Who else is starring? 

Other cast in Mussolini: Son of the Century are Rachele, played by Benedetta Cimatti as Mussolini's wife Rachele,and Barbara Chichiarelli plays his lover Margherita Sarfatti. Francesco Russo, Federico Majorana, Gaetano Bruno and Fulvio Falzarano also star. Massimo De Lorenzo, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Vincenzo Nemolato, Gianmarco Vettori, Gabriele Falsetta, Maurizio Lombardi, Daniele Trombetti, Gianluca Gobbi, Alberto Astorri, Paolo Pierobon and Federico Mainardi round out the cast.

Behind the scenes and more on Mussolini: Son of the Century

Mussolini: Son of the Century is written by Stefano Bises (Gomorrah, The New Pope, ZeroZeroZero, Speravo de morì prima) and Davide Serino (1992, 1993, Il Re – The king, Exterior Night), with the series outline by Stefano Bises, Davide Serino and Antonio Scurati, the series will tell the events with historical accuracy, with every event, character, dialogue and speech documented or witnessed by multiple sources.

It's directed by BAFTA-winning Joe Wright (Darkest Hour, Atonement, Cyrano) and is produced by Sky Studios and Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, a Fremantle group company, in co-production with Pathé, in association with Small Forward Productions, in collaboration with Fremantle, CINECITTÀ S.p.A. and Sky.

The soundtrack is composed by Tom Rowlands, also known for being part of the British electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, pioneers who brought big beat to the forefront of pop culture, topping charts worldwide. They are multi-award winners, with 6 Grammy Awards, 1 Brit Award, 1 MTV Europe Music Award, and 1 NME Award.

All about Benito Mussolini 

Born in 1883, Benito Mussolini initially carved out a career as a journalist and was thrown out of the Italian Socialist Party for advocating for military intervention in World War One. He founded the National Fascist Party in 1919 and rose to power, becoming the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922. He then transformed Italy into a dictatorship and took on the title Il Duce, or the leader, from 1925. Mussolini ruled Italy with an iron fist, using a vast network of spies and secret policemen and banning any opposition and free press to maintain control, and he allied with Hitler during World War Two. He was deposed by Italian King Victor Emmanuel III in 1943 and was killed by communist partisans in 1945, trying to flee to Switzerland as the end of the war neared. Mussolini’s body was publicly displayed to prove he was dead.

Gangs of London season 3 sees series regulars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Joe Cole, Michelle Fairley, Lucian Msamati and Brian Vernel back in action and a host of new cast members to get excited about.

This third season of the violent gang drama sees chaos erupt in London after a spiked shipment of cocaine kills hundreds, sparking brutal power struggles and violent turf wars. Bullet Train’s Andrew Koji, The Diplomat’s T’Nia Miller and The Day of the Jackal’s Richard Dormer are all joining the series with former EastEnders star Phil Daniels popping up as a guest star. Be warned, it's set to be explosive! 

Here's everything you need to know about Gangs of London season 3…

Gangs of London season 3 release date

Gangs of London season 3 will start in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Thursday March 20 2025 at 9pm. This third series will also also be available as a box set from that date. We will update with any US air date and channel.

* The first two series of Gangs of London are available on Sky Box Sets and NOW.

* The first series of Gangs of London is also available on Netflix.

Is there a trailer? 

Yes! Both a teaser trailer and the official trailer ffor Gangs of London season 3 have been released by Sky. Watch below as gangster Sean Wallace, played by Joe Cole, saying, “do you want some advice? Then get as far away as you can because this life of ours takes everything you have. You think you’re winning at this game. But nobody ever wins.” So, strap in, it’s clearly going to be a bumpy ride!

Gangs of London season 3 plot 

Gangs of London season 3 sees London in crisis when a spiked shipment of cocaine kills hundreds of users. This was no accident, it was a calculated attack, but who was behind it? The disaster leads to a bloody power struggle where unexpected alliances are formed and fierce rivalries reach boiling point. Undercover cop turned gangster Elliot Carter is navigating his new life as a high-level gang leader alongside the Dumanis family but the spiking throws their operations into chaos. And as the street gangs turn on one another and turf wars erupt, no one is safe.

Gangs of London season 3 cast — Joe Cole as Sean Wallace

Joe Cole again plays gangster Sean Wallace in Gangs of London season 3. He's previously played John Shelby in Peaky Blinders and Joe Roag in the 2024 BBC One series Nightsleeper. He's also starred in A Small Light, The Ipcress File, The Damned, Pure, The House and Skins.

Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù on playing Elliot Carter

Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù is again playing cop turned drug dealer Elliot Carter in Gangs of London series 3. 

Ṣọpẹ́ says: "At the end of season two, Elliot told Sean: 'Watch, I’m going to become you, I’m going to do it better than you ever did', And at the beginning of season three, he’s living up to his promise.

"The journey of Elliot over the course of the series of Gangs of London has been crazy. This guy, who had a wonderful moral compass at the beginning as a police officer trying to infiltrate the gangs in order to bring them to justice, seems now to have joined them without a mind towards redemption. 

"Before, he had to live this duplicitous life whereby he was Elliot Carter at home, and Elliot Finch in the streets. But now those two personas seem to have merged, and he’s very comfortable with it."

As we rejoin for a third season of the violent thriller, Elliot is riding high as a crime kingpin with an extensive drug dealing operation, while Sean languishes in jail. 

However, as fans of the stylish series know, in this compeitive criminal world of shifting alliances, where there is no honour among thieves, fortunes can change rapidly. And so it proves for Elliot who, after a shipment of cocaine is spiked, resulting in hundreds of fatalities, becomes public enemy number one when mayor Simone (new cast member T’Nia Miller) announces a crackdown on organised crime. 

"Elliot needs to get to the bottom of it, and that leads him back to Sean Wallace, because all roads lead back to Sean. Sean leaves a little nugget in his mind that leads Elliot on some crazy journey throughout the series where he’s chasing not only the spiking of the cocaine, but also the truth about his family."

* Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù has also starred in Slow Horses, Humans, Black Mirror, Motherland and His House.

Which other cast are returning to Gangs of London season 3? 

Michelle Fairley is back as Sean's mum Marian Wallace, Lucian Msamati is Ed Dumani and Brian Vernel is Sean's brother Billy Wallace. Also returning are Pippa Bennett-Warner as Shannon Dumani, Albanian gangster Luan and Mirlinda Dushaj are played again by Orli and Eri Shuka, Pakistani heroin kingpin Asif is played by Asif Raza Mir and Kurdish militant Lale is portrayed by Narges Rashidi. Jahz Armando is Saba and Fady Elsayed is Faz.

Gangs of London season 3 — new cast joining the series

New cast members include Andrew Koji (Bullet Train, Warrior) is a lone-wolf assassin called Zeek, Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones, Day of the Jackal) plays Cornelius Quinn and T’Nia Miller (Generation Z, The Fall of the House of Usher) plays mayor Simone, with guest stars Phil Daniels (EastEnders, Quadrophenia), Ruth Sheen, and Mat Fraser also joining this season.

Cornelius Quinn, played by Blue Lights and Fortitude star Richard Dormer, has joined forces with who has joined forces with Sean’s brother Billy (Brian Vernel). In a classic Gangs of London set piece, the pair first meet in a night-time showdown in a deserted fairground, which includes a Bond-style gunfight in a hall of mirrors.

Richard Dormer says: "That was my first day of shooting, and it was a baptism of fire, battling in a fairground in the pouring rain and freezing cold,’ reveals Dormer, whose Irish character wields an Irish Shillelagh (a wooden cudgel) as his weapon of choice. Elliot and Luan turn up, looking for somebody, and they get the sharp end of my stick!"

Behind the scenes and more on Gangs Of London season 3

Gangs of London season 3 is produced by Vice Studio Group’s Pulse Films. The award-winning series was created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery. Peter McKenna is Lead Writer, Kim Hong Sun is Lead Director. Farren Blackburn and Tessa Hoffe join the series as Directors.

Gangs of London series 1 and 2 recap 

Gangs of London season 1 started when crime boss Finn Wallace was killed and his son Sean was left to pick up the reins and take control of his drugs empire. Sean was helped by the Dumani family and watched by several others wanting to take over his turf. Sean was eventually shot by undercover cop Elliot, who had infiltrated his gang.

Gangs of London season 2 showed that Sean had survived the shooting and Elliot had become enmeshed in criminal activity. Meanwhile the Pakistani mafia and other families had clawed their way to the top, leaving the Wallaces vowing to reclaim their supremacy. The season ended on a cliffhanger, with Sean and Elliot facing off and Sean hanging off a crane.

For more on Gangs of London, listen to our latest Bingewatch podcast!

There's a wonderful season of Autumn TV playing out for the rest of 2024. It's an important time for telly fans after the summer holidays are over and they focus on what great television is in store during the Autumn and the run-up to Christmas. 

This is the time of year for all channels to give us their major output and Autumn 2024 sees many wonderful new TV shows starting, all with top stars, but also returning favourites, brand new crime thrillers, period dramas and everything in between.

So here at What to Watch we're previewing the best dramas of the Autumn TV season 2024. Take a look right here...

Sherwood season 2 (BBC One and BBC iPlayer)

The turmoil in Nottinghamshire's ex-coal mining community continues into this second series of Sherwood with more violence plus organised crime blighting lives. Caught up in the middle are the Sparrow family — mum Daphne (Lorraine Ashbourne, see pictured above), dad Mickey (Philip Jackson) and sons Ronan and Rory (Bill, Jones, Perry Fitzpatrick). 

David Morrissey is back as retired detective Ian St Clair and Lesley Manville again plays Julie Jackson. New cast includes Monica Dolan as tough local mum Ann Branson, plus David Harewood and Sharlene Whyte as brother and sister Dennis and Pam. Robert Lindsay also stars as a controversial local businessman with big ambitions.

* Sherwood season 2 starts on BBC1 from Sunday August 25 at 9pm

Joan (ITV1 and ITVX)

Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner plays the infamous real-life criminal mastermind Joan Hannington. The period drama series Joan shows how she battled adversity to bring up her four-year-daughter as a single mum and went from being a petty offender to becoming a notorious and daring jewel thief, who was known in 1980s London as "The Godmother". Frank Dillane plays her antiques dealer criminal accomplice, Bosie.

* We will update with the launch date on ITV1 as soon as we can.

Nightsleeper (BBC One and BBC iPlayer)

A sleeper train from Glasgow to London is hijacked in the tense thriller series Nightsleeper. Alexandra Roach plays Abby Aysgarth from the UK’s cyber security centre who jumps into action when the UK railway network comes under attack from a sinister group. Meanwhile off-duty cop Joe Roag (Joe Cole) is on board and teams up with Abby from afar to save the lives of the passengers on board. 

* We will update with the launch date on BBC1 as soon as we can.

Rivals (Disney Plus)

Jilly Cooper's much-loved 1980s "bonkbuster" novel Rivals follows an eccentric, power-hungry "country set" and the rivalry between ex-Olympic horse rider and Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black (David Tennant) and media mogul Lord Tony Baddingham (Alex Hassell). In the eight-part series Rivals, both are battling for supremacy in the world of independent television in 1986. Danny Dyer and Lisa McGrillis play a local couple, Freddie and Valerie Jones, while Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson and Claire Rushbrook also star as other outrageous characters. There’s plenty of backstabbing and steamy affairs as all fight tooth and nail to get ahead!

* Rivals launches on Disney Plus on October 18 2024.

All Creatures Great and Small season 5 (Channel 5)

Yorkshire vets James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph), Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) and Tristan Farnon (Callum Woodhouse) return for a fifth season of All Creatures Great and Small which picks up during 1940s wartime. James and his wife, Helen (Rachel Shenton), are navigating parenthood with their young son James, while Tristan is back in the fold after his time spent serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. Anna Madeley, James Anthony-Rose and Patricia Hodge also reprise their roles as Mrs Hall, Richard Carmody and Mrs Pumphrey.

* We will update with the launch date on Channel 5 as soon as we can.

The Day of The Jackal (Sky Atlantic) 

Eddie Redmayne stars as top assassin The Jackal from Frederick Forsyth’s famous novel. This thriller series gives a modern twist to the story which was originally set in the 1960s and turned into a hit 1973 film starring Edward Fox. This version of The Day of The Jackal digs deeper into the psyche of the infamous killer for hire as The Jackal traverses the world, playing a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with those desperate to capture him, including tenacious law enforcement agent Bianca (Lashana Lynch). 

* The Day Of The Jackal launches on Thursday November 7 2024.

Kaos (Netflix)

Jurassic World star Jeff Goldblum heads up the dark comedy Kaos which reimagines the lives of the Greek gods. He plays a modern version of Zeus, while David Thewlis is Zeus’ brother Hades, who is fast losing control over the underworld. They join several gods who are all taking advantage of a lazy life but their reign may well be challenged by four mortals, each of whom could be destined to bring Zeus down. Janet McTeer, Nabhaan Rizwan and Cliff Curtis also star. 

* Kaos launches on Netflix from Thursday August 29 2024.

Showtrial season 2 (BBC One and BBC iPlayer)

Showtrial is back for a second season, this time focussing on a brand-new case. Three years after the first season, the focus has now turned to a hotly-contested criminal trial involving the death of high-profile climate activist Marcus Calderwood (Barney Fishwick). He’s left for dead in a violent hit-and-run but in his dying moments he reveals his killer is a serving policeman. It’s then up to cocky police officer Justin Mitchell (Michael Socha), defence solicitor Sam Malik (Adeel Akhtar) and CPS lawyer Leila Hassoun-Kenny (Nathalie Armin) to uncover the truth. Tom Padley and Joe Dempsie play detectives.

* We will update with the launch date on BBC1 as soon as we can.

The Listeners (BBC One and BBC iPlayer)

A strange sound that can only be heard by a few people is at the heart of Jordan Tannahill’s adaptation of his own novel. In The Listeners, teacher Claire (Rebecca Hall) and her student Kyle (Ollie West) pick up a humming noise, trouble brews as they become connected to an off-beat group who believe that hearing ‘The Hum’ could be a special gift. 

* We will update with the launch date on BBC1 as soon as we can.

Mr Loverman (BBC One and BBC iPlayer)

Eight-part drama Mr Loverman sees Lennie James headline this adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo’s novel as charming Antiguan-born Londoner Barrington Walker, whose wife Carmel (Doctor Who’s Sharon D Clarke) suspects he is having an affair with another woman. But Barrington is actually involved in a heartfelt long-term romance with his best friend Morris (His Dark Materials’ Ariyon Bakare).  Death in Paradise’s Tahj Miles co-stars.

* We will update with the launch date on BBC1 as soon as we can.

Playing Nice (ITV1 and ITVX)

James Norton, Niamh Algar, James McArdle and Jessica Brown Findlay star in Playing Nice, a Cornish-set thriller about two sets of parents who are thrown into turmoil when they find out that their toddler sons were accidentally switched at birth. But, as they try to reach an agonising compromise about what the future should hold for their families, events take an even more shocking turn…

* We will update with the launch date on ITV1 as soon as we can.

This House of the Dragon season 2 episode 2 recap contains spoilers. The aftermath of Prince Jaehaerys' death has far-reaching consequences in King's Landing and Dragonstone, as tempers fray and blood runs hot. Meanwhile Ser Otto Hightower clashes with his grandson, King Aegon, on the best way forward and his daughter Alicent Hightower is consumed by guilt over her actions on that fateful night... 

US viewers wanting to keep up with the epic fantasy series need to be signed up for either HBO or its streaming service Max. HBO can be added to traditional TV packages or live TV streaming services as a premium add-on channel, including YouTube TV. Or you can sign up for Max as a standalone streaming service (though also available as an add-on channel on some platforms).

In the UK, with the show airing on Sky Atlantic, a Sky TV subscription is necessary to watch House of the Dragon. Episodes are also going to be available to stream on-demand on Sky Go and NOW TV.

“Traitors and villains..” 

House of the Dragon season 1 pulled few punches, with scenes like Rhaenyra’s stillbirth scraping the bone, yet after a six year-old was beheaded in the opening episode, the second seems to be going down the same path. Mercifully, that macabre moment took place off screen.

That was of no consolation to King Aegon II, who’s understandably beside himself with grief and fury at the loss of his heir. His mother Alicent Hightower is also in agony, not least because she was carousing with Ser Cristan Cole — who should have been guarding the royal chambers — when Jaehaerys was killed.

Yet while Aegon rages, his grandfather and Hand, Ser Otto Hightower, clearly has no time for his histrionics. “You’re already seen as weak,” he tells the young King, suggesting they use Jaehaerys' death as a chance to paint Queen Rhaenyra as a monster. It’s a good plan, yet Otto may well come to regret losing his patience with Aegon. Speaking to a Targaryen King in such a way rarely produces good results.

Aegon is unwilling to have his son’s body “dragged through the streets like a dog,” in a large funeral procession, which is admirable, but principle and pragmatism are rarely the same thing in Westeros. Despite her instincts as a mother, Alicent knows her father speaks the truth, although bitterly regrets that her daughter Helaena must take part - almost as much as she regrets that when Helaena fled the scene of her son’s murder, she walked in on her and Ser Cristan. 

'You have weakened me, I can not trust you Daemon...'

The funeral procession is a fine illustration of the rampant imbalance between the sexes in Westeros. While Helaena and Alicent are forced to restrain themselves as they walk through the fire of their own grief, in the dungeons Aegon indulges his uncontrollable desire for revenge against the man who slew his son.

News of Jaehaerys’ death also causes consternation in Dragonstone, yet it’s not long before Rhaenyra realises which of her advisors was behind the depraved act. When she confronts Prince Daemon he denies that Jaehaerys was the intended target, but we all remember the dark look he gave to the rat-catcher and Rhaenyra doesn’t believe him either.

“Have you used me as a tool to grasp at your stolen inheritance?” she asks him, before hinting at the darkness he keeps “sheathed inside himself like a blade”. It’s a fine scene and one that exposes all of Daemon’s weaknesses. Duplicity is not always a failing in Westeros, as players like Littlefinger used to demonstrate, but if you’re going to be a liar you need to be an adept liar, and in truth Daemon has seldom been able to outmanoeuvre anyone by wit alone. As allies go, he’s limited.

'There is no absolution for what I’ve done'

With guilt gnawing away at him, Sir Cristan Cole seeks out Ser Arryk Cargyll and begins pouring it all over him, lashing out with accusations about the night Jaehaerys was killed, which he knows he should face. After invoking the treachery of Ser Arryk’s twin, Ser Erryk, he commands the knight to travel to Dragonstone and use their likeness to get close to Rhynaera and kill her. It’s a bold and unhinged move from Ser Cristan, who’s reaching for redemption in under a sea of pain and guilt.

Elsewhere, Prince Aemond finds a sympathetic shoulder to mull things over upon at the local brothel. As the warrior who sits astride the most deadly weapon in the whole of Westeros — Vhagar — he has a burgeoning sense of self-worth and the thought of Daemon sending assassins against him does little to douse those flames. He admits he regrets the ‘business’ with Lucerys Velaryon, but is that only because it has led to his nephew’s untimely death? 

'I wish to spill blood, not ink...'

At Dragonstone, Rhaenys and Lord Corlys discuss Prince Daemon and the wider struggle for power. "Devotion has never sat well with him," she says as they consider his predicament while he flies to Harrenhal to raise an army for Rhynaera. She’s not wrong about that and the struggle many men in Westeros feel when following the orders of a woman.

Meanwhile Rhaenyra questions Daemon's former paramour Mysaria, to gauge her worth. In a world of entitlement and rigid class structure, she’s an entrepreneurial mover who built her own house only for the Hightowers to burn it to the ground. “For too long I made it my aim to be of consequence, but now I see that was the wish of a child,” she says, knowing none of the masters she has served will ever accept her truly. But has she found something of a kindred spirit in Rhaenyra?  

At King’s Landing, Aegon has had all the rat-catchers murdered, including the gambler who snuck into the Red Keep. Ser Otto believes it’s a mistake and finally vents the full spleen of his frustration, calling his grandson an idiot. He’s played the man rather than the ball though, as the killing of a few innocent rat catchers is well within the norm in Westeros, yet the most regrettable aspect of his outburst is his dismissal as the Hand. It’s clear Ser Otto was used to a relatively easy life as the advisor to Viserys, a far more temperate and sensible King, and has struggled to adjust to life under someone more impetuous. However his failings could cost him - and the realm - dearly. 

“He was right about you,” says Ser Otto after invoking memories of Viserys, before hinting that he knows full well that his father never meant for Aegon to become King. And what will Aegon think if he discovers what his new Hand — Ser Cristan Cole — was doing on the night his son was killed? 

Ser Otto tells his daughter he will return to Old Town, yet Alicent urges him to head to High Garden to shore up the Tyrells, in the hope that he might be able to return one day. He tells her they can still prevail as long as they hold fast, yet it’s clear the guilt from the night of Jaehaerys’ death is beginning to weigh terribly upon Alicent. Otto tells her he doesn’t wish to hear of her crime, yet it could prove an invaluable tool for removing Ser Cristan, if he could manage the blow back upon his daughter. Although how long she can contain the truth is in question and if her dark secret is discovered while he's away there could be serious trouble.

'You betrayed us brother...'

Rhaenyra keeps the word of her house and allows Mysaria to go free, yet as she heads to her ship, she spies Ser Arryk heading up the cliffs towards Dragonstone. Realising what this means, she turns back and repays Rhaenyra’s mercy almost immediately by alerting Ser Erryk to his twins’ dark scheme.

Rhaenyra’s servant arrives just in time to save her and after defeating his brother in the ensuing struggle, Ser Erryk falls on his sword. It’s a sad end for both men and a terrible waste of a priceless asset for the Greens - and the Blacks. We can only presume that Erryk killed himself because he knew the Blacks had no way of knowing whether he was a loyal servant or an assassin, yet it’s a very quick end to what could have been an intriguing plot line. 

House of the Dragon season 2 continues on HBO on Sunday, June 30 in the US and on Sky Atlantic on Monday, July 1 in the UK. Each new episode will air at the same time weekly. You may already have HBO as part of your cable plan but if not, several live TV streaming services offer it as add-on packages. Sling TV, DirecTV and YouTube TV offer it, if you pay a little more each month.

If you don't need to watch House of the Dragon season 2 live, then you can catch it on demand using the streaming service Max, which costs $9.99 per month for its basic tier or $16.99 per month for its ad-free one.

Each episode of the new season of House of the Dragon will hit Max after it airs on HBO. The first season of the show is also all on Max for you to watch.

The Sympathizer explores the challenges faced by a young spy in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s award-winning novel, the seven-part drama, which airs on HBO in the US and will begin on Sky Atlantic, Sky Showcase and NOW in the UK in May, centres on the Captain (Last King of the Cross’ Hoa Xuande), an aide to South Vietnamese secret police commander the General (Control Freak's Toan Le), who is allied with America. But, unknown to his boss, the Captain is a communist double agent passing information to the Vietcong in the North.

As Saigon falls in 1975, the Captain flees with the General to the US, and his handlers are keen for him to continue spying there. But along the way, four very different Americans – all played by Robert Downey Jr (Oppenheimer) – cross the Captain’s path and try to both mentor and manipulate him. Meanwhile Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) plays spirited Asian American secretary Sofia Mori, who falls for the Captain.

Here, Hoa Xuande and Sandra Oh tell What To Watch about The Sympathizer…

How do you see your characters?

Hoa Xuande: “It’s about the nature of being a double agent and a spy. The Captain is trying to survive the struggle of war, save his people and find the best outcome for those that he cares about, and not rock the boat so much. But then he’s dealing with survival in a different place, Los Angeles, which is enemy territory, where your perspectives aren't often sympathized with, or agreed upon…”

Sandra Oh: “And Sofia is a liberal in her own way and a defiant woman. But through her relationship with the Captain and a love triangle that you'll see comes about, she starts to question how she has also been complicit in the very thing that she is fighting against –  patriarchy and racism – and she also starts questioning what it means to be American, and how much she might have lost or not questioned her own history or background. There’s a duality line.”

Could you relate to that at all?

Sandra Oh: “From my personal perspective, when I started my career, I wanted to be identified as an actor and have the same opportunity as white actors. There was a part of me that did not want to hyphenate my name to be Asian-Canadian or Asian-American. But where I am at now, I am more interested in embracing characters that bring their full ethnicity. That's the way that I can identify Sofia’s journey and my own.”

Had you read the book?

Hoa Xuande: “I started reading the book about two years before getting the audition. The first three chapters are devastating. But for some reason I didn't get around to finishing it then once this came around, I read it cover to cover. Through playing the Captain, I feel so personally connected to it, because of the stories that have been so beautifully articulated and illustrated in the book.”

Sandra Oh: “I read the book when I came onto the project and the writers did a great job of dramatizing an extremely interior and internal struggle.” 

What research could you do?

Hoa Xuande: “The war was often depicted in a certain way through the western perspective. But I wanted to get deep into the stories that we've never heard before. So I did a lot of YouTubing and reading of articles and tried to dig into the facts of the period, the psychology of what people were thinking and the ideologies spinning around at the time. You start to appreciate that Vietnamese people, who bore the brunt of the trauma of this war, have never really had their voices heard. That weighed heavily on me and made me appreciate my own history that I haven't really learnt about before.”

Sandra Oh: “And for me being on set with the cast, which primarily is all Vietnamese, I heard people's stories from different generations, who have all been affected. That opened my eyes. There's a lot of pain that needs to be touched upon gently by the people who it is about.”

How did you find working with Robert Downey Jr?

Hoa Xuande: “I couldn't have asked for a better first experience on a major production than to have someone who you have watched your whole life, and then all of a sudden, you're working with them. But Robert was so humble, down to earth, witty and funny. From the first day, he set the tone and put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Brother, we're going to screw this up together!' It made me feel like we could just have fun with scenes. It just felt organic and natural and relieved a lot of my nervousness about shooting.”

Sandra Oh: “It is a tremendous responsibility on Hoa’s shoulder and someone like Robert, who is extremely generous, just puts you at ease and shows leadership.”

How was it being directed by Park Chan-wook?

Hoa Xuande: “I flew to South Korea to meet Park and I'd never been there before and I loved it. Korea and Vietnam actually share very similar histories in terms of conflicts. And just knowing Park was going to watch me at my work blew my mind. He speaks Korean on set through a translator, but I watched his body language, and understood exactly how he works. It was amazing.”

What was it like shooting in LA and also Thailand, which stood in for Vietnam?

Sandra Oh: “For someone who actually lives in Los Angeles, it was thrilling to shoot there, because it is such an important part of the story. It's that diaspora that you see in Orange County and in Los Angeles that was really depicted.”

Hoa Xuande: “And after shooting in LA we went to Thailand, which was great, because I had never been. The sets that they built were just incredible and really transported you back to the 1970s and what Vietnam would have felt like then, which really helped in the scenes.”

The Sympathizer airs on Sundays on HBO in the US until May 26 and is also on HBO Max. It begins on Monday May 27 at 9pm in the UK on Sky Atlantic and Sky Showcase and will also be available on NOW and Sky Box Sets.

Atomic is a tense drama series set in a world where nuclear bombs are easier than ever to acquire. It features Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen and What’s Love Got to do With It star Shazad Latif play Max and Mohammed, two very different men who become caught up in a sinister terrorist plot to build an atomic bomb. Meanwhile The Handmaid’s Tale star Samira Wiley plays Cassie Elliot, the CIA agent hot on their heels.

The five-part series is inspired by the non-fiction book "Atomic Bazaar: The Rise of the Nuclear Poor" by Vanity Fair journalist William Langewiesche and will take viewers across the inhospitable deserts, hostile borders and labyrinths of medinas in North Africa, as Max and Mohammed grapple with the fact that the fate of humanity lies in their backpacks.

Here’s everything you need to know about the nail-biting series Atomic….

Atomic release date

Atomic is a five-part series that will be shown in the UK on Sky Atlantic from Thursday August 28 2025 at 9pm. We’ll also update this page when we hear of a US release date.

Is there a trailer?

Yes there's an official trailer and a teaser trailer for Atomic available. Take a peek at both below...

Atomic plot 

In Atomic, Max (Alfie Allen) is a drug-trafficker working his way around the Middle East while Mohammed (Shazad Latif) is on the run from those wanting to kill him. Both are in need of redemption but as the strangers run into one another in the Libyan desert, they become swept up in a Venezuelan cartel’s plot to transport uranium capable of fuelling a nuclear bomb. Pursued by a highly-skilled and ferociously determined CIA agent (Samira Wiley), M16 and a network of traffickers, the pair are faced with the prospect of being the good guys for once. But do they risk their lives to save the world?

