Broadchurch arrives on DVD

We've waited and waited but finally ITV's biggest drama since Downton Abbey has arrived on DVD!

Broadchurch was a rare creature. Firstly it was an eight-part drama bucking the trend of the standard six and secondly it became proper watercooler television. A few episodes into the tense investigation of the death of young Danny Latimer the whole country appeared to  have a theory as to who was responsible for his death. Everywhere I went people were keen to talk to me about the series and what I thought the series and what I thought about it. I would then be sat down and told. In as much detail as they could muster, their theory and why theirs was the most likely outcome. Broadchurch made TV drama something to be talked about. Every inch of the plot, from the performances to each sinister look was poared over by over ten million viewers a week and all of them wanted a say.

Over the course of the eight weeks we were treated to one of the most adult, well paced and exciting pieces of television drama to shown on ITV for years. David Tennant transformed into DI Alec Hardy who, like everyone else in the tight knit seaside community appeared to have his own deep dark secrets that were been cleverly drip fed to the audience each week. There's nothing I can really say about the gravitas in Olivia Colman's performance that hasn't been said a hundred times before by both me and every other TV  lover up and down the country. She was brilliantly emotional DI Ellie Miller was perhaps the best performance I'd seen on TV for years. Her performance was flawless as she dealt with investigating her friends in the community. The relationship and banter between Colman's Miller and Tennant's Hardy provided the brooding dark story with some genuine comedic moments. One particular scene where Miller finally convinces Hardy to come over to hers for a meal was the perfect example of the show's ability to mix tragedy with comedy. Chris Chibnall's script balanced things out successfully without losing sight of the importance of the seriousness at the heart of the story.



Because everyone is so familiar with how a crime drama works it was easy to think you knew where Broadchurch was going, but in actual fact the twists and turns always surprised and sent the story spinning into different and unexpected directions. Mid-way through the series it seemed there wasn't anyone in Broadchurch left who we didn't suspect. In retrospect, the huge success of the series was also its undoing. As word of mouth grew and new suspects emerged, sites like radiotimes.com began running polls asking the public to vote on their most likely murderer. DI Miller's husband Joe was a front-runner quite early on as people looked beyond the obvious and red herrings that crime dramas before this had taught us to avoid. Of course if Broadchurch hadn't become such a huge phenomenon it's quite possible the final reveal would have been a real shock but with speculation pointing to Joe I felt a little deflated and slightly let down when it turned out the public's guesswork had been right.

Chibnall maintained that he had always known the identity of his murderer from day one. He told me in an interview that there were subtle hints to the identity hidden around the episodes and that even the series theme song held clues. In all honesty I didn't want the series to end. I had enjoyed my time with it so much and had maybe expected too much of it. Before the start of the finale I was literally unable to control my excitement and at one point even let out a an excited yelp reminiscent of a crazed One Direction fan. I have to be brutally honest and tell you (again) that I wasn't pleased with the conclusion. The fact that even the cast were kept in the dark about who the killer was until filming the eighth episode meant that the killer's performance wasn't overly believable and that the clues we had been given weren't exactly glaring once we knew who had done this and why. I think it all felt a bit anti-climatic once we all finally knew who had committed this awful crime. If there was one thing I had learnt from the first seven weeks of my time in Broadchurch it was to take nothing at face value and the lack of a final big twist let me feeling deflated.

That being said, Broadchurch was undoubtedly a masterpiece and a true example of the power that television drama still has to captivate audiences if the story, acting talent and script are strong. It's a series that bears repeat viewing, which is good news as today sees the release of the series on DVD from Acorn Media. The DVD release features the entire eight episodes along with picture galleries and and an exclusive behind the scenes documentary that features chats with the principal cast.

Whether I was happy with the conclusion or not Broadchurch proved what I've known to be a true all along, TV is still as important and relevant as it has ever been. In the age of online viewing platforms and sky plus boxes viewers can still be drawn to their sofas at 9pm to watch a piece of nail-biting drama and Broadchurch was certainty that. The DVD will take pride of place on my cabinet to be watched over and over again to recapture the excitement I felt on Monday nights. This DVD is a must for lovers of British television drama.

Broadchurch is Available Now from Acorn Media  DVD Extras

Broadchurch: Behind the Scenes

Cast Filmographies

Picture Gallery

Subtitles

Hear my interview with writer Chris Chibnall

Hear and download my interview with Nige actor Joe Sims

Hear and download my chat with Becca Fisher Actress Simone McAulley

ITV confirm Series 2

Case Histories returns with a confusing opener.

Sunday evening saw the return of Edinburgh-based crime drama Case Histories. Jason Isaacs reprised his leading role as complicated private investigator Jackson Brodie in the first of three 90 minute episodes adapted from Kate Atkinson’s novels. I hold my hands up – I’ve not read any of the books, and after this episode I sincerely wish I had. I can’t have been the only one getting ever so slightly (okay quite a bit) confused by the relentless switching back and forth between lots of intertwining storylines and the rising body count. That being said, there was a dog, a very cute dog, and a fantastic cast and (even if I’m extremely thankful for the rewind button on my remote) I did enjoy it overall.

Convinced he has made a vital mistake over a child abduction case in Munich, Jackson deals with his guilt the only way he knows how, by, well brooding a lot of course but then ploughing straight into another case – perhaps Broody would have been a more suitable surname? Completely off course I know. The Munich job went awry after Jackson, under the impression he was saving a young girl and returning her to her mother, unintentionally ended up abducting the girl from her real mother and giving her to a group of suspicious men. With his ex-wife and daughter living in New Zealand and DC Louise Munroe (Amanda Abbington) having washed her hands of him, in true Jackson Brodie form he had plenty of personal battles to deal with throughout this episode.

After rescuing a border terrier from the grips of its’ cruel owner Jackson unintentionally adopts the animal (brilliantly called ‘The Ambassador’) who then proceeds to follow him around for the remainder of the episode. Upon returning to his office he is greeted by an, it’s fair to say, furious Deborah who it seems has single-handedly held the fort while Jackson has been away in both New Zealand and Germany, or maybe just Germany? No one was really sure!

Jackson meets a young woman called Hope McMaster who wants his help finding her birth parents. Having been adopted at a young age and having lived in Australia for the majority of her childhood, the only clue Hope can give Jackson is that she used to receive Christmas cards from ex copper Ray and his wife Margaret who she believes both live in Edinburgh.

Through flitting between various storylines we were introduced to Tracy Waterhouse, played by comedian and writer Victoria Wood. It was great to see Wood show off her acting talents as Tracy, a retired policewoman turned store detective who is forced to take (debatable) action when she witnesses the physical abuse of a young girl called Courtney by her mother, Kelly. Tracy hits Kelly, a regular shoplifter (also later revealed as a prostitute), in an attempt to protect and help the young girl.

Around the same time Jackson finds and visits Ray and Margaret and discovers that Ray was once acquainted with Hope’s adoptive father John, who was also in the police force, but both are sure they didn’t send any Christmas cards. The elderly couple, who also struggled to conceive children, revealed they once seriously considered adoption but were turned down which, according to Margaret was due to her nerves (Mrs Bennet from Pride and Prejudice reincarnated?!)

So far the dog is the star of the show – I might be going a little insane but Jackson and The Ambassador are a great duo and have great chemistry; it could be a one man and his dog type programme! Sorry, moving on…

By this point we know that Tracy has actually taken Courtney and is hiding her in her house (definitely a debatable action) and feeding her lots of sweets which, from my own childhood experiences, is one sure-fire way to keep a child happy.