Atomic cast — Alfie Allen on playing Max

Alfie Allen plays free-spirited drug-trafficker Max. He says: "Max is a free-spirited drug trafficker making runs through the Middle East, but this is interrupted by a crazy stunt literally in the first 30 seconds of the show,’ reveals Alfie, 38. ‘His car flips over, and that’s where he meets this man who Max calls “JJ”, because he won’t reveal his name.

"I was drawn to the role of Max because he’s an “odd one out” in the drug trafficking world. He’s a somewhat misguided soul. He struggles to fit in, and has to adjust to his surroundings. His journey with JJ really appealed to me. He’s the chalk to JJ’s cheese – an idealist who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s constantly pushing for connection, even when it’s unwelcome.

"The most challenging scene to shoot was probably my first day on set, which was the car crash. There was a lot of dust and debris being chucked around, and fans blowing sand into the car, but it looks great!

"I had a lot of driving training on this job, which I enjoyed. I drive four cars: a 4x4, a two-wheel drive pickup truck, a Mercedes and a Range Rover. Viewers should tune in to Atomic because it’s an intense, passionate story about these two different characters who are grappling with their past and thrust into a chaotic journey. It’s hilarious how they deal with it, but also delicately handled by everyone involved.’

* Alfie Allen is best known for playing Theon Greyjoy in the fantasy series Game of Thrones. He's also starred in in John Wick, Harlots, White House Farm, SAS Rogue Heroes and Jojo Rabbit.

Shazad Latif on playing Mohammed

Shazad Latif plays Mohammed, who is a man haunted by his past. He says: "JJ doesn’t give a lot away – this is a character who doesn’t even reveal his name until the last episode!’ notes Shazad, 37. 

"He obviously has a haunted past, though. He has been in the desert for a few years and has been told he can never return home to the UK, so you have to understand how that would affect someone mentally. He’s in survival mode. He knows he’s probably going to die out here, and that makes him very dangerous.

"JJ and Max don’t like each other immediately, but they realise that they need each other. They are constantly shoved together in high stakes, but at times comedic, situations. Both characters have done bad things, and the whole theme of the show is them looking for redemption.

"I really enjoyed the physical scenes. I play a lot of sport in real life, and I grew up watching action movies like Predator [1987] and Demolition Man [1993], so it’s a joy to be able to do this as an adult. I had a month of training involving practicing with guns, boxing and doing workouts. It was intense, but I loved it.

"Alfie and I hadn’t worked together before, but when we realised we were both football fans, we suddenly had a connection – and Euro 2024 was on while we were filming in Morocco, so a lot of us would watch that to decompress at the end of the day."

* Shazad Latif previously starred as Kaz Khan in the film What’s Love Got to do With It and has also been in Nautilus, Star Trek: Discovery, Toast of Tinseltown, Toast of London, The Pursuit of Love, Spooks, My Mad Fat Diary and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Samira Wiley on playing Cassie Elliot

Samira Wiley plays CIA agent Cassie, a highly skilled scientist and a Non-Official Cover (NOC) officer.  She says: "Cassie is a NOC, or Non-Official Cover, CIA agent [meaning she operates using a fictional identity that doesn’t link her to her home government], who has been working at the American University of Beirut for at least four years without seeing any action,’ shares Samira, 38. ‘So when JJ and Max come to where she is, she’s immediately ready to pull out her gun and join the race!

"I think all of the characters are addicted to danger. Cassie puts herself in an immense amount of jeopardy, and that’s what makes her interesting. It’s crazy to me for someone to give up their entire history and go out risking their life all the time, but I guess there are people who are just like that.

"The physical training for the role was extensive; I thought I was in shape, but I was not! Even the warm-ups were torture, but every day I was getting stronger. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do all of the running and jumping off things without it. 

"It was very hot in Morocco, I believe it was around 47 degrees Celsius for a while. I’m used to filming in Toronto [in Canada, for her role as rebellious Moira Strand in US dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale], where it’s so cold that I’m having heat packs put in my costume. But when it’s this hot, you can’t really do anything about it!’

* Samira Wiley is best known for her roles in The Handmaid’s Tale and Orange is the New Black. Samira has also starred in Will & Grace, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, You’re The Worst, Equal and Breaking News in Yuba County.

Is there a trailer?

Not yet but if one becomes available, we’ll add it to this page.

Behind the scenes, locations and more on Atomic

Atomic is filmed in Morocco in 2024. Inspired by the non-fiction book Atomic Bazaar by William Langewiesche, Atomic is produced by Pulse Films, a VICE Studios Group company, in association with Sky Studios. The series is written by Gregory Burke while Jiwon Lee, Clare McQuillan and Ishy Din are on the writing team. The series is directed by Shariff Korver, and the Series Producer is Peter McAleese. Executive Producers are Jamie Hall and Judy Counihan for Pulse Films, Thomas Benski, Gregory Burke, and Sam Hoyle and Megan Spanjian for Sky Studios.

The Iris Affair is a tense chase drama coming to Sky Max and starring Mary & George’s Niamh Algar and The White Lotus actor Tom Hollander. 

Created by Neil Cross, the man behind the hit BBC1 series Luther, this thriller is set on the Sardinian coast and sees Niamh play Iris Nixon, a codebreaking genius who steals a mysterious code from a charming philanthropist (Tom Hollander). She must then lie low and rely on her intelligence to survive an increasingly deadly game of hide and seek. 

Writer and showrunner Neil Cross says: “All I wanted to do was to make a show I wanted to watch. Iris is an unapologetically exciting, witty, chase-driven adventure show and features a lead character the like of which I don't think we've ever met before on TV. With Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander bringing these complex characters to life, coupled with Terry McDonough's direction, I couldn't be more excited to share this world and these characters.” 

Here’s everything you need to know about the Sky series The Iris Affair...  

The Iris Affair release date

The Iris Affair is an eight-part series will launch on Sky and NOW in the UK later in autumn 2025 — either on Sky Max or Sky Atlantic — and as soon as we hear where US viewers can catch it in the US, we’ll update this page. We’ll also let you know when a release date is announced. 

Is there a trailer?

Yes there's a trailer now released backed by music by The Cardigans. Take a look below....

The Iris Affair plot

The Iris Affair follows Iris Nixon (Niamh Algar), a whip-smart but rootless puzzle addict. By day she works in a mundane job flagging harmful content for a social media platform but at night she solves complex riddles on secret internet forums. 

One day a mysterious thread is posted online inviting people to crack a secretive code. Iris outsmarts every codebreaker in the world but soon realizes she’s unlocked a dangerously powerful piece of technology owned by philanthropist Cameron McIntyre (Tom Holland). And as the net closes in on her, she’s forced to flee to Sardinia and reinvent herself. But the cyber speculation about her whereabouts intensifies and Iris must use all of her intelligence and charm to avoid being found.

The Iris Affair cast — Niamh Algar as Iris Nixon

Niamh Algar plays a codebreaker Iris Nixon who is on the run in The Iris Affair. Niamh recently played Sandie in the Sky Atlantic period drama Mary & George and has also starred in Raised by Wolves, Culprits, Malpractice, The Wonder, Suspect, The Virtues and Deceit. 

Tom Hollander as Cameron

Tom Hollander plays philanthropist Cameron in The Iris Affair. Tom previously starred as Quentin in The White Lotus season 2 and recently took on the role of Truman Capote in Feud. Tom has also starred in The Ipcress File, The King’s Man, Us, Baptiste, The Night Manager and Rev. 

Who else is starring in The Iris Affair?

Other stars of The Iris Affair include newcomer Meréana Tomlinson (The Trials), Sacha Dhawan (Wolf, The Great, Doctor Who), Maya Sansa (Good Morning Night, Dormant Beauty), Peter Sullivan (Poldark, The Borgias) and Debi Mazar (Younger, Entourage).

Also starring are Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones, Force Majeure), Harry Lloyd (Arcane, Marcella), Peter Sullivan (Poldark, The Borgias), Marco Leonardi (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, Anime Nere), Angela Bruce (Silver Haze, Doctor Who) and Lorenzo De Moor (A Simple Favor 2, Dolce Fine Giornata). 

Behind the scenes and more onThe Iris Affair

The Iris Affair started filming in May 2024. It's written and created by Neil Cross, the mastermind behind the acclaimed Golden Globe Award-winning series Luther. The Lead Director is Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul). The show is a Sky Studios and Fremantle co-production. Wildside is providing production services in Italy. The series is directed by Terry McDonough and Sarah O’Gorman, and the Series Producer is Tim Bricknell. Susan E. Connolly and Ian Scott McCullough are writing episodes. Executive Producers are Neil Cross, Terry McDonough; Dante Di Loreto and Jenni Sherwood for Fremantle, and Adrian Sturges for Sky Studios.

Iris will be available on Sky and streaming service NOW in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Fremantle will handle international sales of the series.  

The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the remarkable true story of Lali and Gita Sokolov, who fell in love when they were both imprisoned in the concentration camp during World War Two.

Based on Heather Morris' book, the six-part drama will air from Thursday, May 2 on Sky Atlantic, Sky Showcase and NOW in the UK, and on NBC Universal’s streaming site Peacock in the US.

The season begins as elderly Jewish widower Lali (Reservoir Dogs' Harvey Keitel) tells budding author Heather (The Last of Us' Melanie Lynskey) about how he met his late wife Gita. 

Flashbacks then show Lali as a young man (World on Fire and The Little Mermaid’s Jonah Hauer-King) living in Eastern Europe, but in 1942, he is sent to Auschwitz and becomes a tattooist, marking identification numbers on his fellow prisoners. When he has to tattoo new arrival Gita (Baptiste’s Anna Próchniak), they forge an instant connection. But sadistic SS guard Stefan Baretzki (The Deutschland trilogy's Jonas Nay) is watching their every move as they fight for their survival…

Here, Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak tell What To Watch about The Tattooist of Auschwitz…

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is incredibly moving. What drew you both to the drama?

Anna Próchniak: “I’d read the book and I understand the phenomenon of it, because the story is extraordinary and powerful. Gita and Lali find love and hope in a world filled with hatred and horror and in the most inhumane of places. It's beautiful.” 

Jonah Hauer-King: “Yes, I’d read it too and I became so invested in Lali and Gita’s love story, it felt unique and surprising for them to have this profound connection, and to highlight humanity in such a dark place felt inspiring.”

How did you approach the roles?

Anna Próchniak: “Playing a real character is scary because you feel the responsibility, it’s huge. I knew it wasn't going to be an easy story but I love being challenged and the way to approach it is to make it as honestly as possible with sensitivity and love for Gita.”

Jonah Hauer-King: “Heather gave me good advice, which was to get to know Lali before the camp, as a young man who wants to move to Paris and fall in love. Then in the camp, he’s just trying to get through day by day. Gita gives Lali purpose and meaning. It's purely about survival and he wants to get out of there, so he can be with Gita.” 

Tell us about the interaction between Baretzki and Lali…

Jonah Hauer-King: “We didn’t want to create a traditional captive and captor relationship. Lali is terrified of Baretzki and thinks he's a monster. But he's also aware that he owes his life to him. And Baretzki has this strange admiration for Lali, which is extraordinary, given their power dynamic and status.”

What impact does surviving Auschwitz have on the older Lali when he tells his story to Heather in Australia, where he and Gita eventually emigrated?

Jonah Hauer-King: “We wanted to show the extent of the trauma over many decades. It doesn't end when the camp is liberated or at the end of the war. It's carried on forever and it’s passed on.”

Anna Próchniak: “Yes, what the show has done well is to incorporate the modern timeline to emphasise that this is Lali’s memory and he faces the ghosts of the past.”

Jonah, did you enjoy sharing the role of Lali with Harvey Keitel?

Jonah Hauer-King: “It’s a highlight of my professional life so far. I'm such a fan, he's a wonderful actor, so it was a privilege. We knew we both needed to create an essence of Lali but we were telling a story in different times with decades between us. I felt incredibly connected to Harvey.” 

What was it like watching Gita and Lali’s testimonies for your research?

Jonah Hauer-King: “You get the sense of them through the book and through talking to Heather but for them to be on screen, like they’re talking to you, is surreal. It’s so intimate and like a conversation, which is unusual when you're playing a role.”

Anna Próchniak: “Yes, you can see their emotions are still there so strongly. It's powerful to see footage of Gita, to watch her tiny movements and gestures and the way she smiled, and to hear her voice.”

How did you find filming on the Auschwitz set that was created in Bratislava?

Anna Próchniak: “It was rewarding but challenging to go into the camp every day and into that mindset. It took a toll on all the cast and crew and we knew that wasn't even a patch on what it would have been like for the real people.” 

Jonah Hauer-King: “It was a strange experience going to that set, which they've meticulously recreated. The camp takes on its own character in the story. It's such a foreboding and imposing place, it was frightening.”

Gita and Lali have both sadly passed away. How do you think they might feel about the drama?

Anna Próchniak: “I asked Heather, ‘Do you think they would like it?’ She was like, ‘I'm sure they’re beyond happy. They’re dancing in heaven.’”

Jonah Hauer-King: “And their son, Gary, gave us his blessing. He burst into tears and said, ‘It’s like I'm talking to my mum and dad, thank you.’ That, for us, was the most meaningful part of this process. You want to feel they would be proud.”

The Tattooist of Auschwitz airs in the UK from Thursday, May 2 at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and Sky Showcase. The season will also be available on NOW. In the US, the show will air from Thursday, May 2 on NBC Universal’s streaming service Peacock.

Colin Farrell dazzled audiences with his portrayal of Oswald Cobblepot, aka Penguin, in The Batman. It's not surprising that a spinoff was ordered that is called, appropriately, The Penguin.

The Penguin is set in the same cinematic universe as Matt Reeves' The Batman, which features Robert Pattinson in the iconic role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The spinoff series was greenlit long before a leadership change at Max led to the arrival of James Gunn and Peter Safran, who have their own plans for the DC Universe. As such, the series is considered to be part of an else-verse, a story that's set in its own time and has nothing to do with the series and movies that Gunn and Safran are developing as part of their world-building strategy.

Farrell's Penguin isn't a fully-fledged supervillain in the series, at least not yet. For now, he's a gritty crime boss who's more James Gandolfini than Burgess Meredith.

Here's everything we know about The Penguin.

Next episode of The Penguin 

The Penguin airs Sundays on Max in the US as well as Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.

Here's what we know about the next new episode airing November 10:

The Penguin episode 8: "A Great or Little Thing"
"Truths are revealed as the power struggle between Oz and Sofia comes to a head."

The Penguin premiered Thursday, September 19.

The series will be available exclusively on Max in the US, so you'll need a subscription in order to watch it. You can choose from one of the Max subscription options below if you don’t have a subscription already. You can subscribe as a standalone service or add it to a Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV or Sling TV package.

The Penguin episode guide

The Penguin episode 1: "After Hours"
"The death of Carmine Falcone and a post-flood crime wave motivates Oz Cobb to fill the power vacuum left in the criminal underworld of Gotham City, while Falcone's children attempt to keep their family together."

The Penguin episode 2: "Inside Man"
"Sofia works to secure her family's strength, while Oz attempts to play both the Falcones and Maronis to his advantage."

The Penguin episode 3: "Bliss"
"Oz and Sofia must address the skeletons in their closet as they attempt to control the future of Gotham's drug trade, while Victor is torn between his new life and what remains of his old one."

The Penguin episode 4: "Cent'Anni"
"Sofia confronts her past in Arkham State Hospital and makes plans for her future."

The Penguin episode 5: "Homecoming"
"With his nascent operation at stake, Oz makes a desperate move to turn the tables. Meanwhile, Sofia strives to build a new legacy for herself."

The Penguin episode 6: "Homecoming"
"Oz strives to extend his reach in the city, despite his enemies' attempts to corner him; Victor encounters a past adversary."

The Penguin episode 7: "Top Hat"
"Oz strives to protect his family and his enterprise; Sofia uncovers a shocking truth."

The Penguin plot

Here's what we know about The Penguin from Max: "The eight-episode DC Studios drama series continues The Batman epic crime saga that filmmaker Matt Reeves began with Warner Bros. Pictures’ global blockbuster The Batman, and centers on the character played by Colin Farrell in the film."

The Penguin cast

The Penguin features Academy Award nominee Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin, Intermission, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as Oswald Cobblepot.

The series also stars Cristin Milioti (The Wolf of Wall Street) as Sofia Falcone, Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption) as Salvatore Maroni, Rhenzy Felix (Encanto) as Victor Aguilar, Craig Walker (High Town) as Detective Marcus Wise and Myles Humphus (Reminiscence) as Dom Gigante.

The Penguin trailer

Take a look at the first teaser for The Penguin below:

Previously, Max released a teaser in April 2023 that featured a first look at The Penguin as it went into production. It wasn't long after that when the Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild strikes shut down the set, pushing the series release date back. Take a look at the In-Production trailer below:

Andrew Scott fans won't want to miss Netflix's Ripley, an eight-part TV adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel "The Talented Mr Ripley, which is now streaming.

The project has been in the works for a few years, yet in early 2023 news broke about it being acquired by the streaming giant. Ripley was first commissioned by Showtime back in 2019, and there was near-constant buzz around the show leading up to its release.

The show follows Scott as Tom Ripley, a grifter barely scraping by in 1960s New York City whose fortune takes a turn when a wealthy industrialist hires Ripley to bring his wayward son back home from Italy. 

Those who've seen Anthony Minghella's BAFTA-winning 1999 film The Talented Mr Ripley, which starred Jude Law, Matt Damon, and Gwyneth Paltrow will be familiar with the tale, yet Scott and writer/director Steven Zaillian (who won an Oscar for his Schindler’s List screenplay) are set to breathe new life into the story. 

"When you’re playing those famous literary characters, you don’t want to just copy," Scott told Interview magazine. "I’m interested in the idea of what queerness is, and otherness because that’s what I think it’s about. The reason he’s such an interesting character is you can’t quite place him. 

"If Tom Ripley was in a gay bar, I’m not sure that he would fit in there. Nor do I think he’s a straight character. I think he’s a queer character, in the sense that he’s very other. What’s his relationship with sex, or death, or with family or friends? It’s interesting that a character is the sum of the parts that you don’t have to play."

Here's everything you need to know about Ripley.

Ripley release date and how to watch

Ripley is now available to stream exclusively in full on Netflix. All eight episodes arrived in one go on Thursday, April 4, 2024. 

Already streamed Ripley? Don't forget to check out our guide to the best Netflix shows we think you should be streaming right now. 

Ripley trailer

The official Ripley trailer arrived in March 2024, and gave us a taste of what we could expect from this new take on the classic criminal tale. Check it out below: 

We've also kept the teaser (released back in January) embedded below, too, if you want to revisit it. 

Is Ripley shot in black and white? 

The eight-part series is indeed presented in monochrome. "The edition of the Ripley book I had on my desk had an evocative black-and-white photograph on the cover," said writer and director, Steven Zallian. "As I was writing, I held that image in my mind. Black and white fits this story—and it's gorgeous."

Ripley plot - what happens in the Netflix show?

Netflix's Ripley synopsis reads: "Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son to return home. Tom's acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder."

Ripley episode guide

Below, we've included both Netflix's short episode summaries, as well as links out to each of our Ripley recaps.

• Ripley episode 1, "I am a Hard Man to Find": Tom Ripley's life of petty crime in New York City detours with an offer to bring a wealthy man's wayward son home from Europe.
• Ripley episode 2, "Seven Mercies": On Italy's Amalfi Coast, Tom settles into Dickie's grand villa, but not without arousing suspicion from his girlfriend, Marge.
• Ripley episode 3, "Sommerso": With funds low and his future in Italy in jeopardy, Tom puts a dark scheme into motion. 
• Ripley episode 4, "La Dolce Vita": Tom must deal with Marge's deep skepticism before embarking on a new, fictitious life in Rome. 
• Ripley episode 5, "Lucio": Ensconced in a lovely Rome apartment, Tom's perfect life is threatened by the arrival of an unexpected visitor.
• Ripley episode 6, "Some Heavy Instrument": A ghastly discovery leads Rome police to Tom's doorstep, beginning a game of cat and mouse with its lead investigator.
• Ripley episode 7, "Macabre Entertainment": As Inspector Ravini expands his murder investigation, an elusive Tom plots his next moves from Sicily.
• Ripley episode 8, "Narcissus": Tom reinvents himself again, creating an enviable life in Venice — as long as his lies hold. 

Ripley cast

Andrew Scott, who played Moriarty in the hit BBC series Sherlock, starred opposite Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag and has also appeared in His Dark Materials, stars in the lead role, yet there is plenty of other talent on the show. 

Johnny Flynn (David Bowie in the rock biopic Stardust and Mr. Knightley in Emma, opposite Anya Taylor-Joy) stars as Dickie Greenleaf, while Dakota Fanning (Oceans 8, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) plays Marge Sherwood, an American living in Italy who suspects darker motives underlie Tom’s affability.

Meanwhile, actor and musician Eliot Sumner (No Time To Die) also has a recurring role as a friend of Dickie's who becomes suspicious of Tom. Acclaimed Italian actors Maurizio Lombardi and Margherita Buy also have roles in the drama, while Hollywood star John Malkovich completes the cast. 

How many seasons will Ripley be? 

The series is based on Patricia Highsmith's bestselling 1955 novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, the first of five Ripley novels. 

In 2022, Showtime boss Gary Levine confirmed Steve Zaillian had optioned all five books. "His original intent has been one book per season," he told The Hollywood Reporter. 

If the series is popular enough for Netflix, that could mean we're looking at a total of five seasons, if the streamer follows through with Zaillian's original vision for the show. 

Andrew Scott on Ripley

"We're going to attempt to do a few of the Patricia Highsmith novels, who in many people's minds, is the greatest crime writer of all time," he told Red Carpet News TV. "We're going to shoot it in Italy and America and it's an extraordinary character. I'm just thinking about how I'm going to put my own stamp on it.

"It's been adapted by Steve Zaillian, who as we all know is a bit of a genius, so I'm very excited to work with him. Johnny Flynn is playing Dickie Greenleaf and he's an actor who works a lot in the theatre, so I'm also excited to work with him. We've also got some very exciting people who are going to be in it with us.

"I'm really excited to just flip it around. We're going to do eight hours of television, so it's a whole new breaking down of the character." 

Amadeus is a Sky drama that sees The White Lotus season 2 star Will Sharpe play one of the world’s most famous composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 

Adapted from the 1980 stage play by Peter Shaffer and written by The Lazarus Project’s Joe Barton, it was previously made into an Oscar-winning movie in 1984 starring Tom Hulce and F Murray Abraham. 

The story follows 25-year-old Austrian musical prodigy Amadeus Mozart as he arrives in Vienna, determined to make a name for himself. The series delves into his tempestuous relationship with his wife Constanze and shows how meeting court composer Antonio Salieri set the three of them on a collision course that defined both their lives and their legacies. 

Here’s everything we know about Amadeus so far… 

Amadeus release date 

The TV series Amadeus will air on Sky — either Sky Atlantic or Sky Max — later in 2025. When Sky confirms a date, we’ll update you on here. 

Amadeus plot 

The story follows 25-year-old Amadeus as he arrives in the musical hub of Vienna at the end of the 18th century. Recently unemployed and without the management of his father Leopold, he finds himself drawn to a young singer called Constanze, who he weds. Constanze’s connections lead him to meet court composer Antonio Salieri and what follows is a tale of rivalry, ambition, jealousy and genius. 

As Amadeus’ brilliance continues to flourish in spite of his personal demons, a questionable reputation and scepticism from the conservative court, Salieri becomes increasingly tormented by this apparent divine gift. Amadeus is a threat to all that he holds dear in life: his talent, his reputation, even his faith in God, Salieri vows to bring him down. What begins as professional rivalry turns into a deeply personal obsession spanning 30 years, culminating in a murder confession and a desperate attempt to entwine himself with Mozart’s legacy forever.

Amadeus cast — Will Sharpe as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Will Sharpe plays the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He pereviouly starred as Ethan Spiller in the second series of The White Lotus and was Rodney in Giri/Haji. He’s also starred in A Real Pain, Defending the Guilty, Flowers and W1A. From 2009 to 2010 he played Yuki Reid in BBC1 medical drama Casualty. 

Who else is starring in Amadeus?

Other notable cast for Amadeus includes Paul Bettany (WandaVision, A Very British Scandal) as envious court composer Antonio Salieri and Gabrielle Creevy (The Guest, In My Skin, Black Doves) as Mozart’s fiercely loyal wife Constanze Weber.

Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat, Skyfall) plays Emperor Joseph, Lucy Cohu (Becoming Jane) is Cecilia Weber, Jonathan Aris (The Sixth Commandment) is Leopold Mozart, Ényì Okoronkwo (Renegade Nell, The Lazarus Project) is Da Ponte, Jessica Alexander (The Little Mermaid) plays Katerina, Hugh Sachs (Benidorm, Bridgerton) plays Von Strack, Paul Bazely (Benidorm, Such Brave Girls) as Von Swieten, Rupert Vansittart (Game of Thrones) plays Rosenberg, Anastasia Martin (In From The Cold) is Aloysia Weber, Nancy Farino (Masters of the Air) is Josepha Weber, Olivia-Mai Barrett (Invasion) is Sophie Weber, Viola Prettejohn (The Crown) is Princess Elizabeth and Jyuddah Jaymes (The Boys in The Boat, Hijack) plays Franz Süssmayr.

Is there a trailer for Amadeus? 

Sadly not, but when one drops we will post it on this page. 

Behind the scenes and more on Amadeus

Amadeus is a new Sky Original limited series written by Joey Barton, reimagined from Peter Shaffer’s award-winning stage play. It is produced by Two Cities Television, in association with Sky Studios. Paul Gilbert and Megan Spanjian are Executive Producers for Sky Studios. Michael Jackson (Patrick Melrose) and Stephen Wright (Blue Lights) are Executive Producers for Two Cities Television. Julian Farino (Giri/Haji) and Alice Seabright (Chloe, Sex Education) will serve as directors. Barton, Sharpe and Farino also serve as Executive Producers.

All about the real Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756 and is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in history. 

Unusually, he wrote in every musical genre of the time and excelled in each one. By the age of five Amadeus was already composing music and at the age of six he and his talented sister Nannerl were playing in the Bavarian court in Munich. The family later toured Europe extensively, playing in courts, churches or in public. 

Amadeus married Constanze, the daughter of a family friend, in August 1782 and they had six children. He died on December 5, 1791. In his lifetime Mozart composed more than 800 pieces of music. 

Mary & George is a historical drama with Julianne Moore as its lead and is based on the true story of a scheming mother and son who clawed their way from humble beginnings to the heart of the British monarchy in the 17th century. 

Inspired by Benjamin Woolley’s non-fiction book The King’s Assassin: The Plot to Murder King James I, the series shows how Mary Villiers, played by Moore, groomed her son to seduce King James I and as a result, they became one of the richest, most titled and important mother and son partnerships England had ever seen. 

"Mary Villiers was a woman who through her own actions rose to become a powerful and influential figure in Jacobean London," says Moore. "It's a daunting but exhilarating challenge to bring her to life on screen."

Here's everything you need to know about Mary & George.

Mary & George release date

Mary & George premieres Friday, April 5, on Starz in the US. It is available to stream immediately on the Starz app, but is also going to air on live TV on the Starz cable channel at 9 pm ET/PT on April 5. New episodes of the eight-part series will premiere weekly.

The show has already premiered in the UK, airing on Sky Atlantic.

How to watch Mary & George: stream the historical drama series online

Is there a trailer for Mary & George?

Yes, Sky and Starz have released an official trailer for Mary & George. Plus, an earlier teaser trailer shows all the scheming going on in and around the court of King James I. It looks deliciously wicked. Do take a look bith below...

Mary & George plot 

Mary Villiers was the penniless second wife of George Villiers, who on his death became the Countess of Buckingham. She very quickly realized her beautiful second son George had the ability to become an influential political figure. She scraped together the money to send him to the French court and then to the English court, where he became the favorite of King James I. 

As he rose through the ranks, so too did Mary and her family, and she then engineered his marriage to Katherine, Baroness de Ros, who was said to be the richest woman in England. Mary was disliked but used her incredible intellect to get where she wanted to be, despite being a woman in a man’s world. 

It begins with Mary finding herself in dire financial straits and seeking a secure future for her family, so she hatches a scheme for her handsome son George to become the King's new favorite.

Although King James I (Tony Curran) was married to Queen Anne of Denmark (Trine Dyrholm), his intimate relationships with his closest male advisors were rumored to be sexual. Sensing an opportunity for George to capitalize on his good looks, Mary conspires to ensure the King catches sight of her son. Sure enough, King James is soon smitten with the young man.

As George is elevated into a powerful position as a royal favorite, Mary and the rest of the family enjoy the benefits of his proximity to the throne. But this soon creates tension between mother and son.

Mary & George cast — Julianne Moore on playing Mary Villiers

In Mary & George, Julianne Moore takes on the role of greedy, ambitious Mary Villiers. "Mary was incredibly ambitious on behalf of her children," says Julianne. "In educating her sons, she learned that George was utterly charming. He wasn't great at academics, but she sees his great beauty, and how attractive he is to other people.

"Mary feels this is something she and George are creating together. But as George gets older and gains more influence, he starts to chafe under her direction. It ends up becoming a power struggle between the two of them."

Moore won an Oscar for her role in Still Alice, about a professor who has early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. She's also starred in Hannibal, A Single Man, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and The Woman in the Window.

Nicholas Galitzine on playing George

British star Nicholas Galitzine plays Mary's son George, who she wants to seduce King James I. 

"The genesis of it is transactional for George," says Galitzine. "I don't think he develops feelings until a few months, perhaps years, into the relationship, but there ends up being this sincere love between them."

Galitzine has previously starred in Prime Video's Red White & Royal Blue and Cinderella, plus High Strung, Purple Hearts and Handsome Devil.

Who else is starring in Mary & George? 

Further casting for Mary & George, includes Tony Curran (Mayflies) as King James I.

Tony Curran says: "The sexuality and sensuality in the show isn’t crass in any way – it’s there because it’s a part of these people’s lives. It was certainly interesting for me. I’d ask the producers, “What am I wearing today?” and they’d reply, “Your birthday suit, pal!”’

Nicola Walker (The Split, Unforgotten, Marriage) is playing Lady Hatton, Niamh Algar (The Wonder, Malpractice) is Sandie, Trine Dyrholm (The Legacy) plays Queen Anne and Sean Gilder (Sherwood, Slow Horses) as Sir Thomas Compton

Also look out for Adrian Rawlins (Chernobyl) as Sir Edward Coke, Mark O’Halloran (The Virtues) as Sir Francis Bacon, Laurie Davidson (Masters of the Air, Guilty Party) as Somerset, Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin) as Prince Charles, Jacob McCarthy (SAS: Rogue Heroes) as Kit Villiers, Tom Victor (Consent) as John Villiers, Alice Grant as Susan Villiers, Amelia Gething as Frances Coke, Mirren Mack (No Escape, The Nest) as Katherine Manners, Rina Mahoney (Happy Valley, Cobra) as Laura Ashcattle, and Simon Russell Beale as Sir George Villiers. 

Mary & George episode guide

Mary & George episode 1
Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham, plots to transform the fortunes of her family forever, but she must first convince her troublesome son George to rise to the occasion.

Mary & George episode 2
Mary wants to boot out King James' favourite, Sir Somerset, and she asks for an audience with Queen Anne in order for her son George to get the chance to attract the king.

Mary & George episode 3
Somerset puts obstacles in George's way, whereupon Mary decides to intervene. However, her intervention ends in a debacle: Mary and George become the laughingstock of the court.

Mary & George episode 4
King James travels to Scotland, George and his younger brother Kit are allowed to accompany him.

Mary & George episode 5
England is in trouble because Sir Walter Raleigh has attacked Spanish troops in South America. As a diplomatic newcomer at the English court, George finds himself caught between the fronts.

Mary & George episode 6
While the people become dissatisfied with the king and make demands for war with Spain, James' lack of money for the queen's funeral leaves her lying dead in the palace for weeks.

Mary & George episode 7
George travels to Madrid with Prince Charles to ask for the infanta's hand in marriage. Meanwhile, in London, Mary succeeds in becoming a close confidante of the now seriously ill king.

Behind the scenes and more on Mary & George

Mary & George is a Sky Original and Starz drama produced by Hera Pictures. Oliver Hermanus (Living, Moffie) helms the series as lead director alongside second and third block directors Alex Winckler (Somewhere Boy, This Way Up) and Florian Cossen (Deutschland 86, The Empress). 

The seven-part series is written by acclaimed playwright DC Moore (Killing Eve, Temple), inspired by the non-fiction book “The King’s Assassin” by Benjamin Woolley. 

Liza Marshall is the executive producer for Hera Pictures alongside DC Moore and Oliver Hermanus. Sam Hoyle serves as Executive Producer for Sky Studios. 

Kate Winslet will play a doomed dictator in The Regime, a new limited series about the fall of a modern European autocracy. This project is the Oscar-winning star's third collaboration HBO, after winning critical acclaim for 2011 miniseries Mildred Pierce and 2021 drama Mare of Easttown. 

Full of political intrigue and scandal, six-part drama The Regime will also feature a star-studded cast including Hugh Grant, Andrea Riseborough and Martha Plimpton — who features heavily in an early trailer (take a look below). 

There's also plenty of talent behind the camera as well, with Stephen Frears and Jessica Hobbs directing the series. Frears screen credits include The Queen and British TV dramas Quiz and A Very English Scandal, while Hobbs is well known for directing Broadchurch and episodes of Netflix drama The Crown.   

Will Tracy — who wrote The Menu and episodes of Succession — will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Filming took place in Austria, at Vienna's Liechtenstein Garden Palace, part of the Liechtenstein Museum, and the UK. 

Here's everything we know about The Regime...

The Regime release date

The Regime will premiere on HBO and streaming service Max on Sunday 3 March 2024. In the UK the six-part series will air on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Monday 8 April 2024. 

How to watch The Regime: stream the dark political comedy online or on TV

Is there a trailer for The Regime? 

The official trailer landed in February 2024, check it out below...

There were also two teasers released at the back end of 2023, which offer further insight to the HBO drama...

The Regime plot

An early HBO logline revealed the drama will be set in a "modern European regime", while an official synopsis reads as follows... 

"The darkly comedic six-episode series tells the story of life within the walls of a modern authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel. After not leaving the palace for quite some time, Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) has grown increasingly paranoid and unstable when she turns to a volatile soldier, Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), as an unlikely confidant. As Zubak’s influence over the chancellor continues to grow, Elena’s attempts to expand her power eventually result in both the palace and the country fracturing around her. "

The Regime cast

Kate Winslet, who plays the leading role of Chancellor Elena Vernham in this limited series, is one of the world's most celebrated actors. She starred in blockbuster film Titanic and won an Oscar for her portrayal of a former Nazi camp guard in 2008 film The Reader. 

In 2021 she was highly praised for her performance in Mare of Easttown and the following year won two BAFTAs for her Channel 4 film, I Am Ruth. 

The rest of the cast includes, Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone), Guillaume Gallienne (Me, Myself and Mum), Andrea Riseborough (National Treasure), Martha Plimpton (A Town Called Malice), Hugh Grant (Notting Hill), Danny Webb (Liar), David Bamber (Darkest Hour), Henry Goodman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), Stanley Townsend (In The Name of the Father), Rory Keenan (The Duchess), Karl Markovics (Resistance) and Pippa Haywood (Prisoner's Wives).

Lockerbie: A Search For Truth is a true-life drama that sees Colin Firth play a real-life doctor who lost his daughter in the 1988 terrorist bomb attack that saw a Pan-Am passenger plane explode over the quiet Scottish town of Lockerbie.

The series dramatizes the disaster, that happened on December 21, 1988, where 259 passengers and crew were killed when a Pan Am flight exploded just after take-off. Eleven residents also lost their lives when the plane crashed into the town.

Colin plays Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died that day and who, alongside his wife Jane, spent the rest of his life fighting for truth and justice. But his battle almost cost him everything.

Here’s everything you need to know about the hard-hitting drama Lockerbie: A Search For Truth…

Lockerbie: A Search For Truth release date

The five-part series Lockerbie: A Search For Truth premieres on Peacock in the US, Sky TV and NOW TV in the UK and Binge in Australia.

All episodes of Lockerbie: A Search For Truth will be available to watch at once on Thursday, January 2, however in the UK the series will also be broadcast on Sky Atlantic at 9pm with episodes airing weekly on Thursdays at the same time from January 2 2025 until the end of January.

How to watch Lockerbie: A Search For Truth — release dates, episodes, streaming options and more

Lockerbie: A Search For Truth trailer

An official trailer for Lockerbie: A Search for Truth was released in early December 2024, and you can see it below:

Lockerbie: A Search For Truth plot

Based on the book The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice by Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph, the five-part series Lockerbie: A Search For Truth follows Dr Jim Swire’s fight for the truth in the aftermath of the tragedy. We'll witness the terrifying disaster in which his daughter was killed, and see him nominated as spokesperson for the UK victims’ families who united to demand truth and justice. What followed was a relentless journey across continents, and political divides, taking on a justice system that had no desire for the facts to be exposed. We hear that, ‘as the truth shifts under Jim’s feet, his view of the world is left forever sullied’.

The opening episode begins with Jim (Colin Firth) and his wife Jane (Catherine McCormack) waving goodbye to Flora, only for the terrible news about the bombing to come through a few hours later. Meanwhile, just outside the small town of Lockerbie, local journalist Murray Guthrie (Sam Troughton) races to the scene of the crash, realising an enormous story is unfolding before his very eyes.

Lockerbie: A Search For Truth cast — Colin Firth on playing Dr Jim Swire 

Lockerbie: A Search For Truth sees Colin Firth play Jim Swire, a father determined to uncover the truth behind the bombing of the Pan Am flight. 

Colin Firth says: "I thought it was the most remarkable story, a painful one, but also in many ways an impressive one. His motivation was to find out the truth and also to gain understanding. He wanted to make sense of something which is inherently unfathomable.

"Jim Swire set out in good faith looking for answers and doubts crept in when they weren't as forthcoming as he expected them to be. When he went to meet Colonel Gaddafi he fully expected to be taken prisoner or even shot. He was going into the belly of the beast with this unofficial mission with no support, no back up!"

"I just wanted to be clear that whenever I talk about Jim, I'm going to have to at least partly talk about my Jim and David Harrower's [Writer] Jim, which we hope resonates with the real Jim. I think one of the things that's so extraordinary and so particular about the character of Jim Swire is the journey and its duration. The point where he finds himself today couldn't be further from his starting point. This is a man who, according to my understanding, had a basic trust in institutions and the institutions in which we live. He wasn't a natural activist, as far as I can see. He isn't someone who inherently distrusted establishment. I think he made the assumption that governments seek to tell us the truth, as do law enforcement and the legal profession. That was his starting point.

"So, I think he set out in good faith looking for answers, which he fully expected to be forthcoming as far as possible. Doubts crept in once he realised that they weren't as forthcoming as he expected them to be."

* Colin Firth previously won an Oscar for his role in The King’s Speech and has also starred in the BBC's hit TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. His other films include A Single Man, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Mamma Mia!, Love Actually and Operation Mincemeat. He's also appeared in Fever Pitch, Pride and Prejudice and Before I Go to Sleep.

Catherine McCormack on playing Jane Swire

Catherine McCormack (Slow Horses, Temple, Lucan) also stars in Lockerbie, playing Jane Swire, wife of Dr Jim Swire. 

Catherine McCormack says: "I was 16 when the Lockerbie bombing happened and I remember news footage on the TV at the time, but in terms of Jim Swire’s personal story and his campaigning over the years for an inquiry and the extraordinary lengths he went to find out who was responsible for his daughter Flora’s death, I knew very little, so the scripts were a revelation to me. 

"Alongside Jim’s story was the Swire’s family tragedy. The scripts focused mainly on Jim and his wife Jane’s relationship and their struggles over a 30 year period to deal with the death of their daughter. This for me felt like the emotional heart of David’s scripts, so when I was offered the role of Jane, it was a real honour. Of course, it was also a rather daunting prospect playing a real life person who had suffered such a great loss."

Sam Troughton says: "‘When we first meet Murray he’s walking down Sherwood Crescent in Lockerbie. There are burning buildings everywhere, it’s almost like a Heironymus Bosch level of hell. It was an extraordinary and deeply affecting film set."

Who else is starring in Lockerbie: A Search For Truth?

Sam Troughton plays local Lockerbie journalist Murray Guthrie. Other stars incluide Ardalan Esmaili as Megrahi, Claire Brown as Ellen Walker, Jemma Carlton as Cathy Swire, Harry Redding as William Swire, Nabil Alraee as Gaddafi, Youssef Kerkour as Nabil Nagameldin, Mark Bonnar as Roderick McGill and Michael Landes as Robert Baer

Lockerbie: A Search For Truth episode guide

Here's a brief guide to all five episodes of Lockerbie: A Search For Truth...

EPISODE 1
After losing his daughter in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, Dr Jim Swire begins a quest for truth, searching for why this was allowed to happen and exactly who was responsible for his daughter’s death. 

EPISODE 2 
As Jim continues his campaign for truth and justice, two suspects are indicted for the bombing and his focus has to shift to the fight to bring the men to trial. 

EPISODE 3
After twelve long years, the Lockerbie trial finally begins. But as the trial unfolds, Jim gradually begins to question the official evidence against the suspects.

EPISODE 4 
Convinced they have the wrong man, Jim grows closer to the convicted Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. As he embeds himself within Megrahi’s appeal case and the conspiracy theories swirling around it, he becomes increasingly isolated from his family. 

EPISODE 5 
Jim is left at a loss when Megrahi gives up his appeal in return for release on compassionate grounds. Questioning everything he has come to believe, Jim wonders if he will ever know the truth. 

All about the real Lockerbie bombing in 1988

On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb 38 minutes after take-off. It had flown from London Heathrow and was on route to JFK airport in New York. All 243 passengers and 16 crew were killed and 11 residents of Lockerbie, a small Scottish town, also lost their lives as the plane crashed into its residential streets. It’s the deadliest terror attack in British history.

Warrants were issued for the arrest of two Libyan nationals in 1991 but it wasn’t until 1999, after protracted negotiations, that Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi handed them over for trial.

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was jailed for life in 2001, but released on compassionate grounds in 2009, three years before his death from prostate cancer. However, it is widely disputed that he acted alone. And some relatives of the British victims, led by Dr Swire, believe Megrahi was innocent and the real culprits were Iran and the Palestinians.

In 2003 Gaddafi accepted Libya’s responsibility for the bombing but refused to admit that he personally ordered the attack, despite claims to the contrary. In 2020 the US indicted Libyan national Abu Agila Mohammed Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi for his role in the terror attack and he faces a federal trial next year.

Behind the scenes and more on the Lockerbie: A Search For Truth TV series 

Filming on the series Lockerbie started in early 2024. The five-parter is a co-production between Carnival Films, which is part of Universal International Studios and Sky Studios. Renowned Scottish playwright David Harrower (Blackbird, Knives in Hens) is lead writer. Maryam Hamidi (Vigil) is guest writer on an episode. BAFTA Award-winning Otto Bathurst (Peaky Blinders, The Winter King) is lead director. Jim Loach (Save Me) will also direct an episode.

True Detective season 4 lead Jodie Foster has revealed that she almost landed the role of Princess Leia in the iconic Star Wars movie franchise, but had to turn it down due to a scheduling conflict.

Jodie is known for many iconic roles such as Iris in Taxi Driver, Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, and Sarah Tobias in The Accused, but she could have added another major role to her resume.

Word got out that Jodie Foster was offered the role of Princess Leia, who was played by the late Carrie Fisher, and naturally, fans were keen to know how that went down.

The actress appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where the talk show host asked: "You’ve been in so many iconic roles, and we love what you do. But I saw this on the Internet - you were offered the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, is that true?"

Confirming the rumor, Jodie said: "I was, yeah. They were going for a younger Princess Leia but I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie and I just didn’t want to pull out of the Disney movie because I was already under contract.”

She added: "They did an amazing job. I don’t know how good I would have been. I might have had different hair. I might have gone with a pineapple."

Most recently, Jodie Foster is starring in the highly anticipated True Detective season 4 which is called Night Country. It is on HBO in the US and Sky Atlantic or NOW TV in the UK.

This chapter of the anthology series includes a great line-up alongside Jodie including Kali Reis (Catch the Fair One),  John Hawkes (Winter's Bone), Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who), Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve), Finn Bennett (The Nevers), and Anna Lambe (Three Pines).

The new series follows a puzzling case where eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace, and detectives are quickly on the case.

What to Watch spoke to the actress about the gripping new season, where she teased it has "weird" connections to The Silence of the Lambs and spoke about the physical demands of filming in cold climates.

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz is a powerful drama series as it is set in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak, Melanie Lynskey, Harvey Keitel and Jonas Nay will star in Peacock and Sky Atlantic's adaptation of Heather Morris’ bestselling novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

The drama follows the real-life story of Slovakian Jew Lali Sokolov (Hauer-King) who is imprisoned in Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland during World War Two, where he is given the role of tattooing identification numbers on the arms of his fellow prisoners. 

While doing so, Lali meets a young woman called Gita (Anna Próchniak) and their beautiful love story sees them both find light in the bleakest of places. Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) will play New Zealand author Heather Morris, to whom older Lali (Harvey Keitel) told his story after Gita’s death, while Jonas Nay is an SS camp guard Stefan Baretzki. 

“It is a huge privilege to be telling Lali’s incredible story — one that he was so courageous to share,” says Jonah Hauer-King. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for his ability to find humanity and kindness in the most inhumane of places. These scripts heartbreakingly and vividly depict this appalling time in our history, and I feel proud to be honoring Lale and Gita’s remarkable journey.” 

Here’s everything you need to know about The Tattooist Of Auschwitz, which promises to be heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measure...

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz release date

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz will release worldwide on Thursday, May 2 2024, with each of its six episodes being made available to watch at the same time. It will also start its weekly run in the UK on Sky Atlantic at 9pm from Thursday May 2. 

In the US, Peacock will be your place to stream, while in the UK it'll be on Sky TV and NOW TV and in Australia it'll be on Stan.

VIAPLAY is taking Viaplay Series rights for Nordics (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the Netherlands and Poland.

How to watch The Tattooist of Auschwitz: stream the historical drama online

Is there a trailer for The Tattooist of Auschwitz?

Yes both an official trailer and teaser trailer have been released for The Tattooist of Auschwitz. You can watch below...

What is the plot of The Tattooist of Auschwitz?

The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the true story of Lali Sokolov (Jonah Hauer-King), a Slovakian Jewish man who, in 1942, was deported to Poland's infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War Two. There he is given the job of Tätowierer, with the task of tattooing identification numbers on his fellow prisoners’ arms. One day he meets Gita while tattooing her prison number, and so starts a courageous love story where both must take unfathomable risks in order to be together, survive and help their fellow prisoners. Under constant guard from a volatile Nazi SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay), Lali and Gita became determined to keep each other alive. Soon Baretzki becomes aware of their feelings for each other and holds their fate in his hands…

Around 60 years later, recently widowed Lali (Harvey Keitel) is in his 80s and has the courage to tell the world his story to author Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey), who turned the tale into a bestselling novel. He must face the traumatic ghosts of his youth and relives his memories of falling in love in the most horrific of places.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz cast — Jonah Hauer-King on playing Lali Sokolov

Jonah Hauer-King plays Jewish captive Lali, who must tattoo his fellow prisoners in Auschwitz concentration camp. 

Jonah says: "As soon as I heard that The Tattooist of Auschwitz was being adapted, I knew I wanted to be involved. It’s a rare thing to have the opportunity to tell such a vitally important story. Having read the book, it was hard not to feel daunted; I was honoured and excited, but extremely aware of the huge responsibility we all had to bring Lali’s story to the screen in a respectful and authentic way. 

"For research, one of the first things I did was get on a plane to Kraków to visit Auschwitz. I’d been as a young man and found it completely overwhelming, but it was important to go back there in preparation. I needed to see the camp through a new lens, through Lali’s eyes. From there, Naomi Gryn, (the Historical and Cultural Consultant) sent me an amazing list of research material to listen to, to watch and to read, so I just dived in. From that point, it was about finding the right balance between understanding the historical and socio-political context, reading survivors’ accounts, and trying to research as much as possible about Lali himself and his experience there. He gave hours of testimony at different points which helped me to understand him. The final piece of the puzzle was talking to Heather Morris. I met her on a number of occasions and was able to ask all kinds of questions  about Lali. This was truly special - she really gave me a sense of his kindness, his humour and his spirit. 

"Everything has been stripped from the prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkeneau but Gita gives Lali purpose and meaning. He wants to get out of there so he can be with her. The relationship between Lali and concentration camp guard Baretzki is complex. Lali is terrified of Baretzki and thinks he's a monster. But he's also aware he owes his life to him. And Baretzki has this strange admiration for Lali, which is extraordinary, given their power dynamic and status.

"We didn’t want to create a traditional captive and captor relationship. This is fascinating and complex and we didn’t shy away from that. When you have something so evil happening, it creates grey areas and impossible choices have to be made.

"I knew it was going to be very difficult not to bring a lot of my own baggage and preconceptions and even inherited trauma from these events. It is an unavoidably sensitive and painful period of history, and trying to bring it to screen felt overwhelming. But Heather gave me some great advice, which was to start by simply understanding Lali when we first meet him. Focusing on this young man from Krompachy, Slovakia, who was working in the fabric section of a department store in Bratislava. A man who was kind, and funny, and charismatic. Who had a love and appreciation for fashion. A man who wanted to fall in love and go to Paris. A family man. This was a helpful and grounding starting point, and acted as a small window into understanding him and what he then had to endure."

* Jonah Hauer-King played Prince Eric in the live-action Disney movie The Little Mermaid. He's previously starred in BBC1 dramas World on Fire and Howard’s End. He’s also had roles in Little Women, A Dog’s Way Home, Old Boys, Once Upon A Time in Staten Island and The Flatshare. 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak on their harrowing true-life drama

Anna Próchniak on playing Gita Furman 

Anna Próchniak is playing Lale’s kind and brave girlfriend Gita Furman. Anna says; “Reimagining Gita Sokolov and her story for screen has been one of the greatest honours of my career so far, as well as a heartrending experience.

"I’d read the book and I understand the phenomenon of it, because the story is extraordinary and powerful. Gita and Lali find love and hope in a world filled with hatred and horror and in the most inhumane of places. It's beautiful. 

‘You can see their emotions are still there and it was special to watch how Gita smiled and to hear her voice. She and Lali found love and hope in a world filled with hatred and horror in the most inhumane of places. It's beautiful.

"It was the hardest and the most challenging role I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding one. I shaved my head and lost weight. I thought that changing my image completely would be very difficult and emotional, but I was ready for it simply because it was what I had to do to tell Gita’s story. I was doing it in memory of her. In terms of research, I’d already been to Auschwitz and Majdanek, which is in eastern Poland. There is something about those camps that you cannot describe in words. I’m from Poland, which means the subject of the Holocaust has been present in my life since I was a kid. 

"In terms of Gita’s character specifically, there is one book that has been especially impactful and important for me. An Interrupted Life: The Diaries and Letters of Etty Hillesum 1941-43, a Dutch Jewish author who died in Auschwitz. Her diaries are recognised as the most important moral documents of our time and they helped me build Gita’s background and work on her inner life. I watched Gita’s testimony, which was recorded in 1997 when she was 72 and in which she talks about her family, the camp and her life with Lali after the war. It was a very powerful experience that helped me bring her to life. I also watched other Holocaust survivor testimonies, which was especially usefully in terms of exploring trauma in survivors, which is explored in some of the scenes."

* The Polish actress Anna Próchniak has previously starred in Baptiste, The Innocents, Warsaw ’44 and Oleg. 

Melanie Lynskey as Heather Morris

Melanie Lynskey plays author Heather Morris who turned Lale’s story into a bestseller. Her acting debut was in the film Heavenly Creatures and she’s gone on to star in Yellowjackets, The Last of Us, Don’t Look Up, Young Sheldon and Two and a Half Men. She’s also starred in Coyote Ugly, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Castle Rock and Candy. 

Melanie says: “After  the horrors experienced at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the continuation of Lale and Gita Sokolov’s story is finding their new home, and it was years later in Australia Lale felt comfortable to share his story with New Zealand author Heather Morris. As a New Zealand storyteller in my own way, it is a privilege to be a part of the furthering of Lale’s and Gita’s heart-breaking, yet heart-warming story. It’s a reminder of how horrific the Holocaust was, but also an incredible story of a survival and a beautiful love story. 

"I’ve played a real person before and it’s terrifying, but I’ve never been able to talk to the person beforehand. So meeting Heather was wonderful. She’s a life force, so energetic. Before we started the shoot, she sent me a beautiful email pointing out that she’s a very different person today than she was 20 years ago, when she embarked on this journey. She didn’t have a ton of confidence, she was gentler but, following the success of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, she had to learn to become a public person. She gave me her blessing to create a character that was some parts me, some parts of her when she was interviewing Lali, and some parts of her now. Reading the novel also influenced my portrayal of Heather; I understood how spending three years talking to someone multiple times a week means you hear pretty much everything. Wearing the blonde wig helped too – Frances [Hounsom, hair and make-up designer] did a beautiful job of making me look like Heather without it looking as though I was completely in a costume."

Jonas Nay on playing Nazi guard Stefan Baretzki

Jonas Nay plays Stefan Baretzki who was an SS guard at Auschwitz-Birkenau in charge of Lale Sokolov, something Jonas found difficult...

Jonas says: "It wasn’t easy because of everything I learned about him. There are even recordings of him at the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials in 1960, during which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. It was very disturbing to hear him try to defend what he did. At certain points I had to stop, I couldn’t bear to continue to listen to him any more. 

"His life was so different from anything I have experienced: he grew up with a violent father; he fled home as a young man and left his sisters behind; he was put in a position of great power, as an Auschwitz guard, at a very young age. The more I found out, the more I realised it was going to be a hard journey to embody this character. 

"I didn’t have to prepare physically – unlike many of the other actors, I didn’t have to shave my head – but the mental preparation was heavy. Being German, I’m very well-informed on the Holocaust as it is omnipresent during history lessons at school. I did intense research on Auschwitz, specifically on young SS officers who worked there during that period of time. I talked to Heather Morris on the phone and then again when she came to the set in Bratislava. A lot of what Lali told Heather didn’t make it into the original book, so some of that information found its way into my performance.

"There was one scene in particular that I was afraid of from day one. I was doing a very sadistic thing to Lali. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Lali doesn’t react as Baretzki expected him to and so Baretzki has a tantrum, grabs a child and covers the child’s mouth and nose so he can’t breathe. I was afraid of giving the child actor nightmares so I asked if I could meet him beforehand. I turned the whole thing into a game – he also covered my mouth and nose in rehearsal – and hopefully the scene wasn’t so overwhelming for him. The first time I walked on set in a Nazi uniform was awful too. There was no escaping the fact that I was a German playing a Nazi who did abhorrent things." 

* German actor Jonas Nay has also starred in the Deutschland 83, 86, 89 series, Line of Separation, The Accidental Rebel and The Four of Us. 

 Harvey Keitel on playing older Lali Sokolov

Harvey Keitel (The Irishman, Youth) plays the modern-day Lali Sokolov as an older man. Around 60 years after the war, Harvey's Lale meets novice writer Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey). Recently widowed, Lale finds the courage to tell the world his story. In recounting his story to Heather, Lale, in his 80s, faces the traumatic ghosts of his youth and relives his memories of falling in love in the most horrific of places.

Harvey Keitel says of The Tattooist of Auschwitz: "The love story in this project, in the face of the horror, gives testimony to the spirit and the goodness of people.

"I read texts by Eli Wiesel, Viktor Frankl. There are so many important and valuable books. There were many videos of testimony by former prisoners of Auschwitz. There are some video interviews of Lali online... I watched everything I could get my hands on. I met a wonderfully spirited woman - not unlike Lali and Gita - named Celine Karp Biniaz, a “Schindler’s List” survivor, who was at a friend’s gathering to share her experiences with younger generations. There is also a beautiful short documentary by Alan Resnais called “Night and Fog,” which is a must-see."

Who else is starring in The Tattooist Of Auschwitz

Also starring in The Tattooist Of Auschwitz are Tallulah Haddon (Kiss Me First, The Last Duel) as Hanna, Mili Eshet (Beyond the Mountains, Hills) as Ivana, Yali Topol Margalith in her first screen role as Cilka, Phénix Brossard (Little Joe, Benjamin) as Leon, Ilan Galkoff (Good Omens, Hilda) as Aaron, and Marcel Sabat (Tenet, The Windermere Children) as Tomas.