Jackson’s search for Hope’s birth parents leads him to a murder case from the 1970s with the murder victim a prostitute called Carol Braithwaite. In the Braithwaite file he also discovers a picture of a young child and assumes it to be Hope. His discovery points him in the direction of Tracy who is named as one of two police officers (the other being her former police partner Barry) first at the crime scene. Jackson visits Tracy at her house and she explains that Carol had been dead and locked in her flat for three weeks before they found her, along with her young son Michael who was still alive. Michael was immediately taken to hospital and was suspiciously accompanied there by a former senior policeman, Len Lomax. Jackson soon realises that Michael is the young child in the photograph, not Hope which leads him to tell her that he’s not sure he can help her case any further. Tracy later tells Jackson of her guilt over not doing more for Michael, who disappeared soon after being taken to the hospital, and her undeterred determination to help Courtney is then fully understood.

While at Tracey’s house Jackson sees Courtney and quickly suspects that she is not actually her child. He visits her store colleague Rod and his suspicious are soon confirmed – Rod tells him that Tracy has no children but had wanted to know Kelly’s home address. The situation takes a turn for the worse when Jackson finds Kelly dead at her home as she has been the latest victim of a serial killer who has been killing prostitutes. Consequently, Jackson and Louise briefly reunite to watch CCTV footage from the shopping store car park and discover that Tracy had actually paid Kelly for Courtney, as you do!

We then follow former senior policeman Len Lomax as he suddenly, and quite urgently, wants to visit an old police colleague who just happens to be Ray, only to find him fallen out of his wheelchair stranded at the bottom of his stairs, and Margaret dead in the bathtub having committed suicide. I did like how the scenes changed quickly from slow build-ups to dramatic climaxes quite frequently.

Keeping up? Not only is the body count slowly rising but Jackson is also convinced that someone is impersonating him. Between threatening phone calls warning him off digging for information on Carol Braithwaite (before he had even discovered her case), and Lomax insisting to DC Munroe that Brodie stop harassing him, it is clear that there is another Jackson doing the rounds. After a pretty savage beating by a couple of thugs warning Jackson off the Braithwaite case we find out that another private detective, coincidentally called Jackson too, has been hired by the presumed missing Michael to investigate his mother’s murder. And that’s that mystery solved!

After grilling Barry, Jackson finally starts to unearth the truth; he discovers that the Braithwaite murder case is embroiled in police corruption. Our undeterred inspector confronts police buddies Ray and Lomax where Ray eventually admits that he had fathered a child (Hope) with Carol and that he had killed her while visiting her drunk. He explains that during a police ball he convinced Barry to drive him to Carol’s flat and she had told him that if he did not pay her money she would stop him from seeing his daughter altogether. In a fit of rage Ray killed Carol but was unaware that Michael was also in the flat; Lomax, being a senior policeman at the time, had then helped cover Ray’s tracks. A flashback shows that Margaret had committed suicide after realising what her husband had done, saying that she could have learnt to love his daughter if he had only told her the truth.

Following Ray’s revelations, Jackson unsurprisingly goes above and beyond to make it possible for Tracy to continue looking after Courtney by making a hard bargain with a very suspicious German man. In return for two new identities for Tracy and Courtney Jackson promises that he is in the debt of the shifty guy and this is obviously going to come back to haunt him. The episode concludes with Hope reunited with Michael and she agrees to take The Ambassador off Jackson’s hands!

Did it live up to the first series? For me, not yet but with two more episodes to go I’m more than optimistic. This one was definitely a grower and by the end I was happy with how the different storylines eventually linked together; some parts were a little confusing and some were a little unrealistic but Isaac’s fantastic portrayal of the difficult but kind-hearted Jackson Brodie leaves me definitely wanting more, and with a stellar cast surrounding him it’s a thumbs up for yet another great British crime drama. Wish he’d have kept the dog though!

                                   Case Histories continues Sunday's at 8.30pm on BBC1 

Contributed by Imogen Flack

Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor

Sometimes a television show comes along that grabs you by the heart and refuses to let go. It might not always be good, it might not be clever, or maybe it’s too clever for its own good, but you watch, every week, in breathless anticipation of the next twist. 11 men have braved the name of the Doctor and each have their devoted fans. If Moffatt era Who has taught me anything it is the power of companionship and loyalty. This series has not been the best. Fragmented, firstly by the emotional trauma of Rory and Amy’s departure, then filled with the mystery of the Impossible Girl that we didn’t know enough to care about, viewers were more than a little sceptical that this finale could possibly live up to the hype, let alone set up the epic 50th anniversary episode (which I though until this week were one and the same, sorry). Yet if there is one thing we should all know about Doctor Who by now, it’s that he always saves the day, he always shows he cares and he always, always delivers.

I’m gushing, yes, but I was utterly gripped. The kiss between the Dr and River Song had me making an unearthly sobbing noise not heard since David Tennant and Billie Piper got trapped in parallel universes. Moffatt has become the master at heartbreaking happy endings (see also Rory and Amy) and to see River get the goodbye she deserved was wonderful. Although I am devastated this presumably means the last we see of Alex Kingston and her magnificent ‘space’ hair.

We still don’t know the Dr’s real name, because a name is what you call yourself as a promise. So our Dr did something bad and decided to become the Dr. But before that he was played by John Hurt, presumably Dr No 0 (or -1). Despite it being leaked that John Hurt would be in the 50th anniversary, I was still surprised when the mystery man turned out to be him. This is clearly setting us up for some properly good acting in November when the special airs.

Congratulations to everyone who, like me, jumped on the Hungry Like the Wolf reference in Cold War and wondered whether different versions of Clara were something like when Rose used the TARDIS power to scatter Bad Wolf across space and time. I didn’t actually think anything would come of my theory but it turns out I was pretty close. The Great Intelligence lures the Dr to Trensalor, where we know he must never go (as, we discover, he is buried there) in order to save the Paternoster gang. It was a nice touch having the dead, expanded TARDIS as the tomb. Turns out a dead timelord looks like a particularly messy, glowing, beautiful DNA spiral, and if you jump into it, you get scattered throughout the Dr’s timeline. The Great Intelligence uses it to change history and turn the Dr into a bad guy. So Clara jumps in, having remembered the revelation about her impossibility due to some TARDIS trickery, and scatters herself in order to save the Dr. Which works beautifully, clears up her mystery nicely and leads to a fabulous opening sequence that sees her engaging with former Drs.

The Dr jumps in to save her, after River (who has been a holographic guide throughout) points out she can’t be dead as the two are linked. As the Dr reaches Clara we get the John Hurt reveal and that is it until November. So plenty of time to ponder these finale questions:

• Can any character ever be as cool as River Song? The woman can turn tea into champagne!
• Did anyone else think Richard E. Grant ripping his jaw off was a little disturbing for pre-watershed?
• What on earth (or indeed, the whole of space and time) is the plot of the anniversary going to be?
• How am I going to wait till November?

Contributed by Victoria Prior 

Matt on the Box: This Week's TV Highlights: The Fall, Frankie, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Skint and The BAFTA Television Awards

And here we are once again as I run through the last seven days in TV.