Soundtrack for The Tattooist of Auschwitz — Hans Zimmer and Barbra Streisand

Multi-Academy Award®-winning composer Hans Zimmer (Inception, Interstellar, Dune) and Kara Talve (Prehistoric Planet) will compose the score for this adaptation of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Hans Zimmer, who is best known for his iconic soundtracks to movies The Lion King, Rain Man, Gladiator, and The Dark Knight, will work alongside Kara Talve who is set to score Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming project, Faraway Downs, and is part of Bleeding Fingers, an Emmy-winning and BAFTA-nominated composer collective that was co-founded by Zimmer.

Hans Zimmer says: "Within the depths of Auschwitz, here is a story of hope and love, that transcends boundaries and resonates with the very essence of our humanity. I stand humbled to be part of this extraordinary production and both Kara and I are deeply privileged to compose this score. We invite you to join us on this journey, as we celebrate the human spirit and the power of hope within the darkest corners of history.”

Kara Talve says: “This is a dream project for me; not only does it challenge me artistically but also deeply resonates personally. Like millions of others, my family perished in the camps and to have the privilege to work alongside this incredibly talented team and help bring this story of hope to life has been a unique chance to reflect and as it stands has been the most honorable undertaking of my career thus far.”

 Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, writer, and director, Barbra Streisand has recorded a brand-new song Love Will Survive, which will be the end title of the upcoming Sky and Peacock Original series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

This will be Streisand’s first ever recording for a TV series and will be released globally by Columbia Records on April 25 2024, ahead of the series global launch on May 2nd.

Love Will Survive is composed by two-time Oscar®-winner Hans Zimmer in collaboration with Emmy nominee Kara Talve, part of the Bleeding Fingers Music composer collective, and Grammy-winner Walter Afanasieff, with lyrics by Grammy and Golden Globe nominee Charlie Midnight.

Zimmer and Talve have also composed the original score for the upcoming, six-part, limited series which stars Harvey Keitel, Melanie Lynskey, Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak and Jonas Nay.

Barbra Streisand, whose career spans over six decades and includes multiple award-winning and global hits such as her own composition Evergreen, The Way We Were and Woman in Love, is accompanied on this new recording by the world-class London Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Ross. The song is produced by multiple Grammy winners Walter Afanasieff and Peter Asher. Barbra Streisand, Jay Landers and Russell Emanuel are Executive Producers.

Barbra Streisand says: “Because of the rise in antisemitism around the world today, I wanted to sing “Love Will Survive” in the context of this series, as a way of remembering the six-million souls who were lost less than 80 years ago. And also to say that even in the darkest of times, the power of love can triumph and endure.”

Behind the scenes, locations and more on The Tattooist of Auschwitz

The Auschwitz set was created in Bratislava, Slovakia. 

Anna Próchniak says: "It was rewarding but challenging to go into the camp every day and into that mindset. It took a toll on all the cast and crew and we knew that wasn't even a patch on what it would have been like for the real people. 

Jonah Hauer-King adds:  It was a strange experience going to that set, which they've meticulously recreated. Our production designer did the most incredible job and the camp takes on its own character in the story. It's such a foreboding and imposing place, it was frightening."

* More top shows on Sky are below...

* Django
* Funny Woman
* The Fear Index
* The Gilded Age

Sweetpea is a twisted comic drama on Sky Atlantic and NOW that sees a normal-seeming woman embrace her darker side. It stars Yellowjackets’ Ella Purnell as Rhiannon, a quiet wallflower whose life is transformed when a change encounter with a stranger has a shocking outcome. And rather than sending Rhiannon spiralling, the incident shows her she may actually be capable of anything. Can the girl nobody notices even get away with murder? 

Based on the bestseller Sweetpea by CJ Skuse, here’s everything you need to know about the comedy drama series Sweetpea…

Sweetpea release date 

Sweetpea will launch on Sky Atlantic and Sky Showcase in the UK on Thursday October 10 2024, with weekly episodes from 9pm, plus the full box set on NOW and Sky Box Sets. We'll update this guide with the US channel and air date when it is announced.

Is there a Sweetpea trailer? 

Yes a full Sweetpea trailer has been released by Sky which you can watch below...

There is also a teaser trailer that was released earlier this year...

Sweetpea plot 

In Sweetpea, Rhiannon (Ella Purnell) is an average girl next door, with a dull job and a presence so bland that people walk past her in the street without a second glance.
She’s continually overlooked for promotion, her dad is seriously ill and her love-life is a joke. So when her dog is run over and her father — the only person in her life she can really rely upon — passes away, she finally snaps and sets off on a rampage to claim vengeance on all who’ve wronged her. It ignites a power in her that is both intoxicating and dangerous. Can she bury her dark side once again or will she embrace this new, more deadly, version of herself? 

Sweetpea cast — Ella Purnell on playing Rhiannon

Ella Purnell plays Rhiannon, a woman hiding a terrible secret. "It’s a story of grief and trauma that results in this complete character transformation," says Emma. "There’s also a coming-of-age element, but it’s mostly an exploration of how murder becomes like an addiction for her. Hopefully the audience really gets inside her head, understands and empathises with her."

She claims her first victim when a drunken lout pushes her too far as she walks home along the canal in the opening episode, however after that there’s one name at the very top of Rhiannon’s hitlist. That person is Julia (Nicole Lecky), a luxury estate agent who bullied Rhiannon relentlessly at school, who returns to town after 10 years away and tries to sell the house her late father left her. It’s a move that flicks a switch in Rhiannon and after locking Julia in her basement, she’s determined to take revenge upon the girl who caused her years of unhappiness. 

"Rhiannon develops a moral code during the show," explains Emma. ‘"She believes there are good people and there are bad people, and that the bad people deserve to die. This black-and- white way of thinking is a trauma response she subconsciously adopted at a young age in order to process what happened to her and help her navigate the world."

However as the power dynamic begins to twist between Rhiannon and Julia and all their dirty secrets are laid bare, telling the difference between bully and victim becomes less than straight-forward.

"Rhiannon doesn’t have to be likeable, she’s a serial killer," says Emma. "I’m not interested in her being likeable, I’m interested in her being relatable. Creating a relatable serial killer means that the audience is going to feel conflicted, which is what made Dexter so great!"

The series is based on the books by C.J. Skuse, although Emma, who’s also an executive producer on the six-part series, says the show explores a different part of the story.

"I read the book and the script, with the understanding that they were going to be two very different things," she says. "I loved the tone of the books where Rhiannon is funny, she’s rude, she says what she thinks. She doesn’t seem to care, and she’s already got someone locked in the basement. I was very interested in how she got to that point. This series is more of an origin story exploring the emotional component behind that journey.’"

Yet playing someone in such a vulnerable and insecure mental space was quite a challenge for Emma on the six-month shoot. "I was constantly in the mindset of someone who was incredibly afraid, very lonely, had a lot of anger, and this sense of victimhood, this sense of injustice. Being in that mindset all the time is quite difficult so I messed around with the cast and crew a lot between takes. I became friends with all the people I murdered!"

* Ella Purnell previously played Jackie in Yellowjackets and has also starred in Star Trek: Prodigy, Sweetbitter, Belgravia and Ordeal by Innocence. Ella will be starring in the upcoming Prime Video sseries Fallout and has starred in the movies Churchill, Maleficent, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Army of the Dead. 

 Who else is starring in Sweetpea?

Sweetpea also stars Nicôle Lecky (Mood, Sense8) as Julia, Jon Pointing (Big Boys, Smothered) as Craig, Calam Lynch (Bridgerton) as AJ and Leah Harvey (Foundation) as Marina. Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso) is Norman while Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses) is Jeff.

Behind the scenes and more on Sweetpea

Sweetpea is a six-part series produced by See-Saw Films and fanboy in association with Sky Studios, adapted from C.J. Skuse’s cult novel of the same name by Executive Producer Kirstie Swain (Pure), written by Kirstie Swain, alongside Krissie Ducker (Killing Eve), Laura Jayne Tunbridge and Selina Lim (Sex Education, Hanna). 

Commissioning Editor, Manpreet Dosanjh, is Executive Producer for Sky Studios. Executive Producer for fanboy is Patrick Walters (Heartstopper), and Executive Producers for See- Saw Films are Helen Gregory, Iain Canning, and Emile Sherman. Ella Purnell also serves as Executive Producer. Zorana Piggott (Heartstopper) is the Series Producer. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handle international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios.

The series is directed by award-winning director Ella Jones (The Baby, Back To Life), who also serves as Executive Producer. 

Small Town, Big Story is set in a small town in Ireland with a big secret to hide. And things get tough when a Hollywood production decides to shoot a movie on their doorstep, threatening to uncover truths that have stayed hidden since the turn of the Millennium. 

Created and directed by Bridesmaids star Chris O’Dowd, the series stars Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks as Wendy Patterson, a local girl turned hot-shot TV producer, and Paddy Considine as local doctor Seamus Proctor, who is a pillar of the community. 

Chris O’Dowd says: “I bloody love television, and am most engrossed by stories that bring the remarkable to the everyday. I hope we’ve made a beautiful show that an audience will find funny and will keep people on the edge of their seats…and beyond.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the series Small Town, Big Story…

Small Town, Big Story release date

Small Town, Big Story is a six-part series launching on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Thursday 27 February 2025. As soon as we hear details on its US release and channel, we'll update here. 

Is there a trailer for Small Town, Big Story?

Yes a trailer for Small Town, Big Story has just been released by Sky. Do take a look below...

Small Town, Big Story plot 

Small Town, Big Story follows the residents of Drumban, a small rural village on the border of Ireland and ‘another world’, who have been keeping a huge secret since the eve of the Millennium. But then a big Hollywood production team, with top producer Wendy Patterson (Christina Hendricks) arrives to film an epic drama in the village and throws the area into the spotlight. Can the residents, a collection of ‘rattled misfits’, keep long-buried truths from being revealed to the world? 

The locals often meet in The White Ridge bar (see pictured below), a quintessential Irish pub at the heart of the village. A gathering place for a band of Drumbánian oddballs. There's a mystery llama involved too (see main picture above).

Small Town, Big Story cast — Christina Hendricks on playing Wendy Patterson

Christina Hendricks plays local girl done good Wendy Patterson, who’s now a Hollywood TV producer who returns to Drumbán after over 20 years, having left there under something of a cloud. 

Christina says: "Small Town, Big Story is about a town in rural Ireland. It becomes the location for this big Hollywood production.  It's all about location. I play Wendy, a film producer who is coming back to her hometown. I bring this big Hollywood production to this small place that’s never experienced anything like this. So, it's my old world and my new world combining. The story is about the town's reaction to having Hollywood on its doorstep and a studio and crew adapting to being in this small town. And then, of course, there's a spin on the fact that there's also something else happening which involves several of the characters and Wendy’s past.
"We meet Wendy in California, in Los Angeles. We see a little bit of her surroundings, her home, and we get to know her just a little bit. There are some little clues about her lifestyle. We quickly find out that she's got this work opportunity. A new producing gig back in her childhood home in Ireland for this big studio called History with a Twist. Its’ a bigger project than she's ever worked on before. So, it's a big deal for Wendy. You will discover that she might just be a little bit in over her head. She's learning as she goes, but she's really trying to have this confident pose about herself, saying, "I got this," but as the story progresses things really start to fall apart for her a little bit.
In Small Town Big Story, we have a lot of flashbacks to the millennium and a teenage Wendy and Seamus. We see Wendy’s adolescence back in Drumbán. They capture those sort of awkward teen moments but beautiful moments you have growing up. She’s young, a gothy rock'n'roll teenager interested in Seamus with the world at her feet. I think the Wendy I play remains that person a little bit, but you start to see that maybe she felt a little bit like an outsider back then. The flashbacks are all moments in her life that revolve around the time something rather significant happened in her life. (She had this alien abduction.) So young Wendy and adult Wendy are not too far apart; they are very similar and have experienced this event that really changed her trajectory.
"Wendy starts out very trepidatious about going home to Ireland. It's been over 20 years, she's completely reinvented herself in LA with her job, but she has this opportunity to bring this big production back home.
She thinks, if she's ever going to go back and confront her past, if she's going to have a relationship with her father again and really put to bed her negative feelings about this hometown, this is the time to do it.  And why not come back as a big Hollywood producer with this big fancy show and say, "Hey, look at me, I'm back," in such a grand way. She starts off on this journey to confront her past and finds out very quickly that it's not as satisfying as she hoped it would be. All the channels she’s using to try to reconnect with people from the smalltown are falling apart here and there. Her whole plan is not working; the production is not going well, the relationships are not going well, and then there are all these signs of the otherworldly events, that happened before are happening again. So, there's this uncertainty of what's going to happen next, all around her."

* Christina Hendricks is best known for her role as Joan Harris in the hit show Mad Men but she’s also starred in Bad Girls, Bad Santa 2, Ginger and Rosa, The Buccaneers and Tin Star and voiced characters in animations such as Robot Chicken, Solar Opposites, Scoob and Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy. 

Who else is starring in Small Town, Big Story? 

Small Town, Big Story has a great cast. Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon, The Third Day and The Outsider) is Drumban’s local doctor Seamus Proctor. He has a neat and well-ordered life, or at least he thinks he does. Soon he will find himself in the eye of a storm as a celluloid circus descends, threatening to blow open a secret he has been harboring since the Millennium.

David Wilmot plays Keith McCurdle , Michelle Forbes is Barbara the butcher, Peter McGann is Matt Magee and Evanne Kilgallon barkeeper Shelly McGoldrick.

Chris O'Dowd cameos as a Drumban local Jack E McCarthy, plus look out for Eileen Walsh (Catastrophe) as Catherine Proctor, Séamus’ wife and local schoolteacher. Leia Murphy (Fair City) and David Rawle (Moone Boy) star as siblings Joanne and Sonny Proctor. Patrick Martins (The Confessions of Frannie Langton) stars as Jules O’Brien, Evanne Kilgallon (Obituary) stars as Shelly McGoldrick, Andrew Bennett (The Quiet Girl) stars as Barry Battles, Ruth McCabe (Aisha) stars as Betty Battles, David Wilmot (The Alienist) stars as Keith McCurdle, Michèle Forbes (Omagh) stars as Barbara the Butcher. Sam C Wilson (House of The Dragon) stars as Big Jim, Peter McGann (The Apprentice) stars as Matt Magee, Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club) stars as Production Peggy, Jamie Michie (Game Of Thrones) stars as Pubba McGoldrick, Ian McElhinney (The Split) stars as Reverend Patterson, Clarke Peters (The Wire) stars as Chet Donald, Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric Awesome Show) stars as Brad.

Behind the scenes and more on Small Town, Big Story

Small Town, Big Story is a Sky Original series produced by Playground / FilmNation Entertainment and HotCod Productions in association with Sky Studios. Executive producers are Colin Callender and Scott Huff for Playground, Glen Basner, Milan Popelka and Stefanie Berk for FilmNation Entertainment, and Alex Moody for Sky Studios. Christina Hendricks and Chris O’Dowd are executive producers, Liz Gill is series producer. Directors include Chris O’Dowd, Catherine Morshead, as well as Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handle international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios.

Chris O'Dowd says: "I'd been looking for something to set in the northwest of Ireland. I'd previously shot in Boyle before with Moone Boy, and I always wanted to go back, but never got around to it. I suppose I was looking for a ‘Small Town’ story but this time I wanted to make somewhere up – ‘Drumbán’. 

"Then a producer friend got in touch with me. They had been watching something I had written and had enjoyed it, so he asked me if I wanted to work together. He was working in Northern Ireland when they were filming Game of Thrones, and we ruminated on the phone about what a fun story it would be, one about a small town and what it might look like after a big show production had left. That was the initial idea. Then in development I did a rewind and thought about what that town would look like beforehand too.

"I had also just reread a play called "The Visit" by Frederick Dürrenmatt. It's a complex revenge story which is an interesting journey for its lead character to go on. I wanted these two ideas meshed, those two elements, and then I thought it also needed a secret that characters could keep or not keep. That’s the part about aliens, which has always been a big part of my experiences in Boyle anyway. Even when I created Moone Boy we had an episode about an alien - Boyle was the UFO capital of Europe. I feel the idea is all in those things together."

The Death of Bunny Munro brings rock star Nick Cave’s novel to life and features Doctor Who and The Crown star Matt Smith. 

This dark comedy series sees Matt playing the titular Bunny, a door-to-door salesman. After the suicide of his wife Libby, sex addict and lothario Bunny finds himself the sole carer of his nine-year-old son Bunny Junior, with very little idea of how to parent. As the pair embark on a road trip across southern England, Bunny Junior starts to unravel as a result of his grief and Bunny realizes he must rescue his son from his own outdated notions of masculinity. The Death of Bunny Munro is a wild cautionary tale and a tender portrait of a father and son. 

"To work alongside Nick Cave on The Death of Bunny Munro feels like a great honor. It’s a brilliant exploration of love, grief, and chaos. At its heart a deep, difficult, and tender story about a father and son, coping with loss and change," says Matt Smith.

Nick Cave adds, “Finally, someone with the courage to take on this unholy tale. I am thrilled that Sky and Clerkenwell Films are bringing Bunny to life, in all his flawed glory, and I can think of nobody better than Matt Smith to play him." 

Here’s everything we know about the six-part Sky Atlantic series The Death of Bunny Munro…

The Death of Bunny Munro release date

The Death of Bunny Munro is a six-part series will premiere in 2025 on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK. When we find out where US viewers can catch it, we’ll let you know on this page. Similarly, when a release date is announced, we’ll update you on here. 

The Death of Bunny Munro plot 

Bunny Munro (Matt Smith) is a door-to-door beauty product salesman who tries to seduce any woman he meets. Then, his wife Libby kills herself and Bunny finds himself saddled with his nine-year-old son Bunny Junior (Rafael Mathé). Together the pair embark on an epic road trip across southern England, both dealing with their grief in very different ways. While Bunny tries to bed every woman he can, Bunny Junior spends his time talking to his mother’s ghost and trying to distract himself from the fact his dad is a chaotic mess. As Bunny Junior starts to spiral, Bunny realises he must do something to rescue his son from his own outdated notions of what it is to be a man.

The Death of Bunny Munro cast — Matt Smith as Bunny Munro 

Matt Smith plays messed-up dad Bunny. He’s possibly best known for playing The Doctor in Doctor Who and Prince Philip in the first two series of The Crown. Matt also stars as Prince Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon and has appeared in Morbius, Last Night in Soho, The Forgiven and The Street. 

Who else is starring in The Death of Bunny Munro? 

Newcomer Rafael Mathé plays Bunny Munro's son Bunny Junior. The rest of the cast for The Death of Bunny Munro has yet to be named but we’ll update this page as soon as any announcements are made.

Is there a trailer? 

Not yet but watch this space for us to update...

Behind the scenes

The Death of Bunny Munro began filming in spring 2024. The six-part series is written by BAFTA winner Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy) and directed by Isabella Eklöf (Industry, Holiday), based on Nick Cave’s sophomore novel, is produced by Clerkenwell Films in association with Sky Studios. Acclaimed musician and writer Nick Cave also serves as Executive Producer.

The Gilded Age season 2 is seeing the battle for social prominence in 1880s New York City step up a gear.

In the eight-part run, which starts this month on HBO and Sky Atlantic and is penned by Downton Abbey creator Lord Julian Fellowes and Sonja Warfield (Will & Grace), the clash between old money and new is once more at the forefront following the class tensions of The Gilded Age season 1. 

While ruthless nouveau riche railroad tycoon George Russell (Morgan Spector) and his ambitious wife Bertha (Carrie Coon) continue to battle for their place among the Manhattan elite, the Russells’ neighbours – caustic Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), her kindly sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) and their spirited niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson) – whose wealth is long-established, face turmoil of their own.

What To Watch caught up with Lord Julian Fellowes to find out more about The Gilded Age season 2…

The Gilded Age season 2 has a big arc involving Bertha (Carrie Coon) clashing with socialite Mrs Astor (Donna Murphy) over the two opera houses – the established Academy of Music and the new Metropolitan Opera House – in New York City. What can you tell us about that?

“I write about social ambition, and society has always been run by women, they were in charge, powerful, and fighting for prominence. At that time, the Academy tried to keep out the new people, so the Gilded Age wives decided to build their own opera house [the Metropolitan]. They did everything better and got the best singers because they had unlimited money. They created a season no other opera house in the world could match. It’s extraordinary drama. The struggle infuses the season.”

There are lots of new faces this time including Robert Sean Leonard as caring vicar Rev Luke Forte, who catches Ada’s eye, Laura Benanti as widow Susan Blane, who employs Bertha’s architect son Larry (Harry Richardson), and David Furr as Dashiell Montgomery, who could be a match for Marian. Can you tease how these stories pan out?

“We have some fantastic actors. And these are emotionally driven storylines, with different outcomes. I’m interested in asking how, when a life isn't going to plan, would it be sensible to settle or should you hang out for what you've longed for? It’s a quandary and we explore the two sides… Agnes made a marriage where she settled for security, social and prominence and it wasn’t easy. But she has a mixed response to people who aren't prepared to make that compromise.”

We also see the challenges experienced by the Black community through the eyes of Marian’s writer friend Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), who turns to activism when she learns about life in the Deep South on a visit to the Tuskegee Institute, a school in Alabama. What can you reveal?

“Tuskegee was a really interesting discovery for me because it was in a place where racial prejudice was at its worst but its specific goals were to open society to young Black men and women. And that seemed so extraordinary, but it was all completely true. We immediately realised here was a really good setting to say all sorts of things about our characters.”

The struggles of the working class are showcased when George Russell is thrown into a bitter confrontation with the growing unions, as his steelworkers are demanding better pay and rights. Does that feel important to highlight?

“Yes, this was a period of upcoming world disruption that would result in the First World War. There’s a background of simmering trouble while people are trying to give a false sense that everything is secure. I think you can find elements of that in the world today, that we are living in a very disturbed era.” 

What do you enjoy about exploring this period?

“Things about the Gilded Age kept cropping up for me. And finally, they started to turn into a kind of coherent story and a very distinct period in New York in America's history. It was a period like almost no other. I can't think of an equivalent of the Gilded Age in Europe. But the Gilded Age is quite specifically from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the First War, and the more I read, the more interested I got in it.”

The Gilded Age season 2 airs in the US on Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO and in the UK on Mondays at 9 pm on Sky Atlantic.

Domina creator Simon Burke was blown away by the response to Domina season 1 and says viewers should be very excited about this year's offering, Domina season 2.

However, while the drama was a hit with fans and critics alike, there was one group of people who found his interpretation of Roman history infuriating, demanding it be taken off the air! 

Burke says sections of the Italian press were outraged to see one of the most celebrated figures from their country's history, Emperor Caesar Augustus, depicted as a leader who relied on the advice of a woman. 

Augustus is played by British actor Matthew McNulty in the show, yet the story revolves around his wife, Livia Drusilla, played by Polish-Italian actor Kasia Smutniak, who's depicted as the real power behind his throne.

"The Italian fascist press were really offended by the first season," says Burke. "Augustus is one of their great figures — like King Arthur to the British... even though he didn't exist, unlike Augustus. 

"He's like a mythical figure from a time when the Italians were really successful. They're really proud of him and the Roman Empire, but they were so offended by the idea that he was advised by a woman and she was behind all his triumphs. There were big articles saying how terrible the show was and how it was a disgrace and should be taken off the air."

The second season will see Livia and Augustus (who goes by his birth name Gaius in the show) returning to Rome to find the city in the grip of famine and on the brink of revolt. 

• Domina season 2 cast: who's who in the historical epic

Meanwhile, Livia and Gaius also face open revolt from their assorted children, many of whom have their own ambitions for power...

"This series is certainly a lot more violent," explains Burke. "There's more sex, violence and a lot more blackmail. We were just able to push Livia a lot further."

"The first season had to cover a lot of important events, but this time we had less to work with in terms of facts and things that actually happened. We're able to invest more in the characters, internal tensions, death feuds and vendettas — we were able to bring it up to a whole new level." 

Domina season 2 is on Sky Atlantic and Now in the UK. In the US, it's currently available on MGM+. 

The Domina season 2 cast is set for a right Roman romp on Sky Atlantic, but keeping track of who's who can be trickier than negotiating the senate's power politics!

In 2021’s Domina season 1 we followed young noblewoman, Livia Drusilla, as she battled to honor the promise she made to her late father and restore the republican state in Rome. 

The first step on that path was marrying Gaius Augustus, who became the first Emperor of Rome. Yet in a climactic series finale, Livia murdered Gaius’ nephew, Marcellus, and installed her own son Tiberius as her husband’s heir, in a move that now threatens to rip Rome’s ruling family in two. 

As the eight-part second series begins, Livia and Gaius are returning to Rome after spending three years in the Eastern provinces, to find the city in the grip of famine and the population on the brink of revolt. 

Yet it's not just their rivals who are plotting against them — some of their family are at it as well! We take a look at the most important players in Domina season 2...

Kasia Smutniak plays Livia Drusilla 

Livia Drusilla, scion of one of the Five Great Families, is married to the most powerful man in Rome, the First Citizen, Gaius Augustus (his third wife). She has sworn to avenge her father’s death and restore the Republic. Despite her brilliant political machinations, this season it will be harder than ever to achieve her goal.

Where have I seen Kasia Smutniak before? The Italian-Polish actress appeared opposite Robert Downey Jr in 2020 movie Dolittle. 

Matthew McNulty plays Gaius

Gaius Augustus, self-styled First Citizen of Rome is Emperor in all but name. He has consolidated his power thanks to the help of his wife, Livia. Their marriage and political partnership will be tested to its limits when he loses sight of how important she is to him and must risk everything to cement his standing. 

Where have I seen Matthew McNulty before? The actor has starred in a host of dramas, including The Terror, Versailles and The Musketeers.

Ben Batt plays Agrippa

Agrippa is Gaius’ closest friend and right-hand man and, along with Livia, he ensures Gaius retains a firm grip on power. He’s also Livia’s closest confidante and husband to Julia, the First Citizen’s only daughter. Despite his brotherly bond with Gaius, over the course of the season, Agrippa must make some hard decisions about the future of their friendship.

Where have I seen Ben Batt before? The British actor has starred in a number of UK-based shows, including Our Girl, The Promise and In The Dark. 

Benjamin Isaac plays Tiberius

Livia’s eldest son Tiberius is traumatised by dark memories of his childhood and abuse from his father Nero. He’s increasingly reluctant to fulfill Livia’s ambition for him and his brother with the mission to restore the Republic. Although he finds some love and light with his new wife, Vipsania, the corruption of Rome overwhelms him and he risks the destruction of his family. 

Where have I seen Benjamin Isaac before? Aside from 2020 short film The Unravelling, Tiberius is Benjamin's first on-screen role. 

Ewan Horrocks plays Drusus

Livia’s youngest son Drusus is headstrong and wilful but finds some equilibrium with his new wife Antonina. An accomplished military commander, Drusus begins to draw the envy of Gaius. Oblivious to the increased threat he poses to his Stepfather, this will lead to him paying the ultimate price for his ambitions.

Where have I seen Ewan Horrocks before? Ewan has previously appeared in Netflix's historical saga The Last Kingdom and its spin-off film Seven Kings Must Die. 

Isabelle Connoly plays Antonina

Octavia’s youngest daughter and Gaius’ favorite niece, Antonina grows into a stable and wise presence for her new husband, Drusus. She accompanies him on military campaigns and quickly endears herself to Livia — the daughter she never had. The two women work together to rein in Drusus’ ambitions but even her best efforts fall short in the end.

Where have I seen Isabelle Connoly before? Isabelle has previously starred in Netflix thriller Stay Close. 

Claire Forlani plays Octavia

Gaius’ sister, Octavia is still grieving for her murdered son, Marcellus. She holds Livia responsible and will try to throw her off course wherever she can. As time passes, the two women seem to find some common ground but Octavia will demand that Gaius exact a terrible revenge for the wrong that Livia has done her.

Where have I seen Claire Forlani before? The English actress has appeared in a slew of movies including Meet Joe Black, Mallrats, Green Street, The Rock and Black Beauty. 

Christine Bottomley plays Scribonia

Gaius’ ex-wife Scribonia (his second marriage) has always been jealous of Livia and sees an opportunity to ruin her when she starts plotting with Gaius’ lover, Gemina. She becomes preoccupied with securing her line of succession through Julia, the daughter she shares with Gaius, and is determined to preserve her legacy at the expense of Livia. 