We start with BBC2's biggest drama hit in years in the form of The Fall. The Belfast-based crime drama sees Scotland Yard DSI Stella Gibbons (Gillian Anderson) arrive in Ireland to head up a 28 day review into the murder of pretty young architect Alice Monroe. As the forceful Stella gets to grips with the case, a colleague points out that Alice's murder shares similar traits with the murder of university lecturer Sheila Gallagher. Though there is sufficient evidence to suggest the two cases could be linked, Stella's supervising officer Jim Burns (John Lynch) doesn't want the bother of investigating a serial killer. However, we the audience already know that there is a serial killer on the loose in the form of Paul Spector (Jamie Doran). This is because The Fall's unique selling point is that we spend as much time in the company of the killer as we do the officers trying to hunt him down. The first episode sees Paul plan the murder of another young professional woman, in the form of feisty solicitor Sarah Kay (Laura Donnelly). However, Paul isn't your stereotypical lonely lunatic but rather a family man with a steady job and plenty of friends. Paul is married to lovely neo-natal nurse Sally Ann (Bronagh Gallagher) and the couple have a pair of adorably cute kids. Paul is also a well-respected grief counsellor, though he does spend most of his time sketching pictures of his clients' breasts. It appears as if Paul finds his whole world boring and his only escape is to stalk and kill these pretty women. However, he hasn't figured on the forthright nature of Stella as she ignores Jim's advice and goes on the hunt for her suspected serial killer. So the episode becomes a race against time for Stella to stop Paul killing again as well as potentially saving Sarah's life.

One thing you notice about The Fall straight away is how much time and effort it has taken to make the drama. Alan Cubitt's script is well-researched and is well-paced as he drip feeds us just enough information to keep us interested. Meanwhile director Jakob Verbruggen makes the drama seem visually stunning, including a brilliant shot in which the camera tracks across the ceiling of the Spector's home as we see what's going on in every room. One of Cubitt's other masterstrokes was to introduce us to the victim, Sarah Kay, before she is inevitably offed by the killer. Most crime dramas would maybe include the victim in a couple of scenes, however we get to know Sarah so much that you think that maybe she'll survive her ordeal. My main issue with The Fall was that I could neither identify nor really care about either of the central characters. Part of the reason for this is Cubitt's insistence for us to only focus on Stella as a police officer rather than a fully-rounded character. We know she enjoys vigorous swimming, last minute hook-ups and swearing at journalists but that's about the extent of her character background. Meanwhile, our only other main character is a serial killer so while I found Spector intriguing, I never really warmed to him. In fact the most compelling character is that of Belfast itself, as its history and politics are alluded to in several scenes. Despite not liking their characters, I felt Anderson and Doran both did well in the roles they were given. Anderson unleashes her inner Jane Tennison to play the no-nonsense Stella and really makes us believe in her crime-solving ability. Meanwhile Doran can play both the likeable everyman and the psychopathic killer with great ease to the extent where you feel uncomfortable watching him. Overall The Fall is certainly a promising drama with a decent cast, a good script and some fantastically shot sequences. However at the moment I can't say that I'm particularly engaged in the action and it's fair to say that I'm admiring The Fall rather than the really enjoying it. Thankfully, The Fall shows a lot of promise and I'm hoping to like it more when the second episode airs next week.

BBC1 offered us something a little lighter in terms of drama, with the nursing saga that was Frankie. Our titular character is District Nurse Frankie Maddox (Eve Myles) who is the typical woman who puts her career over her personal life. We see this as her relationship with her copper boyfriend Ian (Dean Lennox Kelly), suffers when she decides to get involved in the life of two patients. The first is eccentric pensioner Mr Thomas (Michael Byrne), who Frankie suspects may be in the early stages of dementia and wants to get him assessed. However, his daughter Jean (Barbara Marten) is resistant to the assessment as she doesn't want her father going into a home like her mother did. But, when a confused Mr Thomas threatens Frankie with a knife, she feels that there is only one cause of action to be taken. Frankie is also caring for the heavily-pregnant Heather (Amy Strange) whose doesn't want to give birth until her husband returns home from Afghanistan. While tending for Heather, Frankie's concern is drawn to her daughter Ruby (Hannah Jean-Baptiste) who is often taken out of school with a mystery illness. Despite Frankie noticing that Ruby has a serious problem, it's all a bit too late as Ruby starts to lose consciousness so Frankie is forced to perform mouth-to-mouth. While all this is going on, Ian is planning a surprise party for his girlfriend who later discovers that he plans to propose in front of their friends and family. Though it's airing on Tuesday nights at 9pm, Frankie would be much better suited to a prime time slot on a Sunday while it would also be the perfect drama for daytime. A lot of Lucy Gannon's script is fairly predictable fare while I found the majority of the supporting characters to be incredibly underwritten. Thankfully Gannon has invested a lot of time in making her lead character as likeable as possible and this is what got me through the first episode. Though she is annoying at times, Frankie is passionate about her job and is a fairly outgoing character. I also liked the gimmick of Frankie talking to Ken Bruce while listening to his morning show though this does suggest to me that Frankie is undergoing some sort of mental breakdown. Eve Myles gives an energetic and lively performance as Frankie but still is able to add some pathos to some of the more emotional scenes. While I don't think it deserves its primetime slot, Frankie is still an inoffensive show which I'm sure will appeal to fans of medical drama who haven't had their fill once Holby City has finished.

Travelling back a century or two now for a crime-solving adventure courtesy of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. This is the second feature length drama to focus around Victorian detective Jack Whicher (Paddy Considine) following a successful showing in 2011. Unlike the first instalment, this new Whicher is entirely fictionalised as we see the transformation of Jack from former police officer to private detective. In The Murder on Angel Lane, Jack has now left the force however is dragged back in after saving a woman from being robbed in a dodgy pub. That woman turns out to be Susan Spencer (Olivia Colman) who comes down from the country in an attempt to find her missing niece. It transpires that Susan's niece Mary came to find the father of her child however this trip ended with her murder, though thankfully the baby survived. Though the police step into help, Susan has more faith in Whicher's abilities and hires him as her private investigator. This inevitably means that Whicher clashes with the police regularly as well as winding up several other locals. Whicher's investigation eventually leads him to an asylum where he is finally confronted by his own past as he searches for the clues to crack the case. I have to say I found it hard to remember what happened in the first Mr Whicher adventure even though I did watch it. Unfortunately, The Murder in Angel Lane is as forgettable as its predecessor while the story wasn't interesting enough to fill the ninety minute running time. I have to say I wasn't at all interested in the investigation or the majority of the characters that we met throughout the drama. Thankfully at least Considine is on form here and made me at least a little bit intrigued in the damaged yet brilliant Whicher. Of course, Olivia Colman was also brilliant however I feel ITV deceived as slightly as I didn't feel she was in the drama as much a we were led to believe she would be. I have feeling that, if this one-off does well in the ratings, we could have more Mr Whicher in the future. However, if the programme does return, there needs to be a drastic improvement in story quality and a shortened running time so the drama doesn't drag as much as did in The Murder on Angel Lane.

Moving away from TV drama for the moment we come to Channel 4's new documentary series Skint. The programme centres around a rundown estate in the heart of Scunthorpe, a town that has fallen on bad times since the collapse of its steelworks. Skint presents Scunthorpe as a place where most locals either live off benefits or shoplift goods before selling them on. The buying of stolen goods is a massive theme throughout Skint as we see a man pull up to the estate's famous wall and flog a load of meat that has 'escaped' from a local warehouse. One man buying this meat is Dean, a former steelworker who now lives off the social in order to support his ever growing family. Dean's latest child, who is born during this episode, means that there are now nine mouths to feed in his household and there's only so much meat that one man can buy. There is also worry over the behaviour of twelve year old stepdaughter Leah, who has been misbehaving from school and later is found to be shoplifting. While, for the most part, Dean's story is one of comedy there are other more serious tales to be told in Skint. There's teenager Connor who has been expelled from seven schools and is regularly violent towards his long-suffering mother. Most tragically of all is drug addict Tracey who funds her addiction by shop-lifting and selling her body. I really felt for Tracey as she prepared for a night on the street, and later when she was arrested for shop-lifting. My main issue with Skint is the disparity in tone between the light-hearted nature of Dean's family and the much more serious issues explored in Tracey's storyline. Dean was a great docusoap character and I loved his latter scenes in which he decided to get a vasectomy after his wife had yet another pregnancy scare. However, I didn't feel that Tracey's scenes fit into a show that was more intent on presenting Britain's poor as loveable rogues. I feel this subject has already been covered a lot better in the BBC3 show People Like Us, but Skint lacked a lot of the humour needed to creates a successful docusoap. Ultimately, Skint was entertaining in places, but it seemed to have a muddled message which may be due to the inclusion of a lot of very different characters. 

Finally, it would be amiss of me not to talk about the BAFTA Television Awards that occurred earlier in the week. There was a lot of joy in CustardTV HQ as some of our favourites triumphed, these included Sheridan Smith, Olivia Colman and the mighty Last Tango in Halifax. There were a couple of big shocks throughout the night namely that The Olympics didn't win either of the awards it was nominated for. I think a lot of people felt that The Opening Ceremony would win the Audience Award as it was the most-watched programme last year by a vast margin. However it seemed that the internet nerds voted with their mouses and disabled enough cookies to mean that Game of Thrones was the unlikely winner. Meanwhile the Sports and Live Event award was won by the Paralympic Games, an event which I felt was a worthy winner. That's because everybody was already going to watch The Olympics, however Channel 4 made the Paralympics seem like a big deal and made it almost as memorable as the main games. For me the biggest shock was the Jimmy Saville Exposure documentary not winning an award, and indeed if you watched the TV broadcast you wouldn't know it was nominated. What I did like though was that the majority of the winners looked genuinely chuffed to win awards which made the BAFTAs seem like a big deal. Indeed, when watching an American awards show most of the recipients show little emotion and instead give graceful acceptance speeches. However, I felt that Alan Carr and Sheridan Smith both took their BAFTA wins to be career highlights and this was reflected through their reactions. Surely there were some poor choices, Made in Chelsea's win being a prime example, but ultimately most of the winners made sense. The event was capped off with a lovely speech from Fellowship winner Michael Palin who was both entertaining and insightful in equal measure. Despite the fact that neither Line of Duty or Good Cop were nominated, I still feel the BAFTAs gets it right most of the time though I may change my mind if Broadchurch doesn't sweep the board at next year's event.

Remember to get more of my insights into the world of TV follow me on Twitter @mattstvbites

The BBC release first picture for Luther Series 3

Recently I looked at some things we know about the forthcoming third series of expectational BBC crime drama Luther.  

• We know Luther will be back for Two 2-part stories totalling four episodes.

• We know from BBC drama commissioner  Ben Stephenson that the first episode is 'terrifying' 

• We know all of the main cast from series 2 including Warren Brown and Dermot Crowley.

• We know Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil, Inkheart, Love Actually, Eragon) has been cast to play Luther’s new love interest

• And possibly the most exciting bit of news to do the rounds about the new series is the confirmation of the return of the wonderful Ruth Wilson as the delightfully devilish Alice Morgan.

Almost five months on from those original snippets of information leaking out the BBC have finally provided us with the first real taster of the new series in the form of a brand new publicity picture.

Though this atmospheric publicity pic gives nothing away about what we can expect from the new series its mere existence is a really positive sign. The fact that we are slowly getting these pictures means that the series is on the horizon. It doesn't mean that we have any transmission dates yet but it means it must be on the way. The second series of Luther started in June of 2011 and I would be happy to but bets on this current series starting at a similar time. Whatever we get Luther related I'll keep you posted!

 

                 Luther Series 3 is expected in Summer/Autumn 2013 on BBC1 

First Look: America attempts the Bake Off

US network CBS have released the trailer for the US version of The Great British Bake Off. They've named the remake The American Baking Contest. Catchy eh?

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy takes on the role of Mel and Sue hosting the series and British judge Paul Hollywood (nicknamed the George Clooney of baking) reprises his role for the American remake.



The American Baking competition starts this Autumn in the US on CBS and The Great British Bake Off returns this autumn to BBC2.

First Look: The US remake of BBC1 drama The Syndicate

The Fall: BBC2's biggest drama in Eight Years

The Fall became BBC Two’s biggest drama series launch in eight years on Monday night (13 May).

The series won its slot and opened with an average audience of 3.5M and 15.4% share, peaking at 3.6M, making it the highest drama series launch on the channel since Rome in 2005. It also beat the BBC Two slot average of 1.79m (7.4%) for the past 12 months.

Starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, The Fall is a gripping psychological thriller that forensically examines the lives of two hunters. One is a serial killer who stalks his victims at random in and around Belfast and the other is a talented female Detective Superintendent on secondment from the MET who is brought in to catch him.

Produced by Artists Studio and written by Allan Cubitt (The Runaway, Murphy’s Law, Prime Suspect), the five episodes follow the police investigation uncovering the intricate story of the lives entangled by a series of murders – both the killer's and the victims’ families.

BBC Head of Drama Northern Ireland, Stephen Wright, says: “I am thrilled with the audience’s response to episode one of The Fall and delighted for Allan Cubitt who created the show. It is a testament to the talent and dedication of the cast and crew in Belfast where Line Of Duty, series two is currently shooting.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama, adds: “In a week that has seen BBC Drama enjoy record success at the BAFTAs, winning 7 out of 8 awards, it’s particularly gratifying to see the audience reaction to the launch of BBC Two’s new original British drama The Fall – an outstandingly imagined piece of series television.”

Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two, says: “I’m delighted to see The Fall do so brilliantly – I hope the audience will keep coming back to follow the twists and turns to come.”

The series was commissioned by Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two and Ben Stephenson, Controller of Drama Commissioning, and is executive produced by Stephen Wright through BBC Northern Ireland.

This continues to demonstrate BBC Two’s commitment to Original British Drama in 2013. Other upcoming BBC Two dramas include Jane Campion’s Top Of The Lake, Peaky Blinders and Line Of Duty.

                               The Fall continues Monday's at 9.00pm on BBC2

Bank of Dave star returns to Channel 4 in brand new series

Self-made millionaire Dave Fishwick believes you can still make money in this country, and to prove it he has agreed to be dropped - blindfolded - anywhere in the UK with just one £1 coin in his pocket, to try and make a fortune from scratch.

In brand new series Fishwick out of Water (w/t), cameras will follow Dave on his unpredictable mission to get from the bottom to the top. Starting with the pound in his pocket, how much money can Dave make with just his business savvy and boundless energy to fall back on? What new business opportunities will be discover? And what will he learn about making it in Britain today, now he’s seeing it from the bottom up?