Where have I seen Christine Bottomley before? Christine has appeared in UK-based shows such as Back To Life, EastEnders, Heartbeat, Shameless and In The Club.

Alex Lanipekun plays Tycho 

After the death of his wife, Antigone, Tycho returns to Rome with his young daughter, Aelina, to work for Livia. He is her most steadfast enforcer, whom she trusts with her life implicitly. He will go above and beyond the call of duty in her service. However, even his loyalty is tested to its limits.

Where have I seen Alex Lanipekun before? Alex is best known for his role as Ben Kaplan in BBC espionage drama Spooks. 

David Avery plays Domitius

Ambitious young aristocrat Domitius has recently joined Gaius’ family through his marriage to Octavia’s daughter, Antonia. Cunning and deceitful, he soon proves himself to be a thorn in Livia’s side. Despite his intelligence, his blindspot is underestimating Livia’s capabilities and she will come to outsmart him at every turn. He is also having an affair with Marcella.

Where have I seen David Avery before? The British actor has had roles in The Night Manager and Gangs of London.

Hannah Chinn plays Antonia 

Octavia’s eldest daughter, Antonia, is married to the smart and politically savvy aristocrat Domitius. As he grows in Gaius’ favour, pressure increases on her to have children and provide an heir. Domitius is frequently cruel and manipulative to her behind closed doors but Antonia has limited options to turn to and it’s up to Livia to ultimately intervene to keep her niece safe.

Where have I seen Hannah Chinn before? Hannah starred opposite Colm Meaney in 2021 film There's Always Hope. 

Joelle plays Vipsania 

Agrippa’s daughter, Vipsania, refuses to play the conventional power games expected of Roman aristocratic life. She is happily married to fellow outsider, Tiberius, and is able to tame his more destructive instincts. She is a key force for good in her husband’s life but this will come crashing down when Tiberius is forced to choose between his wife and his mother. 

Where have I seen Joelle before? The English singer and actor made her screen debut in Hollywood blockbuster Dune back in 2021. 

Aläis Lawson plays Marcella 

Marcella shares her mother Octavia’s suspicion and hatred of Livia because of her brother’s murder. Stuck in a loveless marriage with Iullus, she’s embarked on an illicit affair with Domitius. Both manipulative and vengeful characters they’re well-suited to each other but when she falls pregnant and Iullus refuses to claim paternity for another man’s child, she’s faced with an impossible dilemma.

Where have I seen Aläis Lawson before? Aläis appeared alongside Carey Mulligan in 2018 BBC drama Collateral. 

Liah O'Prey plays Julia

Gaius’ daughter Julia continues her illicit affair with Iullus despite being married to Agrippa. The threat of this secret coming to light compels her to throw herself at the mercy of Livia. When circumstances conspire to force her into an unwanted marriage to Tiberius, Julia’s life takes a darker turn and she sets off on a dangerous path of self-destruction.

Where have I seen Liah O'Prey before? The Spanish-born Irish-French actress has previously starred in 2018 history film Mary Queen of Scots and TV series Marie Antoinette. 

Joseph Ollman plays Iullus

Octavia’s stepson Iullus is unhappily married to Marcella and continuing his affair with Julia. When it’s discovered that Julia’s been unfaithful, there’s a real risk he will pay with his life. Livia intervenes and saves his skin but things between him and Julia will never be the same again and he struggles to assert himself in the shifting power dynamics of Rome. 

Where have I seen Joseph Ollman before? Joseph has had roles in TV shows such as Industry, Knightfall and Vampire Academy. 

Darrell D'Silva plays Piso

The closest thing Livia has to a father figure, Piso, remains determined to help her in her mission to restore the Republic. He is consigliere and wise counsel in her moments of greatest need and will be by her side when Livia faces her most lethal threat. 

Where have I seen Darrell D'Silva before? Darrell has had a long and distinguished career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and screen roles in Van Der Valk, Informer and even an Ironborn in season 6 of Game of Thrones. 

Domina season 2 is arriving on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Wednesday, September 13 2023 and is available to watch in the US on MGM+

Domina season 2 is going to be majorly exciting for the fans of the Roman peccadillos-and-poisonings epic. Domina series 1 played out in eight-episode glory a couple of years back so we most definitely are hankering for more of Kasia Smutniak and Matthew McNulty's return as Ancient Rome's power couple Livia Drusilla and Gaius. There are some major spoilers from here on so do look away if you haven’t finished Season 1, but the conclusion of that series saw Rome’s power pairing Gauis (aka Caesar Augustus) and his mega-manipulative spouse Livia Drusilla patch up their differences over the murder of his nephew (and successor) Marcellus. 

The couple seemed ready to rule Rome in any way they see fit, with Livia of course in a powerful position to pull as many strings as possible. So of course we need to see what happens next and there's plenty left in their lives in history to make a cracking good second season…

Here’s everything you need to know about Domina season 2...

Domina season 2 release date 

Domina season 2 launches in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Wednesday, September 13 with a double bill at 9 pm then 10.05 pm. 

In addition to airing on Sky across Europe during the summer of 2023, Domina season 2 launched on MGM+ in the US from Sunday July 9 2023.

How to watch Domina season 2: stream the Roman historical epic online

Is there a trailer for Domina season 2?

Yes there are trailers for Domina season 2. Take a look below to see what's next for Livia Drusilla and Gauis in Ancient Rome. Looks like things are just as dangerous as in Domina season 1.

Domina Season 2 plot

Domina season 2 follows a major power struggle for control of the Roman Empire, and of Rome’s Imperial Family, and the story is again told from the female perspective. In its first season, Livia Drusilla, the golden girl of the prominent Claudii family, returned to Rome after 10 years in exile, determined to regain everything that was stolen from her. Now, atop a fractious empire and a dysfunctional dynasty, she must fight to preserve her marriage to Gaius and find a way to seat one of her sons on the throne, as new and old rivals jockey for position in a world where it’s impossible to know who to trust.  

Interviews: Kasia Smutniak, Matthew McNulty and Claire Forlani give the lowdown on Domina season 2 from the set in Rome

Domina actor Kasia Smutniak stands in the shadow of a towering stone temple and imagines what life must have been like for Livia Drusilla, who rose to become the first empress of Rome… 

Whattowatch.com was invited to Cinecitta Studios, the iconic film lot just outside the Italian capital where Domina season 2 is being filmed, and the show’s leading lady is proving the perfect guide. 

"This is a really special place with so much history," says Smutniak. "I was delighted to come back and continue Livia’s story, because there’s so much more to tell and this year’s season is more dynamic and much darker than the first – in fact it’s as dark as hell! It feels like in the first season we were building this world and all these characters were cooking, but now they’re exploding."

In 2021’s first season we followed young noblewoman Livia Drusilla as she battled to honour the promise she made to her late father and restore the republican state in Rome. The first step on that path was marrying Gaius Augustus (Matthew McNulty) who became the first emperor of Rome. Yet in a climactic season finale, Livia murdered Gaius’ nephew, Marcellus, and installed her own son Tiberius (Benjamin Isaac) as her husband’s heir in a move that now threatens to rip Rome’s ruling family in two.

"The first season was all about gaining power, maintaining power, and Gaius’s drive to be a god," explains McNulty as he joins us on set. ‘In the second season, he is having an existential crisis. He’s got control, but there’s a bit of paranoia about the fact that his power is slipping away. The younger characters now have their own ambitions, and he’s got to worry about them." 

The opening episode of the new eight-part run begins with Livia and Gaius returning to Rome after spending three years in the Eastern provinces. They find the city in the grip of famine and the population on the brink of revolt. 

Meanwhile, Livia’s second son Drusus (Ewan Horrocks) has caused outrage by openly parading his love affair with an Austrian concubine, even though he’s engaged to be married to Antonina (Isabelle Connolly), daughter of Gaius’ sister, Octavia. 

It’s an insult too far for Octavia, who’s furious with her brother for allowing his wife to get away with the murder of her beloved son, Marcellus. 

"Octavia is emboldened this season" says Claire Forlani, who plays her. "Her son is dead and there’s nothing for her to fear anymore, because she’s lost everything. She never thought her brother would betray her, but she feels like he has."

Livia knows she must deal with Drusus to avoid further hostility, but she also has to convince her eldest son Tiberius and his wife Vipsania – daughter of Gaius’ faithful lieutenant Agrippa – of his part in her plans. 

"Livia’s sons grew up with Gaius, but they’re not his sons,’ says Smutniak. "She loves them so much and would do anything for them, but on the other side her ambition is so big that she would give up their lives to achieve it. Drusus is ambitious and loves to fight, while Tiberius is clever but has no ambition. They can’t abandon each other and they both need Livia, so it’s like a tragic triangle." 

Meanwhile, Octavia’s daughter Marcella and her new lover Domitius are desperately plotting against her, while Marcella’s husband Iullus continues a dangerous affair with Gaius’ daughter Julia. 

"Last time we saw how difficult it was for the young characters to be standing on their own two feet," explains Smutniak. "Now in the second season, we have all the little girls growing up and becoming women and dealing with what Livia is feeling. They’re fighting to survive in society." 

What more could happen in Domina Season 2?

Livia Drusilla and Gauis had reconciled at the end of Domina Season 1, after he’d vanquished his Republican enemies in the senate and they both put the matter of Marcellus’ murder (connived by Livia and friends) behind them, much to the annoyance of Livia’s sworn enemies Gauis’ ex wife Scribonia and his sister Octavia. We know that there’s plenty more to come for the power couple, from being big fans of the classic series I, Claudius, based on the famous book by Robert Graves. 

In that BBC history of their lives, Livia sets about securing the succession for her troubled son Tiberius, shown as a terrapin-obsessed sexually deviant teenager in Domina. In I, Claudius, Livia (played by the amazing Sian Phillips) lives to see Tiberius eventually make it to emperor, despite him hating his mother for all her meddling in his life. Nothing on this aspect of Livia has yet come to screen in Domina Season 1 so that’s what we’re really hoping for in Domina Season 2. 

We know too Livia also had a hand in getting Gauis' daughter Julia banished to a small island, plus she connived to see Julia's son Posthumous banished then murdered. in fact, her 'kill count' greatly increased the older Livia got!

In I, Claudius we also saw Livia having an extraordinary relationship with her grandson Caligula (played by John Hurt in the BBC drama), teaching him much about the dark arts. We know she didn’t live to see Caligula become the mad emperor, after her equally bonkers son Tiberius, but she was a profound influence on him, so we feel sure this would be explored in a Domina Season 2.

Our team at Whattowatch.com were so eager to know about Domina season 2 so we took the liberty of contacting the team behind the show to squeeze out some exclusive news. Here’s what a show insider told us:  “Everyone is delighted with the viewers’ reaction to Domina. There's something for everyone — stunning scenery, exquisite costumes, intriguing characters — all wrapped up in gripping storylines. And this is history so the narrative can go on and on!  So many people who have binged the series have been asking what happens next for Livia and Gaius!”

Domina season 2 cast

Domina Season 2 again sees Kasa Smutniak as Livia and Matthew McNulty as Gauis. Other returning cast includes Liah O’Prey (Julia), Ben Batt (Marcus Agrippa), Ewan Horrocks (Drusus), Claire Forlani (Octavia), Darrell D’Silva (Piso), Christine Bottomley (Scribonia), and Alais Lawson (Marcella).

Domina has expanded its cast for this second season with Benjamin Isaac (Holmes & Watson) joining as Tiberius, Joelle (Dune, The School for Good and Evil) as Vipsania, and David Avery (Doctor Who, The Inbetweeners Movie) as young aristocrat Domitius.

We doubt Liam Cunningham will be seen as Livia’s father Livius again. We’re not sure an actor of Liam’s calibre will sign up just for flashbacks, and there's only so many of them you can have of them. 

No news either on Antigone, the freed slave and chief poisoner in Domina Season 1. Colette Tchantcho was simply too brilliant in the role to recast it.

* Domina season 2 cast: who's who in the historical epic

How to watch Domina season 1

Domina season 1 is now available on Sky Atlantic, NOW, and Sky Box Sets in the UK, and on the US on streaming service EPIX

• Full list of Now TV shows

Comedy romance The Lovers on Sky Atlantic will show us that just when you think two people are utterly wrong for one another, they might actually be the perfect match. 

Starring Genius actor Johnny Flynn and The Fall star Roisin Gallagher, the six-part series arriving in 2023 follows sweary Belfast supermarket worker Janet as she finds herself falling for suave, egotistical political broadcaster Seamus. Can you really find your soulmate in the most unlikely of places? It seems you can...

Here’s everything you need to know about Sky Atlantic series The Lovers...

The Lovers release date

The Lovers is a six-part series that will launch on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Thursday September 7 at 9pm, so it's a big part of Sky's 2023 Autumn TV. The entire series will also be available on Sky Box Sets from that date. We'll update on any US or international air dates and which US channel The Lovers will arrive on.

Is there a trailer for The Lovers? 

Yes there's a trailer for The Lovers and the romance between the mismatched screen pair looks fun! Do take a look below...

The Lovers plot

The Lovers is a six-parter that follows Belfast shop worker Janet (Roisin Gallagher) who doesn’t care much about anything including her own life. So when a handsome political broadcaster Seamus (Johnny Flynn) climbs into her back yard she really shouldn’t give him much thought. After all he’s selfish, seems to have the perfect life in London, and has hooked up with a celebrity girlfriend Frankie (Alice Eve). The pair are poles apart yet for some reason they seem to be inexplicably drawn to one another, showing that sometimes love can show up in entirely the wrong place. 

The Lovers cast — Roisin Gallagher on playing Janet

In The Lovers, Roisin Gallagher plays the potty-mouthed and hilarious Janet. 

Roisin reveals: "Janet jumped off the script. I instantly cared about her. I think people will recognise Janet, if not her cheeky, hard edge then they’ll recognise her strength and grit.

"Janet’s had a hard paper round, as we say in Belfast. She has had some bad experiences, but she’s trying to hang in there. I find her very courageous. She has an epic sense of humour that she uses to cover up her many insecurities, because she’s very lost when we first meet her. 

"Like all good love stories, Janet and Seamus' relationship is full of tension, obstacles, desire, thrill, expectation... disappointment. It’s beautiful to see these two creatures connect with each other despite having nothing in common and very different views on the world.

"Johnny Flynn is great craic! He is so much fun to work with, and is a very kind and generous actor. I feel that playing opposite Johnny makes me better at what I do as he asks great questions that can expand the potential of a scene. I’m learning from him every day. I don’t know if he realises that, but I do!"

* Earlier this year Roisin Gallagher starred in the series The Dry playing Shiv, an alcoholic who returns from London to family life in Dublin. She’s also had roles in The Fall, Come Home, Made In Belfast and Doctors.

Johnny Flynn on playing Seamus in The Lovers

Johnny Flynn, who plays political broadcaster Seamus in The Lovers, reveals: "At the beginning of the story, Seamus and Janet are so entrenched in their exterior identities. But through waves of discovery, they get to find their true selves. David always talks about them being two aspects of his own psyche battling it out, which I really love. 

"Seamus is a semi-famous current affairs journalist who has just been given his first TV show. At first, he comes across as arrogant, but it’s actually a facility for hiding trauma – and I’ve enjoyed revealing this as the story goes on. It’s fun leaning into those slightly Alan Partridge facets of him and then taking them away and going, ‘Oh, he’s actually sweet’.

"Life is messy and Seamus isn’t perfect. He doesn’t deal with his situation in the best way. It’s good storytelling because it doesn’t let Seamus off the hook. You should feel angry with him and hurt for Frankie, but it shows that not everybody is perfect for each other. The story is told in a responsible way because it emphasises that Frankie hasn’t done anything wrong."

* Johnny Flynn has previously starred as William Dobbin in the mini series Vanity Fair and played a young Albert Einstein in Genius. He’s also had roles in Les Miserables, Lovesick, Operation Mincemeat and The Dig. He also played David Bowie in the film Stardust. Johnny will voice Bob Cratchit in the upcoming Netflix film Scrooge: A Christmas Carol. He'll also be starring as Dickie Greenleaf in the Sky Atlantic series Ripley in 2023.

Who else is starring in The Lovers?

The Lovers also stars Game of Thrones and Holding actor Conleth Hill, playing Janet’s boss at the supermarket called Philip, and Belgravia actress Alice Eve as the celebrity girlfriend of Seamus.

Conleth says: "David Ireland is a terrific writer. I’ve directed two of his plays and two short films that he wrote, but I’d never actually acted in anything that he had written. There’s a lovely neurosis about his writing. It’s probably very tortuous for him, but it’s very funny for us. 

"Philip is the manager of the supermarket where Janet works and she’s not an ideal employee. She’s very lippy, but he’s very patient and understanding with her. He’s fond of her and thinks there’s more to her than meets the eye. He reckons underneath it all she’s worth helping, whereas he’d happily show the other staff the door. 

"The facilities and experience of the TV crews in Northern Ireland is second to none – from Game of Thrones to Line of Duty and Blue Lights. Belfast is unique as well, because you can be in the city centre and within 15 minutes you’re in the middle of nowhere, in the woods or the mountains. It’s unreal."

Behind the scenes, locations and more on The Lovers

The Lovers is produced by Drama Republic, in association with Sky Studios. It's written by award winning playwright David Ireland (Cyprus Avenue, Ulster American) and directed by BAFTA winning Justin Martin (Together, Prima Facie),

Roanna Benn and Rebecca de Souza, Executive Producers for Drama Republic, say: “We're so excited that David’s beautifully crafted, romantic and subversive story is being brought to life by such a brilliant team and cast - with the hugely talented Justin Martin at the helm.”

Locations manager Scott Houston says: "I’ve lived in East Belfast for 15 years. So I knew the area quite well. We do a lot of locations here. We double for London, we double for Birmingham, we double for all these other places. So it’s great when we get something that’s written about Belfast, which sometimes gets shown in a poor light. It’s good to see a script like this that puts a bit of life and a bit of imagination back into the city."

* Guides to more great series on Sky are below...

The Lazaraus Project
Django
A Town Called Malice
Funny Woman
The Midwich Cuckoos
The Fear Index

White House Plumbers is on HBO and Sky Atlantic and focuses on the real-life burglary of the Democratic National Committee HQ in the Watergate Hotel in 1972, that led to the downfall of President Nixon. 

While other dramas and movies about Watergate have focused on The Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward and the ensuing political fallout from the incident, this one takes a closer look at the criminal men who carried out the burglary itself, nicknamed 'The White House Plumbers'. 

Justin Theroux plays G. Gordon Liddy, an attorney and former FBI agent who was assigned to the White House Special Investigations unit known as 'The White House Plumbers'. Woody Harrelson plays his colleague, retired CIA officer E. Howard Hunt who along with Liddy organized the Watergate burglary. Lena Headey and Judy Greer play their wives.

"In most of the Watergate movies ever made, basically the burglary is the opening scene,” says series director David Mandel. “You see flashes of the burglary, and then it’s people in the Oval Office, Nixon, and the reporters at The Washington Post. This is a limited series where it is 100 percent about the burglary. We’re going to meet these guys before the burglary, and we’re going to see the effects of the burglary on their lives. This is the story that none of these other stories bothered with, to some extent.”

So here's everything you need to know about White House Plumbers on Sky Atlantic and HBO...

When is the UK release date for White House Plumbers?

In the UK, White House Plumbers starts on Tuesday May 30 at 9pm on Sky Atlantic. It's a five-episode series running weekly in the UK every Tuesday at the same time and also available as a box set from that day on Sky Box Sets and NOW. 

* All episodes of White House Plumbers have now been shown in the US on HBO with the final instalment on Monday May 29 2023.

Is there a trailer for White House Plumbers? 

Check out the official trailers for White House Plumbers directly below for both HBO and Sky Atlantic, which shows that the men that carried out that Watergate break-in may not have been the brightest bulbs...

White House Plumbers plot 

White House Plumbers is based partly on public records and the book Integrity by Egil ‘Bud’ Krogh and Matthew Krogh. The show follows the two political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds E. Howard Hunt (Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux). It delves into their backstories and shows how they came to be behind the 1972 burglary of the Democratic National Committee HQ that was eventually traced back to President Nixon’s administration. It shows how the pair accidentally brought down the very presidency they had been trying to protect. 

Here is the official plot synopsis from HBO: "White House Plumbers tells the story of how Nixon's own political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds, E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux), accidentally toppled the presidency they were zealously trying to protect."

White House Plumbers fact vs fiction episode guide

Here is the official synopsis for White House Plumbers episodes and links to our Fact vs Fiction pieces for them:

White House Plumbers episode 1, "The Beverly Hills Burglary"
"A year before the infamous Watergate break-in, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy are tasked with investigating the Pentagon Papers leak, gathering a team of Cubans - all Bay of Pigs veterans - to infiltrate whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office. Meanwhile, Hunt and his wife Dorothy get to know the Liddys." Read WTW's Fact vs Fiction: White House Plumbers episode 1 piece.

White House Plumbers episode 2, "Please Destroy This, Huh?"
"While Hunt and Dorothy entertain Liddy and his wife Fran at their exclusive country club, their kids Lisa and Saint John paint a less-than-perfect portrait of the family. Later, on the outs with Nixon's Attorney General John Mitchell, Hunt and Liddy get a chance to redeem themselves when a leaked memo from Dita Beard puts Mitchell and the administration in legal jeopardy." Read WTW's Fact vs Fiction: White House Plumbers episode 2 piece.

White House Plumbers episode 3, "Don't Drink the Whiskey at the Watergate"
"Hunt, Liddy, and the Cubans attempt to break into the DNC offices at the Watergate to plant listening devices for the White House." Read WTW's Fact vs Fiction: White House Plumbers episode 3 piece.

White House Plumbers episode 4, "The Writer's Wife"
"Reeling from the arrests at the Watergate, Hunt enlists Saint John's help to dispose of evidence, while Liddy warns the acting Attorney General that the burglaries can be tied back to President. Later, after returning from Paris, a livid Dorothy must take control to protect her family and the Liddys." Read WTW's Fact vs Fiction: White House Plumbers episode 4 piece.

White House Plumbers episode 5, "True Believers"
The conspirators go on trial for Watergate so we learn who cooperated with the prosecution, the punishments handed out to Hunt and Liddy, and what happened to them later in life. Read WTW's Fact vx Fiction: White House Plumbers episode 5 piece.

White House Plumbers cast — Justin Theroux, Woody Harrelson, Lena Heady and Judy Greer

The leading cast for The Watergate Plumbers are...

Woody Harrelson as E. Howard Hunt 
Former CIA officer E. Howard Hunt is portrayed by Woody Harrelson, star of Cheers, True Detective, The People vs. Larry Flint and Natural Born Killers. Woody first found fame as lovable Woody Boyd in Cheers from 1985-1993. Since then his career has rocketed and he’s been in numerous hit movies and shows including Will & Grace, Zombieland and the Oscar-winning Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Lena Headey as Dorothy Hunt
Game of Thrones star Lena Headey plays former CIA agent Dorothy Hunt who desperately tries  to keep her family together. She played Cersei Lannister in the juggernaut that was Game of Thrones but before that had roles in Soldier Soldier and Band of Gold. She’s since appeared in Wizards, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Fighting With My Family, and Infinity Train. 

Justin Theroux as G. Gordon Liddy
Justin takes on the role of former FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy who was tasked with preventing leaks of classified information to the media. Justin starred in the 2001 movie Mulholland Drive and American Psycho before playing Joe in the series Six Feet Under. He was in the 2006 Miami Vice movie plus the hit film The Girl on The Train. Justin was also in the series Parks and Recreation and last year’s Apple TV+ drama The Mosquito Coast. 

Judy Greer as Fran Liddy 
Judy plays Fran, Liddy’s unflappable wife who has misplaced faith in her husband’s intelligence and abilities. Judy starred in Two and a Half Men, 13 Going On 30, Ant-Man, and Jurassic World. She’s also due to appear in The First Lady, coming out this year, which tells the story of the presidents’ wives. 

Who else is starring in White House Plumbers?

Also starring in The White House Plumbers is Hollywood star Kathleen Turner playing Dita Beard, Mad Men star Kiernan Shipka is Kevan Hunt, Ike Barinholtz is Jeb Magruder, Kim Coates plays Frank Sturgess, Liam James is John Hunt, Jeremy Borgen plays Jim Liddy while Zoe Levin is Lisa Hunt.

Interviews: Woody Harrelson and Juston Theroux give the lowdown on White House Plumbers

White House Plumbers stars Justin Theroux and Woody Harrelson tell us much more about their miniseries that shines a light on what happened…

What were your first thoughts when you heard the story of E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy? 
JUSTIN:  "When we read the story I thought “this is fantastic, it’s hilarious and, amazingly, it’s true.” Everyone knows there was a break in and that’s what kicked it off. We sort of know the B side of it, which was Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein chasing the truth for the Washington Post, but this is way more hilarious than that boring story. It’s like “wait a minute, this piece of T-bone steak has been lying on the ground all of this time and no one has touched it!”

What makes their story so perfect for satire? 
JUSTIN: "Their plans were so stupid and cockeyed – like breaking in four times - that it naturally wants to go towards comedy more than drama. Their original ideas for a dirty tricks campaign were so crazy and involved things like kidnapping political activist Abbie Hoffman, drugging him and driving him to Mexico! I’m sure there’s a dramatic version of it but I think it would be inaccurate.
WOODY And maybe a little boring!"

How would you describe E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy?
JUSTIN: "I fell more and more in love with them the more we played them. But again, Liddy was this optimistic shiny penny of a guy and it was sort of fun to play."
WOODY: "I don’t like Howard Hunt as a human, as a historical figure, I feel like there were so many terrible things that he was a part of and yet eventually I connected to the relationship to his family and the things that were going on with them. But after we wrapped, I stopped caring about him. He’s not a good guy!"

What made them commit these crimes? 
JUSTIN: "They’d claim they were patriots acting in the best interests of their country. Patriotism circumvents a lot of moral decisions, when you just say, ‘well, the patriotic thing to do is X..’ because anyone of any political stripe can say that. But it’s a slippery slope when you become too patriotic or nationalistic."

How much of the series is based on real events from the time? 
WOODY: "Well all the broad strokes are accurate. Obviously some of the conversations we couldn’t possibly know what they actually said, they are going to take liberty with that, but the things that are historical are all accurate."
JUSTIN: "It’s all pulled from testimony and it’s very well documented what happened."

You filmed at the Watergate building. What did that mean actually being in the place where it all happened?
JUSTIN: "Yes, we stayed there the whole time when we were shooting in Washington. It was great. Apart from the convenience of being able to leave a hotel room and be at work, we had a fantastic art department and set decorators that made it look very period. And there’s something about being in the building where the thing happened.
WOODY: "It was kind of cool. It really does add something when you are in the real place - and it has a great bar on the roof!"

The real G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt 

George Gordon Battle Liddy was an American lawyers and former FBI agent. Alongside intelligence officer E. Howard Hunt he organised and directed the two burglaries of the Democrat’s headquarters in the Watergate building in 1972. The pair also carried out other clandestine operations to discredit the Democrats. Liddy served nearly 52 months in a federal prison for his role in the scandal but after his release he became a radio talk show host until he retired in 2012. Hunt served 33 months in prison and then lived in Mexico and Florida until his death in 2007. When it became clear that Richard Nixon had helped cover up the crimes he resigned from office on August 9 1974. 

HBO is hoping to catch lightning in a bottle again with The Idol, a new series from the creator of the cabler’s smash hit Euphoria, Sam Levinson, and music superstar The Weeknd. 

The new series has been getting a lot of attention ahead of its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, one month before it hits HBO in the US and Sky Atlantic in the UK. 

Here’s everything we know about The Idol. 

Next episode of The Idol

The season finale of The Idol airs Sunday, July 2, at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO and streaming on Max. 

Here's the episode description: "While planning a showcase for her next tour, Jocelyn begins to take control of her relationship with Tedros."

The Idol episode guide

Keep track of all of the episode of The Idol right here:

The Idol season 1 episode 1: "Pop Tarts & Rat Tales"
"As Jocelyn preps for her triumphant return, a leaked photo sends her team into crisis mode just as a journalist arrives to do an in-depth profile on her; Jocelyn has a chance encounter with nightclub owner Tedros."

The Idol season 1 episode 2: "Double Fantasy"
"After clashing with her team over her album's first single, Jocelyn pushes herself to the limit on the set of her new music video, while Nikki sees potential in backup dancer Dyanne; Tedros introduces Jocelyn and Leia to Izaak and Chloe."