Filmed over several months, the programmes will follow Dave’s attempts to climb the ladder of opportunity, and be packed with clever money-making tricks. His attempt to rebuild his fortune will take him to some of the remotest places in the UK, and some of the richest and most privileged – as Dave sets out to prove that you can make money anywhere, and from anything, so long as you believe in yourself.

Fishwick Out of Water (w/t) was commissioned by Channel 4 Head of Features, Gill Wilson, and Commissioning Editor, Nick Hornby. The 6x60 series will be made by Finestripe Productions, with Ian Lilley and Katie Lander as executive producers, and is set to air in 2014.

Nick Hornby said: “Dave is one of the most exciting and unusual talents to have surfaced in TV for years. After the success of Bank of Dave this felt like the right next step for him, playing to his extraordinary ability to get things done, but also throwing him into new and unfamiliar territories. We are incredibly excited about the show. I can’t wait to see what he ends up doing.”

Kristie Allsopp to transform homes for free

Channel 4 will challenge property and interiors expert Kirstie Allsopp to transform homes without spending a penny.

A staggering 10 million items of furniture are binned every year and clearing up the household goods that Brits throw out on the street costs the economy a whopping £33 million a year. Kirstie wants to remedy this “throw away and spend” attitude by showing how simple it can be to transform, fix and give a new home to a once loved piece of furniture.

In Fill Your House For Free Kirstie will meet families whose homes are in dire need of a makeover but who are, like many people in the UK, short on cash to transform their property. Using the huge number of freebie resources out there, as well ingenious tricks of the trade, Kirstie will help these families realise their dream of a made over home for next to nothing. There’s just one big rule – no tat allowed. Things may be free, but they have to look stylish too.

Kirstie will be opening a city centre store kitted out with kitchens, bathrooms, sofas, tables, chairs, paints, carpets – everything you’d expect from a furniture store. However, Kirstie’s store will have one big difference: everything on display will have a zero price tag.

Kirstie and her team will demonstrate how to upcycle and restore old furniture, as well as showing viewers where to go and how to salvage their own treasures while spending as little as possible on doing up their homes.

The 4x60 series is being made by Glasgow based indie Raise the Roof Productions and was ordered by Channel 4 Features Deputy Commissioning Editor, Katie Horswell. It will be executive produced by Andrew Jackson and the series producer is Paula Campion. It will air on Channel 4 in the summer.

Katie Horswell said: “It’s already happening – people are shunning the stores and instead they’re searching the internet and are visiting events up and down the country trying to get fantastic stuff for free. So we want to capture this on a massive scale and prove that with confidence and hard work we can inspire everyone to use someone else’s junk to create their own treasures for their homes.”

Andrew Jackson added: “This is such a simple idea it hurts and I can’t wait to get stuck into the real stories and the very real challenge of doing amazing makeovers with free stuff. I relish the idea of tapping into something that feels big hearted and fresh, but that’s going to get bigger and bigger.”

Channel 4 announce series from Educating Essex star

Channel 4 will bring back inspirational Head Teacher Stephen Drew from Educating Essex for a brand new series which will see him send parents and their children back to school.

All Back to School (w/t) will feature children aged between 9-12 years old, most of whom are on the brink of permanent exclusion from school. Mr Drew, who has an outstanding track record for turning around unruly children, will work with his team of specialists to help settling the kids into their own schools and allow them to benefit from the best possible education.

However, the children’s behaviour won’t be the only thing put under the microscope – their parents will also be going back to the classroom, where they will witness their child’s bad behaviour first hand as well as having to address their own parenting skills.

The 6x60 series follows the kids and their parents as they spend time at a residential summer school run by Mr Drew. Looking at how the families function before, during and after their stay at the summer school, it will be compelling and inspiring as Mr Drew strives to deliver dramatic results and help powerless parents take control of their children again.

All Back to School (w/t) was commissioned by Head of Features, Gill Wilson, and Features Commissioning Editor, Katie Boyd. Made by Ricochet, a Shed Media company, it will be executive produced by Sam Wilson and series produced by Dave Mackay. It will air on Channel 4 in the autumn.

Katie Boyd said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be working with Stephen Drew again. He is one of the most inspirational and generous-minded teachers in Britain, with an incredible track record. If anyone can turnaround families at rock bottom – he can.”

Nick Emmerson, CEO of Ricochet added: “The best factual television manages to entertain while at the same time making a small difference to how we view the world around us. With the unique talents of Stephen Drew at the heart of this series, we are very excited about having the opportunity to create some truly heart-warming and memorable TV.”

NEWS: Channel 4 announce Katie Piper Series

Channel 4 announce new Katie Piper Series

Channel 4 have announced that Katie Piper will come to the rescue of people who have learned to bitterly regret their poor beauty decision in brand new series Undo Me.

Britain is a nation obsessed with obtaining the perfect body - with sometimes frightening consequences, from over plucked eye brows, embarrassing tattoos and hair wrecked by extensions, to pouty lips and faces blighted by faded permanent make-up.

In this series, Katie will hear jaw-dropping stories from women and men who have made bad beauty decisions and are desperate to “undo” them. The show will follow their stories as highly experienced practitioners help correct their terrible mistakes: some may be quick fixes, others painful, but all will offer another shot at natural beauty.

Katie will also be touring Britain and explore the latest beauty fads - from lunch-break boob-jobs to teeth whitening – and look at why thousands of individuals are determined to change their looks with often drastic measures, why certain beauty trends emerge, and how they are marketed to British consumers.

The 6x60 series was commissioned by Head of Features, Gill Wilson, and Commissioning Editor, Katie Boyd. Made by Remarkable Television, an Endemol company, it will be executive produced by Oliver Wright and series produced by Jude Parker. It will air on Channel 4 later this year.

Katie Boyd said: “We are delighted to be able to show wonderful Katie in a new light: all guns blazing as a beautician, mentor and above all an inspiration. “

Colette Foster, Managing Director for Remarkable Television, said: “This brand new features format will undo all those shameful beauty choices which anyone could make. Katie Piper is the ideal presenter for this warm hearted series and will help transform lives.”

NEWS: Paul Abbott returns to Channel 4 with No Offence

Behind the Scenes of Scott & Bailey fight sequence

ITV have released a behind the scenes look at an integral part of the 7th episode of Scott & Bailey.

Having dragged Kevin (Ben Batt) back to Janet’s (Lesley Sharp) house for frantic sex, Rachel (Suranne Jones) is affronted when Janet bursts into her room and tells them both to leave. In her drunken state, Rachel is unable to compute the outpouring of anger that Janet launches at her. She is also unprepared for Kev’s belief that this is the start of a beautiful thing – Kevin and Rachel against the world. For Sean (Sean Maguire), this new liaison is the final straw, and having held his anger in check with Rachel, he is unable to contain himself when face to face with Kevin.



The scenes will be shown on Wednesday 22nd May at 9.00pm on ITV.

Cast confirmed for BBC1's Truckers

Harry Treadaway (Fish Tank, Control), Ashley Walters (Bullet Boy, Inside Men), John Dagleish (Lark Rise To Candleford, Beaver Falls), Sian Breckin (Tyrannosaur, Donkey Punch) and Jenn Murray (The Fades) will star alongside Stephen Tompkinson (Wild At Heart, DCI Banks) in new BBC One Drama, Truckers.

Truckers, by acclaimed writer William Ivory, is a 5x60-minute series about modern Britain told through the lives of truck drivers working for a haulage yard in Nottingham.

Funny, moving, painful and raucous, Truckers tells stories of real life, and ordinary people pushed to extremes. In each episode one character undergoes a life changing journey and we are along for the ride. In an age when technology would make us seem ever more connected, the series uses the truck driver, alone in his cab, as a way to explore how isolated we can become within modern society and the importance of real human connection. These are powerful, moving stories, but the tone is always joyous and each story is one of redemption.

In episode one Malachi (Tompkinson) is still living with his wife and grown-up son Glen (Treadaway), 18 months after their divorce. Kidding himself that the relationship can still be fixed, he is stunned when his wife Sue announces she is to marry her boyfriend - that she does not love him anymore. This forces Malachi to look deep within himself and the life he is leading. He does not like what he sees. The resulting tailspin involves tears, laughter, fake tan, Viagra, a thong and attempted sex with a letter box as Malachi just tries to get a handle on where his life has been, where it went wrong and how he can maybe put it right...

Steven (Walters) is a selfish man hooked on self-gratification, filling a void in his life with casual sex and easy duplicity. The one shining light in his life are his kids, and when his actions mean he might lose contact with them, Steven goes on a painful and funny journey that shows him real happiness can only be found when you share it with others.

Wendy (Breckin) is an outwardly tough and confident female trucker, giving as good as she gets in a male world. When she falls into an unlikely relationship with Steven, her frailties are revealed, and Wendy will realise that before you can let someone else love you, you've got to learn to love yourself.

Martin (Dagleish) is tasked with trying to manage this eclectic bunch, having inherited the haulage firm after his father died. Martin always idolised his father and finds his boots tough to fill as the other drivers refuse to accept his modernising methods. He is helped by Transport Manager Michelle (Murray), who is his eyes and ears on the yard. However, he will learn that his idol had feet of clay and go on a painful journey as he learns that rather than trying to be someone to make his Dad proud, Martin just needs to be himself.

Steve Lightfoot, Executive Producer, Company Pictures, says: “William Ivory has written a group of wonderful blue collar characters who leap off the page, with lives we can all relate to - and this cast of exciting actors inhabit them brilliantly to bring these funny and moving stories to life.”

Polly Hill, Head of Independent Drama, BBC, adds: “It's great to see Billy's scripts attract such a terrific cast. This is a beautifully written series that is bold, funny and moving and we have a fantastic cast to pull this off.”

BBC1's new medical drama Frankie

Frankie is the female lead in a brand new BBC1 medical drama. Something sets her apart from the women we've been used to seeing over the last few months. Most female characters on our screens of late haven't had the easiest of lives. They seem to have been either attacked by a serial killer, raped or living in a cold barn with a brooding John Simm. Thankfully Frankie doesn't have any of these problems. She's a district nurse and surprisingly enough the men in her life are quite nice actually. There's a novelty for you. Writer Lucy Gannon describes her lead as a "good humoured lively woman" and it's about time that we saw one of those again.
In a world of crime and period pieces Frankie almost feels a breath of fresh air. It focuses on ordinary people doing ordinary things. Our lead (Torchwood's Eve Myles) is a district nurse who puts the needs of her patients above her own. She chats to Radio 2's Ken Bruce, has a steady-ish home life with boyfriend Ian and loves her music. She's a genuinely nice person.

The medical drama has long been a staple of any TV schedule and Frankie doesn't really bring anything new to the table, but it's a quick and easy hour that doesn't ask much of the viewer. The characters are likeable and believable enough and the hour goes by relatively quickly.  Some critics have been dubbing the six-part series a happier Doc Martin but I think that's a lazy comparison. The stories in this series are rooted in the real world. Eve Myles is a warm presence on screen, the kind of person you'd want in your corner if she were really a district nurse.

The two stories of the week about a old man suffering with dementia and a young girl with a peculiar set of symptoms held my attention but I feel I might know which road the series as a whole is likely to go down as our loveable lead struggles to juggle her loyalty to her patients with her loyalty to likeable boyfriend Ian. There's nothing fresh or revolutionary about the series but in saying that not every TV drama has to set the world alight does it? If the characters are well drawn enough sometimes it's just nice to spend some time with them without having to wonder 'whodunnit'.

If you're tuning in expecting something new in the medical genre you're likely to be disappointed. Lucy Gannon's script is well observed and a bit of harmless summer TV fun. Whether we'll be talking about Frankie as one of the best BBC offerings at the end of 2013 is debatable but as a bit of harmless enjoyable TV drama it does well. Some of the BBC's most successful series are the ones that you can just sit back and relax with. Series like New Tricks and Death in Paradise spring to mind. Easy viewing and Frankie may well fit quite nicely in that sort of slot. Only time will tell.

Read my interview with writer Lucy Gannon

TVWeek: Saturday 18th - Thursday 23rd May 2013

Saturday
8.00pm The Eurovision Song Contest BBC1 - Bonnie Tyler flies the flag for the United Kingdom as the final of the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest gets underway in Malmo, Sweden, the country who won Eurovision for the fifth time in 2012
Sunday
8.00pm The British Soap Awards ITV - Phillip Schofield hosts.
8.30pm Case Histories BBC1 - Series 2 of the crime drama starring Jason Issacs. . Jackson helps a young woman find her parents, and in doing so unearths a shocking discovery, one that takes him into the heart of a 35-year-old crime. Meanwhile, a retired policewoman needs Jackson's help with a little girl.
9.00pm Australia with Simon Reeve BBC2 - Simon Reeve explores Australia. His adventure starts in the 'red centre' of the continent and onwards through South Australia via the extraordinary Indian Pacific Railway, until he reaches the west coast city of Perth. On the way, he joins an Aussie rancher in the parched outback and takes part in a spectacular camel round-up - part of an ongoing effort to stop the damaging spread of feral camels across the country.
Monday
9.00pm Hillsborough: How They Buried the Truth BBC1 - A Panorama investigation reveals how police, politicians, lawyers and judges all played a part in burying the truth about Britain's worst football disaster.
Tuesday
9.00pm Towns with Nicholas Crane BBC2 -  Geographer and adventurer Nicholas Crane looks behind the transit-lounge image to find a town with a dramatic past, including a surprising role in the Cold War of the 1960s and a world of adrenalin-fuelled adventure, great seafood, and inspiring scenery.
Wednesday
Continuing Series Include - 9.00pm - The Apprentice, BBC1
                                       9.00pm - Scott & Bailey, ITV
                                    9.00pm - 24hrs in A&E, Channel 4
Thursday
8.00pm Fat Family Tree Channel 4 - In a television first, Fat Family Tree sets out to prove that unlocking the secrets of a fat family's genes can help provide the answer to their lifelong weight problems. Presented by Dr Dawn Harper, Fat Family Tree uses cutting-edge genetics to decode the genes of an overweight family for whom all other attempts to shed the pounds have not worked.
9.00pm Scott & Bailey ITV - The third series comes to an end.
9.00pm The Hunt for Britain's Sex Gangs Channel 4 - Three years ago Telford police allowed cameras to start filming what was to become one of the biggest child sex abuse cases in the UK. The investigation, Operation Chalice, eventually encompassed over 100 victims, and around 200 suspected perpetrators. Channel 4 Dispatches follows - with unprecedented access - a live police investigation, showing just how difficult it is to secure justice for victims of sexual abuse, especially when some girls were just 11 when they were first abused.
9.00pm Eddie Izzard's Mandela Marathons Sky1 - Actor and comedian Eddie Izzard pays tribute to Nelson Mandela and his extraordinary story by attempting to complete 27 marathons across South Africa in just 27 days.