The Idol season 1 episode 3: "Daybreak"
"As Tedros inserts himself into Jocelyn's life by offering input on her wardrobe and collaborators, Leia brings her growing concerns to Chaim and Destiny; Jocelyn becomes even more emotionally tethered to him."

The Idol season 1 episode 4: "Stars Belong to the World"
"While fighting for the upper hand in her relationship with Tedros, Jocelyn becomes determined to introduce her new persona to the world; Jocelyn's team discusses her increasing involvement with Tedros and his inner circle."

The Idol release date

The Idol airs on HBO and Max. It premiered on June 4. 

It's been announced the The Idol will air in the UK on Sky Atlantic in June 2023. There's no exact date yet in June but shouldn't be far behind the US. When we hear we'll add it here. 

The Idol plot

There's a lot of buzz about The Idol. Here's the official logline from HBO: "After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros (Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye), a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?"

The Idol cast

Lily-Rose Depp has been making a name for herself in Hollywood for years. Some of her projects include roles in Wolf, Silent Night and Tusk. 

Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye makes his acting debut in The Idol. The prolific musician has lots of experience in front of the camera in his many music videos, of course, and he lent his voice to a character in a 2022 episode of The Simpsons, but The Idol will be his first real acting gig. 

Many members of The Idol cast are musicians themselves and will presumably play themselves in the series.

Here's the full cast list:

• Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn
• Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye as Tedros
• Troye Sivan (Boy Erased) as Caleb
• Dan Levy (Schitt's Creek)
• Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Dolemite is My Name)
• Eli Roth (Cabin Fever)
• Hari Nef (Assassination Nation)
• Jane Adams (Happiness)
• Jennie Ruby Jane (Blackpink)
• Mike Dean
• Moses Sumney (Creed) as Izaak
• Rachel Sennott (Call Your Mother)
• Ramsey 
• Suzanna Son (Red Rocket) as Chloe
• Hank Azaria (The Simpsons)

The Idol trailer

Here's a look at the latest teaser:

How to watch The Idol

The Idol will air in the US on HBO and HBO Max. In order to watch you'll need either a subscription to HBO through your cable provider or a subscription to HBO Max.

As The Idol will air on Sky Atlantic in  the UK in June 2023 you will need a Sky subscription to watch. 

Freema Agyeman is known for her acclaimed dramatic roles in shows as wide-ranging as Law & Order: UK, Sense8, New Amsterdam and of course Doctor Who — but the star is dipping her toe into new territory with a more comedic turn in Sky Atlantic's new series Dreamland.

Set in the Kent seaside town of Margate — home to the much-loved amusement park that the series takes its name from — Dreamland follows the lives of four very different sisters: Trish (Freema Agyeman), Mel (Lily Allen), Clare (Gabby Best) and Leila (Aimee-Ffion Edwards). 

As the series begins, Trish is pregnant and holding a very special party to ensure she has a daughter, but the celebrations are interrupted by the unexpected return of Mel, who's been away working and living in Paris — and while Clare and Leila are happy to be reunited with their sister, Trish is far from thrilled to see her.

We caught up with Freema to find out more about her latest role...

Freema Agyeman interview for Dreamland

Dreamland launches on Sky Atlantic on Thursday, April 6 at 9 pm. The full series will be available at launch on Sky Box Sets and NOW.

Buckets and spades at the ready as Dreamland on Sky Atlantic will taking us to the sun-drenched British seaside town of Margate for one big comedy adventure in 2023. Based on Sharon Horgan’s BAFTA-winning short film of the same name, the six-part series is also produced by Horgan and explores the dynamics of an often dysfunctional multi-generational family. 

Exposing the loves, lies, secrets and aspirations of four sisters, it stars Doctor Who’s Freema Agyeman in the lead role as pregnant Trish. The cast also boasts Benidorm’s Sheila Reid, Frances Barber and singer Lily Allen, who is making her TV debut. 

Here’s all the information you need about Sky Atlantic comedy Dreamland…

Dreamland release date

Dreamland is a six-parter that launches in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW from 9pm on Thursday April 6 2023.

NBCUniversal Global Distribution handle international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios so we'll also let you know of US and worldwide air dates.

Is there a trailer for Dreamland?

Yes a trailer for Dreamland has just been released and it's left us really wanting to see more of the Margate fun. 'You're in Margate babes!' says the excited girl on the coach. Do take a look at the first trailer for Dreamland below...

Dreamland plot 

Dreamland is set in Margate and follows on eldest sister Trish, played by Freema Agyeman, who is pregnant for the third time and is desperate for a girl. Two of her sisters, Clare (Gabby Best) and Leila (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), join their mum (Frances Barber) and ‘legend’ Nan (Sheila Reid) to ‘manifest’ a little girl but then their other sister Mel (Lily Allen) makes an unexpected reappearance into their lives when she moves from Paris back to Margate. Suddenly their ‘dreamland’ is no more, and Mel’s return could destabilize the whole family.

Dreamland cast — Freema Agyeman on playing Trish 

Freema Agyeman plays pregnant elder sister Trish in Dreamland. Freema told us: "When we meet Trish, she is pregnant and organising a ‘manifestival’ - a party to try and manifest a girl, because she has two boys! We learn that she’s had three miscarriages in the past two years, so this is quite a tense time for her. She’s part of this huge, working-class family, and she likes to place herself at the core of most things! But she’s also fighting for a better life for her children - she wants to move off the estate."

* Freema Agyeman is best known for playing Martha Jones in Doctor Who from 2005 to 2007. She’s also starred in Torchwood, Little Dorrit, Survivors, Law & Order: UK, The Matrix Resurrections, Sense8 and New Amsterdam.  

Lily Allen on playing Mel in Dreamland

Singer Lily Allen, daughter of Keith Allen and sister of Alfie Allen, takes on her first TV role as fourth sibling Mel...

Tell us about your Dreamland character Mel?
Lily Allen says: "Mel is a bit of a dark horse within the family make up. She has aspirations outside of Margate where her family live. She’s tried to make a life for herself away from that all, and that’s failed, and she has now returned. She loves her family, each person for different reasons. I think she just feels a bit misunderstood, and maybe not heard and not seen – but’s probably not well equipped to be able to deal with it. 

What drew you to working on Dreamland? 
"I had just moved to New York, but I bring my kids back to the UK for summer to spend time with their dad, so when this landed on my desk, and I heard it was shooting in Margate - and I love Margate – I was instantly hooked. Of course, I thought the script was amazing and this being a Merman production was a big pull for me too. I trusted their instinct with it, and I loved the short that I had seen of it in its previous incarnation." 

You say you love Margate, how was it filming there? 
"It was great! I rented a little house in the square and brought my kids across. It was excruciatingly hot. But it was lovely, it’s steeped in summertime history, that town. 

There are many different generations within the family, but is there a relationship for Mel that stands out most to you? 
"The relationships between Trish, Spence and Mel are particularly interesting. They grew up inseparable friends, but once Trish and Spence got together, Mel was somewhat side-lined and felt abandoned by them. I find that most interesting because that wouldn’t necessarily occur to anyone else, but it is glaringly obvious to her. If she was able to articulate these feelings, then it could have sorted itself out, but she doesn’t have that in her." 

Sheila Reid on playing Nan in Dreamland

Comedy legend and Benidorm star Sheila Reid is the sisters' nan in Dreamland...

Tell us about Nan in Dreamland?
Sheila Reid says: "She’s a bit of a legend in Margate; always up for a challenge and she wakes up every morning excited at what the day may bring. She also feels that if you look good, you feel good. She loves bright colours and looks after herself. Her mother said to her “leave things as you find them or better if you can,” and that’s how she lives her life - hence the litter picking she does! She also has a great relationship with God, she talks to him as if he’s the milkman."

What was it like having a predominantly female crew and cast? 
"There’s a strong sense of camaraderie, and Ellie the director is just supreme. She knows her script inside out but gave us the freedom to explore. There was a wonderfully relaxed, support and open atmosphere on set created by Ellie. I can’t praise her – or indeed the cast – highly enough!" 

What appealed to you about the script? 
"The script appealed to me because of its strong, honest writing. It is very funny, very moving and includes great roles for women! It’s wonderful to play a character with so many levels. Nan is a gift and positive life force. She’s often strong but there is also a vulnerability to her. She is multi-faceted. To play a matriarch of this wonderfully, unruly, opinionated family – what a treat to be asked to part of it!"

This isn’t your first seaside comedy, but what was it like filming in Margate this time? 
"Margate is the epitome of English seaside resorts. It has a timeless quality where very little seems to have changed. The theatre where Nan receives her award is filled with ghosts of past entertainers. It’s so resonant of centuries of shows being in there. It was good to be there to experience the feeling of living by the sea, it helps form your character. I do love the sea; if you look out at the sea, it does something to your mind." 

You mention the award Nan wins. What is Nan’s role within Margate? 
"Nan looks to the future. She organises this great band of litter pickers, and she cares very much about the history of the town. Her objective in life is to leave Margate a better place for future generations." 

Do you see yourself in Nan? 
"Well unlike Nan, I am not a great organiser. But I am a great preserver, and I love looking after my garden and making sure they’re cared for. I think these days we’re often a bit careless about nature, so I like to do my bit – and I think Nan would think the same. "

How does Dreamland balance comedy and drama? 
"The script is so clearly balanced, you never feel like you’re being preached at. But you are seeing a living group of people of different races, statuses, and sexes, all working and living together in harmony. I think that speaks for itself!"

What was it like off camera with fellow your cast mates? 
"They are all adorable. I feel like I’ve made some really good friends amongst the cast, because they are all such lovely, open, intelligent, bright women. And what a joy to be working with such a great group of people. It was such fun off set! I had worked with Aimee before, so it was an absolute joy to be working with her again. She is absolute gold and very talented."

Finally, what are your childhood memories of being at the seaside? 
"I was brought up in Scotland, so it was always a bonus if the sun was shining when we visited the seaside. I remember wearing bathing suits made from tiny squares of nylon which quickly lost their elasticity and sagged and being rubbed down with a rough beach towel. My very patient mother taught me how to swim by the age of six, and I have loved the sea ever since and feel at home in the water. Why I live in London is another question…" 

Who else is starring in Dreamland?

There's a great cast for Dreamland which includes Peaky Blinders star Aimee-Ffion Edwards plays Leila,  who is Trish’s sister while Cheap Cheap Cheap actress Gabby Best plays other sister Clare. Frances Barber (Whitstable Pearl, Silk, Doctor Who) is their mother while Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe is Trish’s partner Spence. Downton Abbey’s Samantha Bond is making a guest star appearance as Orla. 

Gabby Best says: "Clare is very much the rock of the family, steady and dependable. She’s spent years absorbing everyone else’s drama and she’s perhaps reaching saturation point. To be so heavily relied on, yet completely overlooked... I was drawn to that disconnect, and what it might do to a person. She’s essentially a human buckaroo, just loaded with baggage… At what point will she crack? How might she go about shaking some of that off?"

Aimee-Ffion Edwards says: "I play Leila who is the youngest sister of the family. She’s so warm and caring, albeit quite complex, but sees life simply. She’s great. I’m one of four sisters myself so I really resonated with the shifting sister dynamics in the script. I recognised Leila’s traits in my younger sister, especially with how she positions herself in a conflict or argument. The scripts are so witty but also really moving and upsetting to the point where it doesn’t really fit into one category. You can hate it and love it at the same time. Out of all of them, Leila likes confrontation the least, although she will stand up and back any of her siblings. She hates drama but always finds herself wrapped up in it. But within the family she is more likely to sit back and make everybody a cup of tea. She is also the closest to Nan, as she’s a bit of an old soul."

Frances Barber says: "I play the mother of four grown up girls who are all very different and each, we presume, have different fathers. She’s on a new path, which I think a lot of mothers do when their kids grow up. She has embarked on her first ever gay love affair which she is keeping a secret from the family. She is very excited and emotionally invested in it, but she’s quite frightened too, because everyone knows everyone’s business. She wants to keep it secret, but her lover doesn’t want that which eventually leads to quite an upsetting scenario for her. Cheryl must ask herself; does she stay with the woman or not? Meanwhile there is all this drama is happening with her kids! It’s all very turbulent. She’s stumbled across something very exciting that she can’t let go of. Also, it’s about how would the girls react."

Kiell Smith-Bynoe says: "I play Spence, the husband of eldest sister Trish (Freema Agyeman) and together we’re expecting our third child which Trish really hopes will be a girl. The series follows the build-up to the birth and the goings on within the family along the way, including the return of Mel, the most elusive sister."

Dreamland episode guide (with spoilers)

Here's a guide to the six episodes of Dreamland. There are a few spoilers, so do look away if you need to!

Episode 1
Trish and Spencer take Cheryl and Leila to see the derelict house they want to buy at auction to turn into their dream home. Later, Mel keeps a promise to take Trish’s sons, Jordan and Cayden, to Dreamland. But she’s dismayed when Trish insists on joining them. Learner-driver Leila takes Cheryl and Nan to meet them but hits another car on arrival. She swaps numbers with the driver, Dom, an awkward hipster who’s moved down from London. Spencer arrives at Dreamland and has a spiky exchange with Mel. When Trish worries about seeing Jordan play up to his white friends, Spencer reminds her that Jordan has their strong, loving unit to guide him, so he will be OK. Mel has a heart-to-heart with Clare. 

Episode 2
A flashback to Paris gives insight into Mel’s life there and what went wrong. Back in the present day, Mel and Spencer have a difficult conversation. The next day, estate agent Trish is in her element selling a fancy house, but after picking up on Spencer’s odd behaviour she later suspects that he is getting cold feet about buying their own dream home. The sisters gather at Cheryl’s for dinner, while she goes out to meet Diane. They find a video of Cheryl as a little girl dancing with her now-estranged sister, Orla. Dom and Leila go on a date and discover he’s after the same house as Trish. Clare makes a horrific discovery about Mel.

Episode 3
Mel returns from Paris to her hometown of Margate to find a family party in full swing. Her pregnant sister, Trish, is having a pink ‘Mani-Festival’ to ensure the universe ‘manifests’ a baby girl. Trish’s doting husband, Spencer, is BBQing, helped by her youngest sister, Leila, and their Nan. Mum, Cheryl, is delighted to have all her daughters there – as well as her secret love interest, Diane. Middle sister, Clare, agrees to let Mel stay with her. Trish is annoyed that Mel has stolen her thunder and tensions increase when Mel mocks the party. But while bickering, Mel and Trish have an accident and end up in hospital together, where there’s a shock revelation.

Episode 4
Clare can’t bear to be around Mel, so sets off early from the flat for the Heroes of Margate Awards ceremony, which she is covering for her paper. Mel joins later, with the rest of the family, who are all there to see Nan get a Lifetime Achievement Award for her litter-picking environmental contributions. Mel makes a big decision that freaks out Spencer. Unaware, Trish is enjoying herself until she’s insulted by a photographer. Clare defends Trish – to Trish’s dismay – then later turns on Mel, confronting her about her discovery. But before she gets any answers, Nan collapses.

Episode 5
Nan is in hospital but on the mend, after initially thinking she was dying. The family visit and are relieved to find her perky and on her phone. Mel tries to make amends with Clare. Spencer goes AWOL, panicking Trish – they need to physically sign bank papers by the end of the day, to transfer money for their auction house. When no one else is available to help find him, Trish enlists Mel as a last resort. While searching for Spencer, they talk about the animosity between them. As their barriers drop, their relationship starts to mend. They eventually find Spencer at the Lido. He’s acting strangely but goes home with Trish to sign the papers. Cheryl has a great date with Diane, but her insecurities sour their goodbye. She then goes to collect Nan from hospital and finds an unexpected visitor who threatens to jeopardise her family’s future. 

Episode 6
Trish and Spence win their dream house at auction! Clare tells Mel she is there for her, despite everything. Cheryl apologises to Diane but is rejected. The sisters go to Trish and Spencer’s new place to celebrate. Trish gives Mel a gift, for helping her find Spencer. Then, as the ultimate olive branch, she invites Mel to move in as there’s so much space. The nicer Trish is to her, the more uncomfortable Mel gets. Until, wracked with guilt, her awful secret comes tumbling out, leaving the family devastated – Trish most of all. 

Locations and more about Dreamland on Sky Comedy

Dreamland was filmed in the British coastal resort of Margate, Kent, which boasts a famous old theme park called Dreamland which gives the comedy its title.

The comedy was commissioned by Jon Mountague, Director of Comedy, Sky Studios and Alex Moody, Commissioning Editor, Sky Studios, for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content, Sky UK. The series is executive produced by Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan for Merman with Jane Bell as Producer and Emma Jane Unsworth as Showrunner and Associate Producer. Alex Moody is the Executive Producer for Sky Studios. 

Written by Emma Jane Unsworth, Gabby Best, Sharma Walfall and Sarah Kendall, Dreamland was directed by Ellie Heydon. 

Frederick Forsyth’s classic novel The Day Of The Jackal and the subsequent much-loved 1973 movie starring Edward Fox are set to be given a modern twist in a new Sky and Peacock Original series starring British Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne. 

The Theory of Everything and The Good Nurse star Eddie will play the assassin known only to authorities as 'The Jackal' in this reimagining, which gets to the heart of the infamous mercenary. Top Boy writer Ronan Bennett is behind the script, which is now set against the complex political climate of our contemporary world.

Here’s everything we know about The Day of The Jackal series so far…

The Day of the Jackal season 1 release date

The Day of the Jackal is a 10-part series and will launch on NBC on Monday December 30 2024 and run weekly on the same night through early 2025.

In the US the series first landed on NBC Universal streaming service Peacock from Thursday, November 14 2024. 

In the Uk, The Day of the Jackal launched on Thursday, November 7, 2024 on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

How to watch The Day of the Jackal: release dates, streaming options and where to watch for free

Is there a trailer?

Yes, The Day Of The Jackal official and teaser trailers give us a glimpse at all the drama we can expect from the new thriller series. Take a look at both below and compare them the 1973 film trailer for The Day Of The Jackal with Edward Fox below both...

The Day of the Jackal series plot 

The plot of The Day Of The Jackal digs into the character of the legendary assassin The Jackal. As the drama begins, the Jackal is in Munich, where his latest hit shocks the world. But he is then approached by a mysterious, anonymous source and offered an eye-watering fee to take on the assassination of another prominent figure, which could also have widespread repercussions. But he soon encounters potential set-backs…

Along the way, as the Jackal battles to track his quarry and also relentlessly chases payment for his previous hit, he is brought into contact with a host of shady characters, from Northern Irish gun maker Norman (Richard Dormer) to enigmatic businessman Timothy Winthrop (Charles Dance). 

But the Jackal is initially unaware that dogged MI6 operative and fire arms expert Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch), also has him in her sights, due to the on-going fallout from the events in Germany. As Bianca begins a single-minded mission to identify the Jackal and prevent him from murdering again, can he stay one step ahead?

While this female-led manhunt is a fresh spin on the book and original film, in another intriguing change, the Jackal is no longer an isolated character without apparent ties, as we gradually learn about his rich backstory and his bond with wife Nuria (Úrsula Corberó), who has no idea about his murderous job. But, as her suspicions grow, the emotional pressures on him increase.

The Day of the Jackal series cast — Eddie Redmayne on playing assassin The Jackal

The hitman of The Day of The Jackal is played by Eddie Redmayne, who says: "The original was a film I was brought up on and I read the book a long time ago and adored them both. This felt inspired by, but free from them, it’s a different beast.

"The Jackal’s a character I was curious to play. There’s something old school about him. I wanted him to be elegant, calm and economic. But is he also sociopathic? He glides through space like a knife through butter. And he’s an artist who assumes different identities.’

‘He enjoys all the elements of his job and thinking three moves ahead. There’s delight when those dominoes are set up,’ shares Redmayne. ‘But the second that cascade gets disrupted, it’s about watching someone fumble out of control.

"‘The archetype of the empathy-less assassin whose blood runs cold couldn’t work in this version,’ teases Redmayne. ‘He and his wife love each other, but he has lied to her. He’s made a huge amount of money and thinks he can wrap things up and they can start a new life. That’s his weakness…"

For Eddie Redmayne, one of the highlights of filming was getting the chance to adopt a range of extreme disguises as the Jackal, and to prepare for the role, he worked with movement and voice coaches and also learnt surveillance techniques from a real-life ex-soldier. 

"I thought it’d be a challenge. There’s shapeshifting with the physicality and the prosthetics, so it was an actor’s dream. I start by playing a 65-year-old German cleaner!’ reveals the star, who was also thrilled to shoot the series in Hungary, Croatia, Austria and the UK, which stand in for the stunning global locations that provide the backdrop to Bianca’s hunt for the Jackal and his own pursuit of his target.

"This feels big with the scope and indulgence of seeing these beautiful parts of the world. What I loved about the original movie was that we leapt across the world with someone who seems to nip on a train as he pleases. I hope audiences enjoy going on that ride."

* British star Eddie Redmayne is used to playing chilling characters, having recently starred as killer nurse Charles Cullen in The Good Nurse. He won an Oscar for his turn as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything and plays Newt in the Fantastic Beasts movies. Eddie has also starred in Birdsong, The Trial of the Chicago Seven, The Danish Girl, Les Miserables, My Week With Marilyn and The Good Shepherd. 

Lashana Lynch on playing Bianca

The Day of the Jackal series cast also includes Lashana Lynch who will play Bianca, a tenacious law enforcement agent determined to catch The Jackal.

She says: "I saw this as a beautiful opportunity to dive deeper into a modern Black woman’s story and balance strength and vulnerability. Bianca rubs people up the wrong way and does things in the most unorthodox manner to get what she wants and her home life suffers. But she loves the chase with the Jackal. Every episode, you’re cheering for one of them or the other."

* Lashana Lynch has previously starred in the Bond movie No Time To Die and she's part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the role of Maria Rambeau in the movies Captain Marvel, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She was Miss Honey in Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical and recently finished filming on the Bob Marley biopic One Love.

Who else is starring in The Day of the Jackal series?

Other cast of The Day of the Jackal include Úrsula Corberó, star of hit Netflix series La Casa De Papel (Money Heist), who play Nuria, someone at the heart of The Jackal’s personal life, but unaware of that he's a top assasin. 

Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The King’s Man) plays Timothy Winthrop, Richard Dormer (Blue Lights, Fortitude, Game of Thrones) is Norman, Chukwudi Iwuji (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Split) plays Osita Halcrow, Lia Williams (The Capture, The Crown) is Isabel Kirby. 

Khalid Abdalla (The Crown, The Kite Runner) plays Ulle Dag Charles, Eleanor Matsuura (The Walking Dead, I Used To Be Famous) is playing Zina Jansone, Jonjo O’Neill (Andor, Bad Sisters) plays Edward Carver and Sule Rimi (Classified, Andor) plays Paul Pullman.

All about The Day of the Jackal novel by Frederick Forsyth

Frederick Forsyth’s novel The Day Of The Jackal was published in 1971 and focuses on an English hitman called The Jackal who is contracted by a French dissident paramilitary organisation to kill the French president Charles de Gaulle. The assassin is a master of disguise and deception and the novel follows the deputy police commissioner Claude Lebel who is determined to catch him. Frederick Forsyth is a prolific British thriller writer whose other novels include The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol and Avenger!.

The Day of the Jackal previous film adaptations 

The original 1973 movie The Day Of The Jackal was directed by Fred Zinnemann and starred Edward Fox as the Jackal. Michael Lonsdale played the detective Lebel trying to catch him while Derek Jacobi, Michel Auclair and Tony Britton also starred. This 1973 movie is currently available on ITVX and Sky Movies.

In 1997 Bruce Willis starred in the movie The Jackal, about a ‘faceless’ assassin. The film also featured Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier and Jack Black but Frederick Forsyth refused to allow his name to be used in connection with it and director Fred Zinnemann battled with the studio to ensure the adaptation had a different title to the original film. 

Behind the scenes and more on The Day Of The Jackal

This series of The Day Of The Jackal is written and adapted by Ronan Bennett, creator and writer of the critically acclaimed Top Boy. Internationally award-winning Director Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones, Luther, Boardwalk Empire) is the lead director.  

Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant are Executive Producers for Carnival Films. Redmayne is also an Executive Producer, and Lynch a Co-Executive Producer on the project. Sam Hoyle is the Executive Producer for Sky Studios.  Sue Naegle serves as Executive Producer and Marianne Buckland as Co-Executive Producer. Christopher Hall is Producer and Emily Shapland is Co-Producer. Frederick Forsyth is Consulting Producer.

It was announced in December 2024 that there would be The Day of The Jackal season 2 which has pleased the show's many fans.

Drift — Partners in Crime is a German thriller directed by Tim Trachte with Ken Duken (see pictured above) and Fabian Busch as warring brothers Ali and Leo Zeller. The drama sees the the pair thrown together in order to uncover the truth behind a shocking conspiracy.

The pair are both police officers and have been estranged for a decade but they are forced to work together when Ali finds himself framed for a botched police operation that sees a bridge collapse, killing five people and injuring many others. As the brothers realise they must take on some powerful enemies, they must put aside their traumatic past and fight for their lives together. 

The brothers' quest for the truth takes them from the Bavarian Alps to the streets of Athens and the dirt tracks of the Peloponnese, and all the while Ali and Leo must work out who they can really trust. 

“I think what's exciting and special about our series is that it's packed with action, but the action is never the main focus,” says Fate: The Winx Saga star Ken Duken, who plays Ali. “Basically, Drift is a ping-pong between brother drama and buddy comedy: Two boys who try to do everything right, and in the process get deeper and deeper into a vortex from which they can no longer find their way out.” 

Here’s everything you need to know about the fast-paced thriller Drift — Partners In Crime…

Drift — Partners in Crime release date  

Drift – Partners in Crime will launch in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Friday March 24 2023. 

Drift — Partners In Crime had its world premiere in Germany on December 31 2022. We will update with the US channels and release date when we can.

Is there a Drift — Partners in Crime trailer? 

Yes Sky has released a trailer for Drift — Partners in Crime and you can watch it here.

Drift — Partners in Crime plot

Drift — Partners in Crime follows Ali (Ken Duken), a police officer who is called upon to transport a prisoner across the mountains. But the operation goes disastrously wrong when their car is ambushed and the ensuing chase leads to a bridge collapsing. As Ali recovers in hospital, he realises he’s being framed for the catastrophe and turns to his estranged brother Leo, also a police officer, to help him seek out the truth. But to move forward, the pair must put their traumatic past behind them. 

“The way the two of them approach each other is not only bumpy, but also slippery,” explains Fabian Busch, who plays Leo. “You keep slipping, holding onto each other, only to be like, ‘dude, let go of me’. That's their relationship. I would say that on the one hand they somehow need each other, but on the other hand they don't want to admit it. They are extremely different and absolutely balanced in this perfect difference. Leo has a great longing for what used to be.”

Who's in the cast?

The main two stars and characters in Drift — Partners in Crime are...

Ken Duken as Ali Zeller
Ken plays martial-arts loving cop, Ali who finds himself blamed for a national disaster. He starred in the movie Inglourious Basterds and has also been in Chalet Girl, Max Manus: Man of War and Professionals. Ken plays Andreas in Fate: The Winx Saga. 

Fabian Busch as Leo Zeller
Fabian plays Ali’s estranged brother, Leo. He’s also been in Look Who’s Back, The Reader, Der Spalter and Dead End. 

Who else is starring? 

Other stars of Drift — Partners in Crime include Mona Pirzad (Start the Fck Up) who plays Ali’s girlfriend, lawyer Maryam Soltani. 

Classic Westerns are always popular but 10-part series Django offers a fresh take on the traditional genre. Loosely based on the famous 1966 Spaghetti Western film, the new series also has a strong psychological element to it, and the female characters we're told will be much more to the fore, all to appeal to a newer audience. 

So here’s everything you need to know about this new adaptation of Django which will be coming to Sky Atlantic. NOW and HBO in 2023. Also take a peek at the amazing first look pictures (see above and below)...

Django release date

Django launches in the UK with its first two episodes on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW on Wednesday March 1 at 9pm and 10.05pm. We'll update on the US launch date and the US channel when we can.

Is there a trailer for Django?

Yes there's now an official trailer and a teaser trailer for Django released by Sky. It looks stunning! Take a peek at both below...

What is the Django plot?

Set in the Wild West in the 1860s and 1870s, we meet Django, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, a man haunted the murder of his family eight years earlier. He’s still looking for his daughter, Sarah, whom he believes may have survived the tragedy. 