Trailer for US remake of BBC drama series The Syndicate

ABC have released the trailer for Lucky 7. The series is based on Series 1 of Kay Mellor's drama The Syndicate which starred Timothy Spall and Joanna Page and was shown in the Spring of 2012 on BBC1.

This American remake moves the action from a supermarket to a Gas Station in New York where a group of employees have been paying into their syndicate. 

The trailer seems to be a like for like remake of the original first series of the BBC programme with a few American changes made.

Matt (Matt Long) could get his girlfriend and two kids out of his mother’s house; Matt’s brother, Nicky (Stephen Louis Grush), an ex-con, could pay off a dangerous debt; Samira (Summer Bishil), a second-generation Pakistani immigrant, could afford to go to Juilliard;

Something that fans of the UK original will be surprised is that British actress Lorraine Bruce is reprising her role as linchpin of the group Denise by pulling off a rather convincing Queens accent.  Leanne (Anastasia Phillips), a young mother, could help her daughter realize her dreams; Bob (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), the store’s manager, could finally retire; and Antonio (Luis Antonio Ramos) could give his wife and kids a whole new life.

No official air date has been confirmed by the US network ABC but this remake looks to have stayed true to the BBC original.



Watch the Trailer for US Remake of Gavin & Stacey

Post BAFTA chat on the Podcast

We discuss the BAFTA Awards, new BBC2 drama The Fall and new ITV crime drama A Life of Crime.



Download this Episode

Paul Abbott returns to Channel 4 with No Offence

Channel 4 has green-lit a new eight-part comedy drama series by award-winning writer Paul Abbott, it was announced today by Chief Creative Officer, Jay Hunt.

Set in a crumbling Victorian cop shop on the wrong side of Manchester, No Offence follows a group of bobbies on the front line, wondering what they did to end up here, in this force, on this side of town. Keeping these streets clean is a Herculean task, enough to demoralize even the keenest rookie. But there’s a reason these cops are in this force. As the never ending rabble off the local estates pours in, Inspector Vivienne Deering, the station’s sharp, funny (peculiar) and hard as they come boss, and her team led by DC Dinah Kowalski (smart but impetuous, stuck in the middle, single mother in her 30s) and DC Joy Freers (buttoned up so tight she might pop! But nobody’s mug), show they have what it takes to crack crime and to expose the addled, the skanky, the pimps, the petty and the really proper nasty bastards for the sewer rats they are.

Raucous, riotous and razor sharp, No Offence is a new and completely original take on the world of the police procedural and is set to shock, move and invite audiences to laugh themselves silly by turns.

Paul Abbott says: “I’m a big fan of well-told cop shows and jet-black social comedy, and I wanted to see how explosively we could bang two genres’ heads together. No Offence is reared on wilder-than-average seeds and I've had a ball with the AbbottVision team in building this concept. It’s a tilted, hardcore blend of cop drama, family saga and social mayhem.”

Piers Wenger, Channel 4 Head of Drama says: “No Offence is the best of what the world has come to expect from a Paul Abbott script: characters you can adore, gags which practically blind you with their brilliance and plots which, while appearing outlandish, challenge the way you think about the world. We’re delighted to announce the commissioning of this new series created and written by Paul and welcome him back to Channel 4."

Martin Carr, Executive Producer at AbbottVision adds: "No Offence is a bold, witty and unusual show and we are delighted at the unconditional enthusiasm and support we have been given by Piers and his team to be as bold as we dare. NO OFFENCE is a completely new show, told in a way not seen before on television and Channel 4 is absolutely the right home for it."

Written and created by Paul Abbott, No Offence will be produced by AbbottVision on location in Manchester.

Trailer released for US remake of Gavin & Stacey

US network Fox has released a trailer for their Gavin & Stacey remake Us & Them. The series, based on the hit BBC3/BBC1 comedy stars Parenthood's Jason Ritter and Gilmore Girls actress Alexis Bledel in the in the roles made famous by Matthew Horne and Joanna Page.

The trailer features some scenes from the original first episode that fans will recognise and some that have been designed for the American audience.


Stand-up comic Dustin Ybarra takes on James Corden's role as Gavin's best friend Smithy and Malcolm in the Middle star Jane Kaczmarek appears as Gavin's Mum Pam. The role was originally performed by Alison Steadman.

Whilst part of this trailer look reassuringly familiar it's quite obvious that the series lacks the warmth of the original. Rob Brydon's Bryn appears to have turned into a complete bumbling idiot and some of the jokes seem overly predictable.

With the huge success of the original this remake was inevitable I'm just not sure that Us & Them feels any more special than other run of the mill US sitcoms to be given the green light for the autumn.

What do you think?

BAFTA Winning Murder given full series

Murder, which won Best Single Drama at last night’s BAFTAs, has been commissioned for a series by BBC Two. It is co-created by Robert Jones and Kath Mattock, written by Robert Jones and made by Touchpaper TV.

Rob Pursey, Executive Producer, Touchpaper TV, says: “We have always felt that Murder had the potential to re-invent the crime series. With the new BBC commission we will strive to make that a reality. We are really grateful to the BBC for supporting this radical new drama."

Commissioned by Janice Hadlow, Controller BBC Two and Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama, Murder is made by Touchpaper for the BBC.

Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two, says: “Murder was one of the most striking and distinctive single dramas on BBC Two last year and I’m delighted to see it turn into a series.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama adds: “It is testament to the talented team behind Murder that it will return to BBC Two as a series. It is a truly innovative way of telling crime stories in a unique way and illustrates how BBC Drama is the true home of Original British Drama.”

Writer Robert Jones together with producer Kath Mattock spent months in the public galleries of the Old Bailey researching. Using personal testimony, Murder revisits the missing moments in search of the truth. Intercut with CCTV footage, flashback and forensic evidence, the protagonists speak direct to camera giving their version of events, one after the other, but where does the truth lie when the different versions don’t add up?

BBC executive producer Matthew Read adds: “Murder set out an incredibly compelling and innovative format for telling crime stories so it's really exciting that the team will be able to make more of them.”

Co-creator and producer Kath Mattock says: “Making Murder was a real joy - and we very much look forward to finding out what more we can do with this show.”

Best Won Single Drama at the BAFTAs last night.

Doctor Who: The Penultimate adventure.

One week from the grand finale, and a week after the best episode in the series, I was pretty convinced this episode might be a dud, even if it was written by Neil Gaiman. Sadly no human embodiment of the TARDIS in his latest story, instead, a return for the Cybermen and a decrepit theme park. More fantastic sets and great CGI, which made up for the slightly effeminate Cybermen. How on earth did the designers manage to make robots that sashay?

The centrepiece of the episode was a phenomenal solo piece from Matt Smith, playing our Dr and a Cyber Dr alternately. It was a truly extraordinary piece of character acting, easily up there with anything from David Tennant’s beloved incarnation. Smith’s later scene playing the two Drs while interacting with Clara was also excellent, this time thanks to some real spark and vigour from Jenna-Louise Coleman, who I must say I’m growing rather fond of. I also really liked having more of the kids in the show, and how central they were to the plot, rather than annoying appendages.