His search takes him to New Babylon, a city of outcasts comprising of men and women from all backgrounds, races and creeds and where everyone is welcomed with open arms. Django discovers the city was founded by his daughter Sarah (Lisa Vicari), who’s now a grown woman, and her fiancé John Ellis (Nicholas Pinnock), who she’s just about to marry. 

When the pair are reunited Sarah pleads with Django to leave as she fears he’ll put New Babylon’s safety in jeopardy. But Django is convinced the city is in danger and is adamant that he won’t lose Sarah twice. 

How Django brings a fresh twist to the classic Western genre…

Django promises to bring a contemporary take to the Italian Spaghetti Western genre, celebrating difference and empowering women. Director Francesca Comencini says: "I was extremely attracted to this project as it features extremely strong female characters and delivers a thought-provoking reappraisal of masculinity in the Western genre. It’s a universal story with a narrative that celebrates diversity and minorities."

Interview: Matthias Schoenaerts on playing Django

Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts, 45, gave us the lowdown on playing Wild West hero Django...

What was it like taking on such a classic role?
Matthias Schoenaerts says: "Django is an iconic character so it’s pretty big shoes to fill, but with this series the aim was to add a more personal crisis without dishonouring the original ingredients. Here we encounter a Django who’s in search of reparation and redemption and trying to cope with all the losses he’s suffered." 

Have you seen the original film with Franco Nero?
Matthias explains: "Yes, of course. When I was young I lived with my grandmother for a while and she was in the French speaking part of Belgium. There they dub everything and so all the spaghetti westerns had these awkward French voices, but they were the same awkward French voices that were also in Starsky and Hutch and The A-Team." 

What appealed to you about this new reimagining?
Matthias says: "There are a lot of elements in it that resonate with the world we live in today. I love the cinematic texture of a western, especially with these modern elements and these different renditions of masculinity and femininity. The symbol of this lone wolf trying to repair something because he feels guilty for messing up is something that resonates with me for some reason." 

What was filming Django like?
Matthias says: "In the summer there was a heatwave in Bucharest where we filmed, and it hit 43 degrees centigrade. It was super humid and I was wearing a wig, a hat, two t-shirts, a shirt, a woollen jacket, woollen pants and big boots and 30 seconds after walking out on set, I was drenched. So we started using this huge fan, almost as big as a room, for the actors in between takes but because everybody was wearing wigs, whenever anyone sat in front of it their wig almost flew off."

* Matthias Schoenaerts made his film debut at 13 when he played alongside his father Julien in the Belgian film Daens in 1992. When he played the role of Jacky, a farmer who becomes involved with steroids, in the 2011 film Bullhead he spent two years bulking up for the part and committed to an exhaustive weight lifting regime. He’s best known for his appearances in The Danish Girl, Red Sparrow and Far From The Madding Crowd. 

Interview: Nicholas Pinnock on playing John Ellis

Nicholas Pinnock takes the role of Django's chief antagonist John Ellis, who has co-founded the town of New Babylon with Django's long lost daughter Sarah who he's about to marry. Sarah knows that if former slave John discovered that Django had fought for the southern army, he would kill him instantly. 

"At that point John’s reaction would be very different because he has got reason to be fighting against the people who were on the opposing side of the army,’ Nicholas Pinnock told us. "He has good reason to want to rebel against them, so had he known the truth about Django from the start he would probably would have gone against Sarah’s wishes and shot him."

* Nicholas Pinnock has starred in TV dramas such as Counterpart, Top Boy, Fortitude and Marcella (available on streaming service BritBox) plus has big screen roles in The Last Tree and Dark Encounter.

Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth...

Swedish star Noomi Rapace plays John Ellis’ merciless and powerful enemy Elizabeth, a Western woman definitely not to be messed with in. the tradition of Calamity Jane or Annie Oakley. 

"John and Elizabeth do share secrets and they are linked in a really wonderful way,’ Nicholas Pinnock told us. "They are one and the same. In fact, they’re very much the same which is why there’s such a big clash. They are two negative sides of a magnet and they bounce off each other. Sometimes when they are looking at each other they are looking into parts of themselves that run so deep it’s difficult to cope with. They both want to get rid of each other and those parts of themselves but they can’t."

Naomi Rapace has starred in a number of major movies such as Prometheus, Sherlock Holmes and What Happened to Monday, plus the she took the lead role as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo plus its two sequels and the TV mini series Millennium. Noomi also starred as Harriet Baumann in the Amazon Prime series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan.

Interview: Lisa Vicari on playing Sarah...

Taking the key role as Django’s long lost daughter Sarah is German actress Lisa Vacari, who is the co-founder of New Babylon along with John Ellis. 

"Sarah had to grow up really fast and when she was a very young girl, she experienced a lot of trauma in her life. A lot of pain," Lis VIcari told us. "She’s a young woman who is currently building a new town, a very utopian town, together with John and the family they surround themselves with. She still carries a lot of hope within herself for their world which is a place where people from all backgrounds and all genders are free and equal. But Sarah is in the middle of building this place when the man who left her as a child, her dad Django, reappears from nowhere and he endangers everything she has built up. 

"Sarah has a really complex relationship with John because she met him when she was really young and the relationship developed into a partnership. Their connection is something really deep and it’s hard to define if it’s necessarily a romantic relationship or a non-romantic relationship, but they are very deeply connected through their goals and their morals. They believe in the same thing and they share the same hope. That’s how they stay connected throughout these difficult times. It’s not always easy. It’s not a light-hearted relationship that they have but they care deeply for each other and they look out for each other. Django is the stranger in the town, and Sarah wants him to leave because he might be very harmful to everything she has built up so far."

* Lisa Vicari is best known for the film Luna and the Netflix series Dark. 

Who else is starring in Django?

The cast of Django has a great crop of  European and British actors, including as John Ellis’ three sons — Jyuddah Jaymes (Clique, Criminal: UK), Eric Kole (Fifty Pence, Hold) and Benny Opoku-Arthur (Get Lucky, Alexanderplatz). Look out for Tom Austen (The Royals, Grantchester) in the role of Elijah and actress and Youtuber Abigail Thorn as Jess. 

Where was Django filmed?

Django filmed in Bucharest, Romania, and is directed by Francesca Comencini (see below).  Locations over six months include Racos, Bucharest and the Danube area. Romania remains a popular film location, with David Tennant’s BBC1 drama Around the World in 80 Days being filmed there too. Django will be produced in English by Cattleya (ZeroZeroZero, Gomorrah) and by Atlantique Productions (Midnight Sun, The Eddy).  

Django — all about the original 1966 film

The original movie Django (directed by Sergio Corbucci) was released in 1966 and is still regarded as one of the best-loved Italian films. The cult classic was a traditional Spaghetti Western led by actor Franco Nero in the titular role. 

It told the story of a gunslinger and a prostitute who become involved in a bitter feud between a Klan of Southern racists and a band of Mexican revolutionaries. Since its release it has inspired more than 30 unofficial remakes. 

An official sequel, Django Strikes Again, with Franco Nero in the lead role again, was made in 1987 and in 2012 Quentin Tarantino paid homage to the original film with his movie Django Unchained. Franco Nero was given a cameo in the movie. 

* Dreamland
* A Town Called Malice
* The Fear Index  
* The Gilded Age 

Das Boot season 4 arrives on Sky Atlantic and Hulu in Autumn 2023 for more emotional and gripping wartime action. Yes It’s time to head back to the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of the German U-boats as the brutal submarine war in the Mediterranean Sea comes to a head in series four of the German-language drama.. This time, Das Boot hero submarine commander Klaus Hoffmann (Rick Okon) finds his way back to his sister Hannie (Rosalie Thomass) after a shared tragedy. The drama will also show how resistance to the Nazis is growing even within the Kriegsmarine’s own ranks.

Here’s everything you need to know about Das Boot season 4.  

Das Boot season 4 release date 

Das Boot season 4 arrives in the UK on Sky Atlantic with a double bill on Wednesday October at 9pm. The whole series will be available on Sky Box Sets and streaming service NOW for the rest of 2023. This fourth series should arrive on Hulu in the US. There’s no confirmed US release date yet but we’ll update this page as soon as we hear anything, plus any more international air dates. 

Is there a trailer for Das Boot season 4?

Yes a trailer for Das Boot season 4 has now been released by Sky which you can watch below. Also, to whet your appetite even more, do take a look below that for the trailer for the previous series so you can recap...

Das Boot season 4 plot 

Das Boot season 4 catches up with the German submarine crew after the shocking events of season 3 and just as the war at sea comes to a head towards the end of World War II and intrigues and secrets spread throughout Berlin. Klaus Hoffman (Rick Okon) has returned to the German Reich from Portugal and reconnects with his sister Hannie (Rosalie Thomass). As submarine commander Klaus must travel to Naples on a secret mission to change the course of the war. Meanwhile Hannie wants to help the many orphans who have become the victims of the war and uncovers the secrets of the Nazi Reich. 

Das Boot season 4 cast 

Das Boot season 4 sees Rick Okon return as Klaus Hoffman to head the cast while Franz Dinda is back as Robert Ehrenberg, alongside Florian Panzner as Albrecht Lessing, Anna Schudt as Bettina Gruber, Pierre Kiwitt, Johann von Bülow, Rainer Bock and Ernst Stötzner are also returning. 

New cast members include Sascha Gersak as Rahn, Jakub Horak as Bischof, plus Rosalie Thomass as Hannie Lessing, Rainer Bock as Heinrich Gluck, plus Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht, Lara Mandoki, Stefan Murr, Marco Leonardi, Steffan Rhodri, Benjamin Dilloway and Joshua Collins.

NOTE: This article contains spoilers for The Last Of Us episode 4.

Who is Henry in The Last Of Us? That's easily one of the biggest questions to take away from the fourth episode of The Last Of Us on HBO Max and Sky TV. 

His name cropped up frequently in the show as Joel and Ellie (Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey) were evading the survivors who'd taken up residence in Kansas City after ousting the local military forces. For whatever reason, the ruthless band of survivors is rather keen on tracking him down, seemingly by whatever means necessary. 

Here's what we know about Henry from The Last Of Us as of the end of episode four.

Who is Henry in The Last Of Us TV series?

The official description for Henry didn't give much away about what his character gets up to in the show. According to HBO, Henry is the older brother of Sam (Keivonn Woodard), and the pair of them are hiding out in Kansas City, Missouri from a revolutionary movement seeking vengeance.

As we've now seen in the episode, that revolutionary movement in question is the one headed up by Kathleen (Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey), a group who've overthrown FEDRA rule and replaced them in a violent revolution. 

Kathleen is deadset on finding out where Henry could be hiding. Whilst on his trail she interrogates (and kills) a doctor in cold blood for info on his whereabouts and organizes a city-wide search of all the nearby abandoned buildings to track him down.  

We also know that he's now crossed paths with Joel and Ellie, as Ellie wakes Joel up to find Sam holding a gun to his head at the end of the episode. 

Why does Kathleen want to find Henry so badly?

Kathleen wants to track down Henry to get revenge on him for what happened to her brother. Whilst interrogating a doctor about Henry's whereabouts, she asks whether he told FEDRA about him, and he flatly denies having fed back any info about Kathleen's brother to the military organization. 

Henry was also serving as an informant, which means he was the one responsible for selling out her brother who was subsequently killed.  

Who plays Henry in The Last Of Us?

Henry is played by Canadian actor, Lamar Johnson. Aside from his role in The Last Of Us, Lamar has also appeared in Your Honor, The Next Step, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The Hate U Give. 

• The Last Of Us cast: meet the stars of the HBO drama

What happens to Henry in The Last Of Us video game?

Henry and Sam's story is just one of the sad stories that players come across in the original PlayStation game. Be warned, this description of the game's plot may well spoil elements of the show. 

In the game, Joel and Ellie come across Henry and Sam in Pittsburgh. They were survivors from Hartford who had entered the city to search for more supplies; there, they were ambushed by "Hunters", a hostile group of survivors known for killing off any outsiders who enter their territory in order to take their supplies.  

Whilst Joel and Ellie were working through the building, Henry attacked Joel (assuming he was a hunter). After a tense stand-off, the duo formed an uneasy alliance to get out of the city. Together, the four of them manage to get outside the city limits, confronting infected and hunters on their way.

In the suburbs, they are attacked by hunters and pinned down by a sniper. They overcome the hostile survivors, though get attacked by infected whilst making their escape from the area. 

The group shares a final night together, but tragedy strikes the following morning. As Ellie goes to wake Sam, he attacks her; he'd gotten injured the previous night, and turned into an infected runner. Joel moves to subdue Sam, but Henry stops him, before intervening and shooting Sam. Distraught, Henry blames what's happened on Joel, before turning the gun on himself.

*This article contains big spoilers for The Last Of Us TV series and video game*

The third episode of The Last Of Us switches the focus away from Joel and Ellie (Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey) in favor of expanding upon a side story found in the original PlayStation game of the same name.

In it, we're introduced to Bill (Nick Offerman), a grizzled survivalist who transforms an empty town into his own isolationist paradise to survive the ongoing apocalypse. However, his life is soon transformed by the arrival of a new survivor who he falls in love with.

Whilst the episode is garnering huge praise across the board for managing to tell a tender love story amongst all the chaos of the HBO Max and Sky TV show, it differs significantly from how the story unfolded the first time around. 

Here's a breakdown of what happened to Bill and Frank in The Last Of Us series and how it differs from the original game.

What happens to Bill and Frank in The Last Of Us; How did Bill and Frank die?

We'll outline what happens to Bill and Frank in The Last Of Us below, but for a full breakdown of their relationship as it appeared in the show, be sure to check out our The Last Of Us episode 3 recap.

In the series, Bill evades the FEDRA evacuation of Lincoln. Left on his own, he transforms the town into a fortified compound surrounded by booby traps and a perimeter fence to keep infected and other travelers at bay. 

One day, he stumbled on Frank, a fellow survivor who was trapped in one of the holes around his compound. Bill reluctantly feeds and clothes him, and that day eventually led to the pair living together and having a relationship spanning more than a decade; during that time, they also began working with Joel and Tess.

Shortly before Joel arrived with Ellie, Frank and Bill died by suicide together; Frank had developed an unknown illness and wanted to live out his last day with Bill by getting married and sharing a last meal. Having decided he didn't want to live out the rest of his days without Frank, Bill decided he wanted to go out with Frank in his arms. 

How does this differ from The Last Of Us Part I video game?

Unlike in the show, Joel and Ellie actually cross paths in The Last Of Us video game. The most significant difference here is that Frank and Bill do not die together, as Frank is not seen alive by the player.  

In the game, Bill is said to owe Joel a favor, and Joel wants to cash this in at Bill's junkyard. He asks for a car, and the game then sees them gathering parts for the vehicle around Bill's fortified section of Lincoln. 

By the time Joel and Ellie reach him, Bill is isolated once again, as he alludes to someone who has up and left him. He's much colder than Nick Offerman's version of the character; he is not open about his relationship with Frank, telling Joel that caring for someone is only good for one thing: "gettin' you killed".

When the town starts being overrun by infected, Bill, Joel, and Ellie are forced to take shelter in a house, where they sadly find the hanged body of Frank. In notes scattered around the house, we learn that Frank was actively trying to leave Bill but got injured on the way out of town. So, he took his own life after getting bitten as he didn't want to succumb to the cordyceps infection. Despite trying not to show it, he's still saddened by the loss and is somewhat shocked by a note in which Frank revealed he hated Bill.  

Why did they change Bill and Frank's story?

Speaking to Newsweek, Craig Mazin explained why they'd decided to drastically alter the way that Bill and Frank's story plays out in The Last Of Us TV adaptation, explaining that it felt like a chance to 'breathe for a bit' in amongst all the chaos and danger of the first two episodes. 

"I just loved the allusion of a relationship that was in the game between Bill and Frank", he went on to say, "and it seemed like we had a chance to just go a different way and, with our breathing, tell this other story that illuminated not only the passage of time but also some of the big themes that are going to continually echo forth about love; about the nature of love, and what it does for us both good and bad, the different ways we love each other."

The Last Of Us episodes 1-3 are now streaming on HBO Max and NOW. New episodes air Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max and at 2 am and 9 pm on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.

More The Last Of Us

• How does Tess die in The Last Of Us?
• Is Ellie immune from the infection in The Last Of Us?
• The Last Of Us filming locations
• The Last Of Us scores second season order at HBO

If you've been enjoying the new HBO video game adaptation The Last of Us, then you may well be interested in finding out as much as you can about the show, including where it was filmed.

Well, if you've met The Last of Us cast, understood how the show's clickers work and read up on who the Fireflies are, you might also be interested in looking up The Last of Us' locations, to see where it was filmed.

While the majority of the show was filmed in Canada, there are plenty of locations used over the nine episodes. If you love the show, you may well want to plan your own The Last of Us road trip, or simply look at what the locations look like in real life.

To that end, this The Last of Us locations guide will bring you through some of the most important locations of the show, as well as where they were filmed. To help you avoid spoilers, this guide will be listed in episodical order.

The Last of Us locations in episode 1

High River & Fort Macleod

The beginning of the first episode is set in Austin, the state capital of Texas. However, filming wasn't even done in the US.

Instead, two towns in Alberta, Canada were used. These are High River and Fort Macleod, the latter also being the birthplace of Joni Mitchell. Another town, Olds, was used for reshoots for certain shots.

Joel and Sarah are shown living in a cul-de-sac which is actually in High River. The intense driving sequence which is shown as one long take uses Fort Macleod, 

Since the TV show takes place in the outskirts of Austin, pre-apocalypse, few changes were made to the sets, unlike for all the subsequent post-apocalypse locations...

Calgary

Lots of the first episode takes place in the Boston Quarantine Zone, a small area of Boston that has been closed off from the infected to protect the remaining inhabitants. We see life going on in these areas, and for some people, it appears as though life is going on as normal.

These scenes weren't filmed in Boston though — instead, a whole bespoke area was created, to resemble a real area. Construction took multiple months to complete on this.

This was made in Calgary, in the Ramsay neighborhood of the city.

The Last of Us locations in episode 2

Calgary interiors

The beginning of episode two is set in Jakarta, Indonesia, but as the distinct scarcity of establishing shots suggests, the team didn't fly all the way to Indonesia to shoot.

Instead, most of the interior scenes take place over Calgary.

Edmonton

Lots of the second episode of The Last of Us takes place in Boston, once Joel, Ellie and Tess have escaped the Quarantine Zone. It's a ruined and crumbling area that, before the apocalypse, would have served as the downtown area.

While the TV show wasn't filmed in downtown Boston, it was filmed in an equally metropolitan area — shooting took place in Edmonton, the capital of the Alberta province of Canada.

Lots of shots were done on Rice Howard Way, however to replicate Boston's brick- and tree-lined streets, the production crew had to manually add bricks and trees to the locations.

More filming was done in the downtown and Beltline areas of Calgary. To show the ruined skyline behind the streets in Edmonton and Calgary, green screens were used, and CGI was used at many other points to add ruins or vines.

Alberta Legislature Building

While Tess and Joel have to deliver Ellie to Fireflies waiting at Massachusetts State House, the Capitol Building of Massachusetts in Boston, the place they actually deliver her to is the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton.

This splendid building was partly decked out in vines to give it a more decrepit look, though it obviously wasn't blown up, like the State House was in the show.

As with most interior locations, the scenes set inside the State House were actually filmed on a sound stage, not inside the State House itself. 

Spoiler warning: the following article will contain major spoilers for The Last of Us video game, as well as the first two episodes of The Last of Us TV adaptation, and possibly also further episodes if they're accurate to the game.

Now that we're several episodes into The Last of Us, the new video game adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, people have lots of questions about the character of Ellie.

Ellie, played by British actor Ramsey (meet The Last of Us cast here), is a young woman who Joel is tasked with escorting to safety across a post-apocalyptic America. She's an excitable and chatty character who serves as a counterpoint to the gruff Joel.

But, two episodes into the TV show, fans are starting to ask lots of questions about the character, as different facts and pieces of information about her promise to be important in the episodes to come. With that in mind, we're going to answer some of your questions about her.

This article contains spoilers for the first two episodes of The Last of Us. We'll also be referencing the video game quite a lot, and since the show is based on the game, we could well be spoiling future episodes too (unless the creators decided to change aspects of the story). So be warned.

By the way, if you haven't already started The Last of Us, you can watch it on HBO Max in the US and Sky TV or Now TV in the UK.

Is Ellie immune from the infection and all your other questions answered...

The Last Of Us is an HBO original series, meaning you can watch the series as it airs in the US on HBO or stream it on-demand on HBO Max. In the UK you can watch exclusively on Sky TV and their streaming service, NOW. 

The new HBO Max TV show The Last of Us may be based on a popular 2013 video game, but what you might not know is that the program is also partly based on real-world inspiration.

The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, 20 years after a zombie-like apocalypse situation that resulted in survivors living in remote communities. 

Note us calling it 'zombie-like' and not 'zombie', and that's because the game and show present a very different approach than your standard shambling undead show. 

In fact, The Last of Us has a real-life inspiration for its monsters, as well as rigid rules and 'types' of zombies. If you've watched the show and want to understand more about the creatures or want to prepare yourself before you go in, here's what you need to know about The Last of Us and its 'clickers'.

As a reminder, The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.

The TV adaptation of the bestselling videogame The Last Of Us stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as gruff survivor Joel and his rebellious charge Ellie — despite the show's scary subject matter, the pair admit that they spent a lot of their time on set helpless with laughter!

The Last Of Us is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a mutant fungus has infected huge swathes of humanity, turning people into crazed zombie-like creatures, and the few who remain uninfected live under military rule. When Joel is asked to escort Ellie across the country on a mission of vital importance, the two are initially wary of each other, but the duo soon develops a powerful friendship.

It was nearly a case of life imitating art for Pedro and Bella, who gleefully reveal that they skipped straight past their alter-egos' initial animosity stage and quickly became close pals while filming. We caught up with them to find out more...

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey interview for The Last Of Us

• The Last Of Us launches on Sunday, January 15 on HBO and HBO Max in the US, and on Monday, January 16 on Sky TV channel Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK 

True Detective was back on the case with a brand new chapter in the anthology crime drama with True Detective season 4. Also titled True Detective: Night Country, just about everything in the show was new, from the cast to the showrunner. Though one thing remained: at the center of it all was a haunting mystery for the characters (and viewers) to pour over.

The first season of True Detective, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, debuted in 2014 and became a big hit. True Detective season 2 followed quickly on its heels in 2015 and featured Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Vince Vaughn, Taylor Kitsch and Kelly Reilly. Season 3 of True Detective did not arrive until 2019, as the show was taken over by new writers and had Mahershala Ali, Carmen Ejogo, Stephen Dorff, Scoot McNairy, Ray Fisher and Mamie Gummer as its main cast.

Find out everything you need to know about True Detective season 4 below.

How to watch True Detective season 4

True Detective season 4 has wrapped up its run, but if you missed any episodes or want to catch up from the very beginning, you can do so by streaming on Max.

If you are in the UK, where Max is not available, True Detective season 4 episodes are available to stream on Sky Go and NOW TV.

True Detective season 4 recaps

Catch up with the show via WTW's True Detective season 4 recaps:

True Detective season 4 episode 1, "Part One"
"In Ennis, Alaska, the men that operate a research station vanish. To solve the case, Detectives Danvers and Navarro will have to confront the darkness themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice." Read WTW's True Detective season 4 episode 1 recap.

True Detective season 4 episode 2, "Part Two"
"Darkness descends on remote Alaskan town Ennis. Eight staff vanish from Tsalal Arctic Research Station. Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro take case, must face inner demons to find truth." Read WTW's True Detective season 4 episode 2 recap.

True Detective season 4 episode 3, "Part Three"
"While Hank leads the search for Clark, Prior asks Danvers about the murder-suicide that drove a wedge between her and Navarro. Then, Navarro and Danvers seek out a local hairdresser for insight on Annie, which leads to a tip." Read WTW's True Detective season 4 episode 3 recap.

True Detective season 4 episode 4, "Part Four"
"When Julia's mental health struggles resurface, Navarro brings her to a local facility, promising that this time will be better. Later, Danvers and Navarro confirm the location of Annie's murder, and Danvers levies a harsh punishment on Leah." Read WTW's True Detective season 4 episode 4 recap.

True Detective season 4 episode 5, "Part Five"
"After Navarro rescues Leah from a volatile Silver Sky protest, Danvers gets a warning against pursuing the Tsalal case any further." Read WTW's True Detective season 4 episode 5 recap.

True Detective season 4 episode 6, "Part Six"
"In the midst of a bad storm, Danvers and Navarro find themselves stuck at Tsalal with ne electricity or means of contact. As the truth about what happened to Annie and the Tsalal men unfolds, Navarro and Danvers each confront the demons from their past." Read WTW's True Detective season 4 episode 6 recap.

True Detective season 4 cast

True Detective has always had big names headlining each and every season and True Detective season 4 was no different, as Jodie Foster starred as one of the leads. Foster is a Hollywood icon, having been on screen since she was a kid with movies like Taxi Driver, The Accused, The Silence of the Lambs, Contact, Inside Man and, most recently, Nyad. Foster got her start working in TV, but True Detective was her first major role on TV since the 1970s. In True Detective season 4, Foster plays Liz Danvers, one of the main detectives on the case.

What to Watch spoke with Foster about her role on True Detective, including how Silence of the Lambs is "weirdly" related to True Detective.

The other detective is Evangeline Navarro, who is played by Kali Reis. Reis is a professional boxer and Indigenous rights advocate who made her acting debut in the 2021 indie movie Catch the Fair One. Her work in the movie got her a special Jury Mention at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and a nomination for Best Female Lead at the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards. It also clearly caught the attention of the True Detective team.

Other members of the True Detective season 4 cast include John Hawkes (Winter's Bone), Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who), Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve), Finn Bennett (The Nevers), Anna Lambe (Three Pines), Joel D. Montgrand (Altered Carbon) and newcomers Aka Niviâna and Isabella Star Lablanc.

Hawkes plays Hank Prior, a police officer with old grudges hiding under a quiet surface.

Eccleston is the regional chief of police and a political animal with a long history with Liz Danvers.

Shaw is on board as Rose Aguineau, a survivalist with a past full of secrets.

Bennett plays Peter Prior, Liz Danvers protege and apprentice.

Lambe is set as Kayla Malee, a young nurse with little patience for anybody that messes with her family.

True Detective season 4 plot

Here is the official logline for True Detective: Night Country from HBO:

"When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro must confront their pasts and the dark truths lying underneath the Arctic ice."

If you've gotten to the end of the series still with some question, hopefully our True Detective season 4 ending explained feature can help answer some of them.

True Detective season 4 trailer

After a number of teases, the first official trailer for True Detective: Night Country was released as part of the Max press event on April 12. Watch the trailer right here:

A second official trailer is also now available, which you can watch directly below:

You can also check out the previously released teaser trailers right here:

Other True Detective season 4 crew

Foster and Reis served as the main people on camera, but there was an impressive lineup of talent behind the camera as well.

Issa López served as the showrunner/writer/executive producer and director for the new season. López has built her reputation as a writer/director in her native Mexico, with her work including Tigers Are Not Afraid and Casi Divas.

Also behind the scenes was Barry Jenkins, serving as an executive producer. Other executive producers include Jodie Foster and the original True Detective team of Nic Pizzolatto, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Cary Joji Fukunaga.

Is there going to be a True Detective season 5?

It didn't take long for HBO to confirm the future of True Detective. Just a couple of days after season 4 concluded, True Detective season 5 was announced.

House of the Dragon, HBO’s highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, launched Milly as a household name around the world, and now she is appearing in Netflix hit, Sirens, alongside Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy and Kevin Bacon.

Although having had previous acting roles on Australian TV, Milly is a relative newcomer to Hollywood, and just a few years ago was washing dishes in a restaurant to make ends meet.

However, Milly is now a superstar thanks to her standout performance as steely Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon. But what else is there to know about the star?

Here is everything you need to know, from her past TV and film jobs to her newfound love of photography...

Milly Alcock started acting as a young girl 

Amelia May Alcock was born on April 11, 2000, and was raised by her parents in Sydney, Australia, alongside her two brothers. Having been bitten by the acting bug young, Milly’s first stage performance was at six years old, when she donned a denim skirt and cowboy boots in a production of Little Red Rocking Hood at her local church theatre. 