Less easy to understand was the type-casting and underuse of Tamzin Outhwaite as an army officer. There was nothing wrong with her performance but she was hardly central to the show. Again, a great scene with Coleman as they squared off for authority. I’d like to see Outhwaite come back again with a bigger part to play, think of Celia Imrie in the first episode, or Sarah Lancashire from several seasons ago. Also underused was Jason Watkins, a great British character actor, who I always feel has the potential to be the next Toby Jones. I think this must be a testament to how much actors want to be involved in Doctor Who, they will take any part, however small.

The best surprise of this episode, for me at least, was Warwick Davis. I’m sure everyone is much more informed than me, but I only know Davis as the inside of many an iconic sci-fi robot and as a collaborator with Ricky Gervais. Safe to say, I haven’t seen any of those collaborations. So to discover that Davis is a fantastic actor with great charm and authority was a delight. I hope his character, Porridge/the Emperor, comes back in a later episode, hopefully for his wedding. His proposal to Clara was an adorable moment, likewise the Dr’s slight cluelessness.

There have been several signifiers that this series is leading up to the 50th anniversary episode and Gaiman wrote in a couple of treats. Using the device of the Cyber Dr being in our Dr’s head with access to his memories, we had a lovely slideshow of the former Drs that I’m sure had lifelong fans sighing with pleasure. While I admit to being momentarily puzzled at the Cyber Dr suddenly speaking in a Northern accent, once he yelled Tennant-era catchphrase ‘Alonsi’ I caught on that Smith was doing a (terrible) impression of Christopher Ecclestone. Which is a good moment for me to say that I’ve always felt sorry for Ecclestone. His Dr was brilliant. It got me hooked on the show, and regenerated it from a creaking cult classic to the flagship it is today. Tennant came along and made the part his own, and while I cannot praise the 10th Dr enough (or the 11th for that matter) let’s take a moment to reflect on the genius of Ecclestone. And while we’re reflecting on that, let’s also consider these questions for next week:

•  Clara is the Impossible Girl. But what is the key to her mystery? Doppleganger? Timelord? Daughter of a prominent former character?
• Will the return of the 10th Dr and Rose be a flashback cameo or integral to the plot?
• I know we know that River Song is dead, but still, why are we seeing her tombstone next week?
• What epic surprises does Moffatt have in store for us.
• Finally (and yes I know it’s cheesy but it is THE question) Doctor Who?

Contributed by Victoria Prior 

BAFTA TV Awards: The Winners

Tonight Graham Norton hosted the TV BAFTA Awards. Unfortunately none of the CustardTV team were there in person but luckily we were watching our TVs intently and have brought you the full list of tonight's winners.

Drama Series 
Presented by: David Harewood and Damian Lewis
Winner: Last Tango in Halifax
Also Nominated: Ripper Street, Scott and Bailey, Silk

Sport and Live Event 
Presented by: Jamie Redknapp and Dermot O'Leary
Winner: The London 2012 Paralympic Games
Also Nominated: London 2012: Super Saturday, London 2012: Opening Ceremony, Wimbledon's Men's Final

Supporting Actor 
Presented by: Anne Marie Duff
Winner: Simon Russell Beale (The Holllow Crown: Henry IV Part II)
Also Nominated: Peter Capaldi (The Hour), Stephen Graham (Accused: Tracie's Story),  Harry Lloyd (The Fear)

Situation Comedy 
Presented by: Ant and Dec
Winner: Twenty Twelve
Also Nominated: Episodes, Hunderby, The Thick Of It

Supporting Actress 
Presented by: Martin Freeman
Winner: Olivia Colman (Accused: Mo's Story)
Also Nominated: Anastasia Hille (The Fear), Sarah Lancashire (Last Tango in Halifax), Imelda Staunton (The Girl)

Entertainment Programme 
Presented by: Gwendoline Christie and Charles Dance
Winner: The Graham Norton Show
Also Nominated: Dynamo: Magician Impossible, Have I Got News For You, A League of Their Own

Reality and Constructed Factual 
Presented by: Holly Willoughby
Winner: Made in Chelsea
Also Nominated: The Audience, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Young Apprentice

Features 
Presented by: Andrew Buchan and Jodie Whittaker
Winner: The Great British Bake-Off
Also Nominated: Bank of Dave, Grand Designs, Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs

Female Performance in a Comedy Programme 
Presented by: Sir Bruce Forsyth
Winner: Olivia Colman (Twenty Twelve)
Also Nominated: Julia Davis (Hunderby), Miranda Hart (Miranda), Jessica Hynes (Twenty Twelve)

Soap and Continuing Drama 
Presented by: Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton
Winner: Eastenders
Also Nominated: Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Shameless

Male Performance in a Comedy Programme 

Presented by: Romola Gari
Winner: Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge - Welcome to the Places of My Life)
Also Nominated: Hugh Bonneville (Twenty Twelve), Peter Capaldi (The Thick of It), Greg Davis (Cuckoo)

Comedy Programme 
Presented by: Jenna Louise Colman and Professor Brian Cox
Winner: The Revolution Will Be Televised
Also Nominated: Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life,  Cardinal Burns, Mr Stink

Radio Times Audience Choice Award 
Presented by: Sarah Millican
Winner: Game of Thrones
Also Nominated: Call the Midwife, The Great British Bake-Off, Homeland, London 2012: Opening Ceremony, Strictly Come Dancing

Specialist Factual 
Presented by: Sanjeev Bhaskar
Winner: All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry
Also Nominated: The Plane Crash, The Plot to Bring Down Britain's Planes, The Secret History of Our Streets

Leading Actor 
Presented by: Helen McCrory
Winner: Ben Whishaw (The Hollow Crown: Richard II)
Also Nominated:  Sean Bean (Accused: Tracie's Story), Derek Jacobi (Last Tango in Halifax), Toby Jones (The Girl)

Entertainment Performance 
Presented by: Matt LeBlanc and Stephen Mangan
Winner: Alan Carr (Alan Carr: Chatty Man)
Also Nominated: Ant and Dec (I'm a Celebrity Get Me out of Here), Sarah Millican (Sarah Millican's Television Programme), Graham Norton (The Graham Norton Show)

Leading Actress 
Presented by: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Winner: Sheridan Smith (Mrs Biggs)
Also Nominated: Rebecca Hall (Parade's End), Sienna Miller (The Girl), Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax)


Current Affairs 
Winner: The Shame of The Catholic Church
Also Nominated: Britain's Housing Crisis, The Other Side of Jimmy Saville, Who Killed Arafat?

Factual Series 
Winner: Our War
Also Nominated: 24 Hours in A&E, Great Ormond Street, Make Bradford British

News Coverage 
Winner: Hillsborough: The Truth At Last
Also Nominated: BBC News at Ten: Syria, Channel 4: The Battle for Homs

Single Drama 
Winner: Murder
Also Nominated: Everyday, The Girl, Richard II: The Hollow Crown

Single Documentary 
Winner: 7/7 One Day in London
Also Nominated: Baka: A Cry in the Rainforest, Lucien Freud: Painted Life, Nina Conti: A Ventriloquist's Story: Her Master's Voice

Mini-Series 
Winner: Room at the Top
Also Nominated: Accused, Mrs Briggs, Parade's End

International 
Winner: Girls
Also Nominated: The Bridge, Game of Thrones, Homeland