In an interview with the American fashion title, Flaunt, the actor revealed her fascination with storytelling had started even earlier, after continually pressing rewind on a stolen Blockbuster DVD of the Audrey Hepburn classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

She made her small screen debut in Australia

Milly’s TV debut came in 2014 when she had a bit part in romantic comedy, Wonderland. Roles in other Australian shows soon followed — playing Isabella Barrett in High Life, and Cindi Jackson in the third series of Janet King. Milly also hosted her own programme, The BF Chefs, which aired on the Disney Channel and was filmed in her native Sydney. 

The actress has a number of TV adverts on her CV, for big brands such as Cadbury, KFC and Woolworths. And Milly isn’t just a star of the small screen, her film credits include The School, Reckoning and The Gloaming.

She quit school to pursue her dream career

Milly was a year 12 pupil at Sydney’s Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, when she was cast to play runaway teen Meg in the Australian drama Upright, alongside acclaimed comedian Tim Minchin.

Due to the nature of the filming schedule, Milly made the decision to quit her education in order to pursue her acting career. The gamble paid off, and her portrayal of misfit Meg in the eight-part series won her the 2018 Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star Award.

Speaking to Miss Vogue Australia, Milly admitted she has no regrets: “I knew that this opportunity would be so much more of a valuable experience than getting my piece of paper. I was like: ‘No, this is what I’ve been working towards and I’ve been given this amazing opportunity with this amazing cast, with this beautiful script.’”

Since its debut in Australia, Upright has also been rolled out in the UK and Canada, and in March 2022, Milly traveled to Queensland to shoot the second series.

She used to live in her mum’s attic

Milly currently resides in London, but it wasn’t long ago she was living in the attic of her mum’s house in Australia. In-between acting roles, she had taken a job washing up in a restaurant to earn extra money. And it was during that time she sent off two self-tapes for an ‘unknown HBO project’. 

Just two weeks later, Milly received a life-changing call from her agent, confirming she’d won the coveted role of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon. Telling Stellar magazine about that pivotal moment, Milly said: “I never thought this would happen to me. I froze, and took a deep breath and said to my friend, "Do you have wine?" Then I called my mum.”

She bonded with her House of the Dragon co-star

Shooting House of the Dragon was a real baptism of fire for Milly, who relocated from her family home in Sydney to a flat in Primrose Hill. Living alone for the first time in the middle of a global pandemic and working on a big-budget production, Milly admitted she felt out of her depth and relied on the support from her fellow cast and crew. 

In particular, she became close to her co-star Emily Carey (who plays Alicent Hightower). “We met virtually before the show and both had the same feelings about this job,” Milly revealed in a chat with Hype: “We’re both young women, doing a major show that is usually based around men, so we developed a kindred relationship. I adore Emily, I’m very protective of her, I feel like she’s my little sister.” Aww.

• Meet the House of the Dragon cast

She's a pro at riding a pretend dragon

As the title of the show suggests, Milly’s character Princess Rhaenyra is a dragonrider. Her steed, called Syrax, is based on an eagle, and in the context of the series, is like a pet to Rhaenyra. Syrax is, of course, an optical illusion, which required Milly to do a lot of interacting with a fake blue screen, something she found rather amusing. 

Speaking to fans at the San Diego Comic Con 2022, the actress described what it was like to ride Syrax. “You’re propped up on what looks like a mechanical bull that you might ride in a bar or pub,” Milly shared. “It lifts up six feet in the air and there are four guys with leaf blowers — it’s strange!”

She’s a keen photographer

While acting is currently Milly’s number one passion, she’s also developed a flare for photography. She picked up the hobby during lockdown, and has posted a selection of her stylish shots on her Instagram account. One that stands out is a black and white image of Parisian children playing ball in the streets. For Milly, the photograph she captured is full of beauty. 

In an interview with Flaunt, she expressed: “Some people might see the photo of the kids in Paris and say, ‘Oh the composition is wrong—it’s a bit slanted.’ I think the beauty is in the mistakes because it’s alive. The ability to control an image and evoke a certain feeling is what drew it to me.”

Milly Alcock’s fact file

Frequently asked questions about the star...

Instagram: @millyalcock

We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.

• How to watch House of the Dragon

True crime is huge on TV right now, with shows based on extraordinary real-life events taking center stage. But somehow The Staircase feels different, mainly because the tragic death of Kathleen Peterson is still shrouded in so much mystery. But what really happened the night she died? 

The Staircase, starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette as Michael and Kathleen Peterson, explores the life of Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen at their sprawling North Carolina home after she died under suspicious circumstances in December 2001. 

Despite the fact Michael was the one to call 911 the night Kathleen allegedly fell down the stairs, Michael soon became the prime suspect in her death when it appeared there was much more to Kathleen's injuries than simply taking a tumble down 15 steps. 

This isn't the first time Michael Peterson's story has been played out on TV. This current adaptation follows many shows covering Kathleen's death, with the most renowned being the 2004 series, also called The Staircase documentary, which is still available to watch on Netflix.

But how much of this latest adaptation of The Staircase actually happened? Here is everything you need to know... 

Is The Staircase a true story?

Yes. In December 2001 novelist Michael Peterson called 911 to report that his wife had fallen down the stairs, suggesting her accident was due to her alcohol and Valium intake. However, when the police arrived at the scene they quickly became suspicious given the amount of blood found around Kathleen's body. 

After Kathleen's body had been examined it was revealed that she was bludgeoned to death with a blunt object, and with Michael being the only other person at the house at the time, he quickly became the prime suspect in a murder case.

Who is the killer in The Staircase?

This is the million-dollar question. While Peterson still to this day maintains his innocence and claims that his wife's death was a tragic accident, the prosecution at this trial back in 2003 told a very different story. 

It was argued that Michael killed Kathleen after she found pictures of naked men on his computer and emails to a male escort. It was then claimed that he bludgeoned her to death with a metal tube used for stoking the fire.

To this very day, Michael maintains that he never had a conversation with Kathleen about his sexuality on the night she died. In an interview on UK show, This Morning, Michael told presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: "No, we did not discuss it. But did she know? I'm sure she did… in a marriage there are things that don’t need to be said sometimes. And this was one of those."

What was Kathleen Peterson's cause of death?

The medical examiner on the case found that Kathleen was bludgeoned to death with a blunt object and suffered multiple lacerations to her scalp. The blood on her head had dried, implying she was left in that predicament for some time, contradicting Michael's claims that he had found her at the bottom of the stairs no more than half an hour after the incident allegedly occurred. 

Speaking to This Morning, Michael shared his own theory on what happened the night Kathleen died...

"Pathologists looked at all the evidence and said ‘no, she was not beaten to death’ and I could never figure it out [what happened]... my understanding of it was, and it’s hard to believe this, but it was over 20 years ago, but the theory was that yes she fell but she tried to get up and slipped in all the blood. 

"I don’t know what it was or what happened to her. There are numerous theories, but I think she fell — she had alcohol, she had valium, flexerole.. I don’t know, I honestly, I wish I could tell you."

What happened to Elizabeth Ratliff? 

In episode four of the true-crime drama, it was revealed that a close family friend the Petersons called Elizabeth Ratliff was also found dead at the bottom of a staircase. But did this happen in real life? And what happened? 

Yes, unbelievable as it sounds, Kathleen's ordeal wasn't the first staircase death that Michael has been linked to. 

Elizabeth Ratliff and her husband, George Ratliff, were close friends of Michael Peterson and his first wife Patricia Peterson when they lived in Germany in the 1980s. However, in November 1985 Elizabeth was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in her home. She was last seen alive by Michael, who had brought her home just before the incident and German authorities ruled Elizabeth's death as an accident, stating that she had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage before falling down the stairs. 

George Ratliff sadly died two years after his wife, and Michael Peterson went on to adopt the couple's two daughters Margaret and Martha Ratliff.

However, the similarities between Elizabeth's death and Kathleen's were too hard to ignore, and Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out by the Durham Medical Examiner. 

In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out and it was concluded Elizabeth's cause of death was in fact homicide. The medical examiner found Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratcliffe suffered matching trauma to the head, throwing Kathleen's injuries into a different light during Michael's trial. 

A bizarre coincidence or does Michael have form? You decide. 

What does Michael Peterson think of the Colin Firth drama adaptation? 

While The Staircase is based on true events, Michael has said since the show aired that the series has fabricated what really happened.  While Michael worked closely with 2004 documentary maker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade he has now criticised de Lestrade for his role as executive producer in the drama, along with its show-runner Antonio Campos.

"He released his archive to Campos who then created a fictional account of events, most of which trashed me (which I really don’t care about) and my children — which I really do care about," Peterson told Variety in a series of emails. "There are egregious fabrications and distortions of the truth in the HBO series, well beyond what may be considered ‘artistic’ license.

"We didn’t sell our story to Campos — were never even consulted or informed that Jean had done this. We are the ones who were betrayed, falsely depicted as fighting among ourselves (which NEVER happened), and with made-up storylines that denigrate all of us in the eyes of millions.”

Did Michael Peterson's family really have to sell their belongings to pay his legal fees? 

The HBO adaptation of The Staircase sees the Petersons being forced to sell off many of their possessions, in order to keep the appeal process going, after Michael is found guilty in the first trial. 

In episode seven, when new information that could help Michael comes to light, Bill Peterson (Tim Guinee) goes to David Rudolf’s office and tells him that he is going to pursue this new information and that he’s going to do it for free. According to Rudolf, the payment issue was a fabrication.

When What To Watch caught up with real-life The Staircase lawyer, David Rudolf, he blasted the series for 'false portrayal', saying he never charged the family anything after the initial court case, so them selling their possessions to pay for the appeal did not happen... "They [the filmmakers] knew that for 14 years after the verdict I didn’t take a single penny for anything I did in connection with Michael’s case," he told us. 

"I did that because I wanted to make it right… I was trying to make something, that I thought was terribly wrong, right. And instead, they portray me as requiring Michael to sell his furniture to finance the appeal."

You can read more from lawyer David Rudolf in our exclusive chat with him. 

Does The Staircase have an ending?

The jury found the evidence sufficient to convict Michael of first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life in 2003. But that is far from the end of the story. 

After serving eight years in prison, Michael Peterson was given a new trial in 2011 when the judge ruled that a key witness had given misleading testimony. Fast-forward to 2017 and Peterson entered what is called an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter — this means that the accused can admit that the prosecution has enough evidence to convict them, but not admit guilt for the crime.

Peterson was then freed from prison because his new sentence was 86 weeks in prison, however, he had already served that.

Why did Michael Peterson accept manslaughter?

To this day Michael Peterson maintains that he is innocent of any crimes surrounding his wife's death. So then why accept manslaughter?

Michael told This Morning: "There’s a good reason. When this came about and they wanted to retry it, I was 73 years old and my attorney said he’d done as much as he could and couldn’t represent me in the next case, I have grandchildren and children that had probably gone through more than what I had gone through. 

"I went to prison but my children had to live through all of this and it was terrible for them, so at the age of 73 did I want to go back to trial to prove that I didn’t do anything so that I could be free? I was already free. So I would’ve been risking emotional damage to my children and grandchildren… So I took what is considered an Alford plea, which is that I didn’t do anything, I am not guilty, but I will plead guilty to a smaller charge so that you will set me free. So to me, that was the better thing."

Is The Staircase a documentary?

While this HBO adaptation of the real-life story of Kathleen's death is a drama, there was an original documentary made of the tragedy, too. 

In the second episode of The Staircase, we find out that some documentary filmmakers are interested in chronicling Peterson’s case. This really did happen, with a docuseries also called The Staircase which was first released in 2004.

The making of the true-crime documentary came about after Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and Denis Poncet won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2002 for their movie Murder on a Sunday Morning, which documented a murder trial of a 15-year-old African American in Jacksonville who was wrongfully convicted. They soon found themselves drawn to Michael Peterson’s case, and the rest is history. 

You can find out more about where to watch The Staircase documentary with our handy guide. 

How many episodes of the The Staircase are on Netflix?

The Staircase 2004 documentary is currently available to stream on Netflix in both the US and the UK. There are 13 hour-long episodes in the documentary, which provide in-depth looks at the case from shortly after the indictment to the trial to the appeals and developments all the way up to 2018.

De Lestrade originally made eight episodes of The Staircase from 2001 to 2004, two follow-up episodes in 2010 and a final three episodes completed the story in 2018.

How many episodes of The Staircase are on HBO?

All eight episodes of the limited series are now available to watch on HBO Max in the US and Sky/NOW TV in the UK. 

Here are the synopses for all The Staircase episodes:

The Staircase episode 1: "911" 

"In 2001, author and aspiring local politician Michael Peterson is charged with murder after the suspicious death of his wife Kathleen.".

The Staircase episode 2, "Chiroptera" 

"While working on his defense, Michael considers an opportunity to tell his story in a documentary. Then, after learning shocking information about her stepfather, Caitlin wrestles with doubts."

The Staircase episode 3, "The Great Dissembler" 

"As the DA's office attempts to solidify their case, shocking new details surface about Michael's past that threaten to derail the defense."

The Staircase episode 4, "Common Sense" 

"After an unexpected homecoming, a critical discovery rocks the Peterson household. Michael's fate hangs in the balance as the trial ends."

The Staircase episode 5, "The Beating Heart" 

"In the aftermath of the verdict, the Petersons struggle with the court's decision and Michael finds solace in an unlikely friendship from thousands of miles away."

The Staircase episode 6, "Red in Tooth and Claw" 

"In 2006, Sophie pursues a far-fetched new theory about the night of Kathleen's death. Then, in 2017, Michael grapples with compromising his principles in exchange for his freedom."

The Staircase episode 7, "Seek and Ye Shall" 

"After a body with similar injuries to Kathleen's turns up at the county morgue, Sophie continues her quest to uncover what really happened to Kathleen. Meanwhile, Martha decides to dig into her fraught past despite pushback from Margaret."

The Staircase episode 8, "America's Sweetheart or: Time Over Time" 

"After navigating a possible retrial, a 73-year-old Michael confronts a life-changing decision. Meanwhile, Martha and Margaret each share long-buried truths and Sophie comes to terms with a revelation."

Where is Michael Peterson now? 

After being released from jail, Peterson returned to Durham, North Carolina where he lives a secluded life. Despite having the freedom to live anywhere in the world he has never left Durham. 

The wealth Peterson enjoyed before Kathleen's death is now gone, not only because he missed out on Kathleen’s life insurance policy, but because his step-daughter, Caitlin, also obtained a $25 million settlement from Michael via a wrongful death claim against him.

In 2019, Michael self-published two books — Behind the Staircase and Beyond the Staircase — that detail his side of the story. He donated the proceeds from his book to charity because the law forbade him to keep the money for himself. 

Where is the Peterson family now?

Today, it is thought that Margaret Ratliff lives in California and works in the entertainment industry as an actor, assistant director and production manager.

Martha Ratliff is believed to live in Colorado working as a psychotherapist.

Clayton Peterson is thought to live in Baltimore, Maryland, where he works as an engineer. He’s still married to Becky, with whom he has two children.

Not much is known about Todd Peterson's whereabouts after he allegedly deleted his social media accounts following the release of The Staircase drama. 

Has Michael Peterson remarried? 

While filming the 13-part Netflix documentary about his long legal battle, Michael met and started a relationship with one of its editors, Sophie Brunet. The pair dated for nearly 15 years, but their relationship ended around 2017. 

Where is Sophie Brunet now? 

French-born Sophie moved back to Paris after her split from Michael. Sophie then worked on the final installment of the Netflix documentary, which aired in 2018 and according to her IMDb page, she is still working as a film and television editor.

What is the owl theory in The Staircase? 

In another bizarre twist in the tale, it was later claimed that Kathleen could have died as a result of an owl attack. The Peterson's neighbor, Larry Pollard, suggested that the injuries on Kathleen's scalp were consistent with being attacked by an owl and a re-examination of evidence in 2009 found that Kathleen had a tiny feather in her hair and that wood from a tree was tangled up in the hair which had been pulled out of her head by the roots and was found between her fingers.

It was thought Kathleen could have been attacked by the owl outside (blood was reportedly spotted outside too) and then stumbled in, disoriented from the attack, before falling down the stairs.

The owl theory was so complex and baffling that it was excluded from the Netflix documentary entirely. However, this latest drama adaptation of The Staircase has addressed the theory in episode six, showing how Kathleen could have been attacked by an owl while she was putting a decorative Christmas reindeer in her front garden the night that she died. 

Is the owl theory possible? 

The owl theory has never been tested in court but the Peterson's neighbor Larry Pollard has publicized his belief that an owl caused the blunt-force trauma and head wounds on Kathleen's head that night, and not a fire poker as it was originally claimed in court. 

Speaking to News Observer Larry said: “People question why I spent so much time on this case, but I spent a lot of time uncovering evidence indicating that Mr. Peterson is an innocent man. I’ve assembled what I believe is a very credible and truthful description of what actually happened to Mrs. Peterson and her demise.”

Michael Peterson’s lawyer David Rudolf originally said in court that Katheleen died after falling down the stairs while intoxicated... however he has since agreed that the owl theory is plausible.

All eight episodes of The Staircase are now available to stream on HBO Max in the US and on Sky TV and NOW in the UK. 

House of the Dragon season 2 has arrived, taking us deeper into the war between the Blacks and the Greens.

House of the Dragon season 1 delivered everything Game of Thrones and fantasy fans could want from the show: politicking, brutal deaths, tense rivalries, and fearsome dragons. Having met our main stars and witnessed friendships being broken and scraps being fought, the stage is now properly set for a bloody conflict. 

With season 2 wrapped up, find all the info you need on House of the Dragon season 2.

How to watch House of the Dragon season 2 

House of the Dragon season 2 is not available to watch entirely on-demand. For US viewers, it is available exclusively on Max. For those in the UK, the show is streaming on Sky Go and NOW TV.

House of the Dragon season 2 recaps

• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 1 recap: A Son For A Son
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 2 recap: Rhaenyra the Cruel
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 3 recap: The Burning Mill
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4 recap: The Red Dragon and the Gold
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5 recap: Regent
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6 recap: Smallfolk

House of the Dragon season 2 plot

After House of the Dragon season 1 introduced us to the main characters and took course over many years, the table for season 2 was truly set in the final episode.

Following the death of King Viserys, his wife Alicent misconstrued his final words and believes that he wanted their son Aegon II to become king over Viserys' daughter Rhaenyra, Alicent's former friend now rival. This puts chaos into motion as each side — the Blacks, loyal to Rhaenyra, and the Greens, loyal to Alicent.

As the two sides try to secure their position by bringing other strong houses to their side, Rhaenyra's son Lucerys was sent to meet with House Baratheon. However, he was met their by his cousin, Alicent's son Aemond. When attempting to leave, Aemond taunts Lucerys as they both ride their dragon, but things get out of hand and Aemond loses control of his dragon, Vhagar, who winds up killing Lucerys. 

While the act may have been inadvertent, it will lead to a now inevitable war between the two sides for control of Westeros.

How many episodes will House of the Dragon season 2 have?

Deadline has reported that House of the Dragon season 2 will be a shorter season than the first. According to their report, we'll only be getting eight episodes in the show's sophomore season.

However, House of the Dragon season 3 has already been confirmed, so we know there is still more story to tell with this series.

House of the Dragon season 2 cast

All the major players who survived House of the Dragon's first season will be making their return. Here's a quick reminder of who is playing who and their affiliation:

• Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen (Black)
• Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen (Black)
• Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower (Green)
• Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen (Black)
• Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon (Black)
• Fabien Frankel as Cirston Cole (Green)
• Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen (Green)
• Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen (Green)
• Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria (TBD)
• Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower (Green)
• Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon (Black)
• Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen (Black)
• Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen (Black)
• Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen (Green)
• Jefferson Hall as Tyland Lannister (Green)
• Matthew Needham as Larys Strong (Green)

There are also a number of new cast members joining the show in season 2. Here is a rundown of who you need to know:

• Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull 
• Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers
• Freddie Fox as Gwayne Hightower
• Simon Russell Beale as Simon Strong, 
• Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull
• Jamie Kenna as Alfred Broome 
• Kieran Bew as Hugh
• Tom Bennett as Ulf 
• Tom Taylor as Cregan Stark 
• Vincent Regan as Rickard Thorne

House of the Dragon season 2 trailer

Yep, there's tons! The latest trailer teases all the drama soon to come our way. It features tons of dragons, battles and looks forward to the inevitable war that's on its way. And it looks like there might be some tension between Rhaenyra and Daemon; does he see her as capable of uniting the realm? Here's the trailer

On March 21, HBO released two new trailers for the series, inviting us to pick our preferred side in the war. The two trailers are themed around the Greens and Blacks, each showing what is to come for their respective factions. You can find them both below: 

Below, you can find a previous teaser for the series that set the stakes and showcased the massing military might of the two factions. 

Towards the end, Rhaenys warns that there's 'no war so bloody as a war between dragons', and the trailer proves this, erupting into brutal conflict towards the climax. 

House of the Dragon's eighth episode featured a touching moment between two of the series' most prominent characters — and we've now learned that it wasn't even planned.

*spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon *

"The Lord of the Tides" featured a pivotal scene in which an ailing King Viserys (Paddy Considine) made a surprise appearance at a meeting where Vaemond Velaryon was petitioning to be named the true heir to Driftmark instead of Rhaenyra's son, Lucerys, if Lord Corlys fails to make a recovery from his injuries.

Viserys struggles to make it to the Iron Throne and initially rejects the assistance of his guards. During the walk, the crown slips from Viserys' head; in a shocking turn of events, his estranged brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) picked the crown back up and crowned him once again. Unlike before, Viserys accepts his help to the throne, signaling that there's still a bond between them despite everything that's happened in the show so far. 

Whilst speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Geeta Patel — who directed episode 8 — revealed that this exchange between the two stars was just a happy accident that occurred whilst filming, one that just so happened to help tell the story of Viserys and Daemon's changing relationship.

In the interview, Geeta said: "When we were shooting that — I think the rehearsal again, the first day — the crown fell off Paddy's [Considine] head and Matt picked it up and we just kept going. We didn't stop. There was a discovery there of this moment."

"I was so thankful that accident happened, that the crown fell off because it proved to be, at least for me, quite a heavy moment and quite a turning point for a storyline that had started in the pilot: Hey, I want your crown and by the end here I'm gonna put the crown back on your head and I'm gonna help you to your throne", she added.

House of the Dragon continues on Sunday, October 16 at 9 pm on HBO and HBO Max in the US, and on Monday, October 17 at 9 pm on Sky TV on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

More House of the Dragon

• House of the Dragon: The Catspaw dagger prophecy explained
• House of the Dragon season 2 confirmed after huge series premiere
• What is House of the Dragon based on?
• Meet the House of the Dragon cast
• The best fantasy TV shows

Munich Games is a tense thriller series that coincides with the 50th anniversary of the infamous "Munich Massacre" which took place on September 5 1972 at the Olympics in Germany. 

The world watched in horror when Israeli athletes and coaches were taken hostage in their rooms in the Olympic village by a Palestinian terrorist group calling itself Black September. Then, 21 hours later, after an attempted rescue at a Munich airfield went disastrously wrong. The days ended with 11 Israeli hostages killed by their captors, nine of them as they waited helplessly in helicopters on the runway.

Munich Games is a fast-paced multi-language thriller set 50 years later but is strongly tied to the events of 1972. In English, German, Hebrew and Arabic, it stars Seyneb Saleh, Yousef Sweid, Sebastian Rudolph and Dov Glickman. Created by the writer of global TV hit Fauda and tells the story of two agents, Israeli and German, who must work together to prevent a major terrorist attack 50 years after the original Munich Massacre.

So here's everything we know so far about Munich Games (also called Munich Match in some countries) coming to Sky Atlantic in the UK in autumn 2022.

Munich Games release date

In the UK, Munich Games starts on Sky Atlantic with its first two episodes to be shown on Friday September 9 at 9pm and 10pm. It's a six-part series, with double episodes shown weekly. The air date is not too long after the 50th anniversary of the Munich Massacre (which is September 5). All episodes will be available on NOW. Munich Games had its global premiere on June 28, 2022, as part of The New German TV Movie track at the Munich Film Festival.

The series will be available in all Sky markets including UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria & Switzerland. 

Paramount Global Content Distribution owns the international distribution rights to the series outside the Sky markets. We will update when a US date and channel is announced.

* To accompany the series in the UK, Sky Documentaries broadcast 1972: Munich’s Black September on Sunday September 5, 9pm, which reconstructs the infamous Olympic massacre through archive footage and eyewitness accounts. This is now available on NOW catch up.

Is there a trailer for Munich Games?

Yes a trailer for Munich Games has arrived which shows all the tense dramas surrounding the fateful football match with Seyneb Saleh, Yousef Sweid, Sebastian Rudolph and Dov Glickman all in action. Take a look below...

What is the plot of Munich Games?

In Munich Games it's 2022 and, as a mark of peace and respect for the victims of the 1972 terrorist attack, a friendly football match between an Israeli and a German team is planned at the Munich Olympic stadium. Police and secret services on all sides are on high alert to ensure the security of the event.

Israel are particularly sensitive and Mossad agent Oren Simon (Yousef Sweid), who is stationed in Berlin, intercepts a message on the dark web just days before the match goes ahead. To ensure that history does not repeat itself, Oren, who is a computer analyst rather than a field officer, is sent to Munich to partner Maria Köhler (Seyneb Saleh), a German police officer (LKA) with Lebanese roots. Neither is comfortable with the arrangement. Oren is awkward around other people and impatient with German bureaucracy, while Maria doesn’t approve of Oren’s methods of bypassing official channels. But with only five days to go before the game, the pair face a race against time to find out who is behind the footage. 

"Maria and Oren are two complex characters from different origins and emotional backgrounds who meet in an extreme situation and have to trust each other," explains director Philipp Kadelbach. "There’s a real ticking-clock structure to the plot."

For Maria, the situation is complicated by the fact that she is having a passionate, clandestine affair with Syrian refugee Monir Aziz (Roger Azar), one of the informants in the network she has built up in the Arab community.  "Munich Games has everything that a good "feet-on-the-ground" show needs," says Kadelbach, who felt it was essential for authenticity that the characters spoke in German, Arabic and Hebrew as well as English for the six-part series. "Maria and Oren have more in common than they would like to think," he adds. "They cannot always distinguish between a professional assignment and private feelings."

Munich Games cast

In Munich Games Seyneb Saleh plays German police agent Maria Köhler who partners up with Mossad's Berlin agent Oren Simon, played by Yousef 'Joe' Sweid. Seyneb has previously starred in Mute and Dogs of Berlin whole Yousef is best known for Baghdad Central which was shown on Channel 4 in the UK. 

Other international stars of Munich Games include Sebastian Rudolph as Michael Hahn, Doval'e Glickman as Jackie Igelski, Robert Maaser as Borsig, Goran Kostic as Bogdan, Seumas F.Sargent as Sam, Juliane Kohler as Jutta Zangler, Anton Spieker, Evgenia Dodina as Ahuva Igelski and Mehdi Meskar as Karim Abdelsalam.

Behind the scenes on Munich Games

Munich Games has multi-national team at its heart. Produced by Sky Deutschland, it's created by Michal Aviram (Fauda), directed by Philipp Kadelbach (We Children from Bahnhof Zoo, Perfume) and written by Aviram and Martin Behnke (Berlin Alexanderplatz). It is a co-production by Amusement Park Film, CBS Studios and Sky Studios.

Michal Aviram says: “I was really fascinated by the story, it was so powerful, people from Israel, Jewish, coming to Germany for a very peaceful sporting event, and you thought this could never happen again… after the war. It was like a knife to the heart and really influenced Israel and Germany in many ways.”

Previous movies about the 1972 Munich Massacre

In 2005, Steven Spielberg's Munich followed the events of 1972 but also what happened afterwards when the then Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir sent Mossad agents out around the world on covert operations to murder those who'd organized the massacre. Her secret controversial edict was called Operation Wrath Of God. Stars of this movie included Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Lonsdale and Lynn Cohen as Gold Meir.

Back in 1976 there was a made-for-TV movie called 21 Hours at Munich which depicted the events of the massacre from start to finish. It starred William Holden, Anthony Quayle, Franco Nero, Richard Basehart and Shirley Knight.

The highly acclaimed 1999 documentary film One Day in September, produced by Michael Douglas, spoke to the families of victims and those who took part in the negotiations with terrorists and the botched rescue attempt. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

* Das Boot season 3
* The Midwich Cuckoos on Sky Max
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* Django on Sky Atlantic
* This England on Sky Atlantic