BBC Two

TV Picks of the week: 3rd December to 9th December

Nadiya’s Asian Odyssey

Monday: BBC One, 9.00pm

Former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain uncovers her familial connections to southeast Asia and explores the culinary arts of Cambodia, Thailand and Nepal.

In the first of a two-part series, Hussain begins her journey by visiting Cambodia and Thailand, learning about the culture of these two countries by interacting with the people and, of course, the food.

Find out what tasty dishes her travels will inspire.

 

Julie Hesmondhalgh discusses social campaigning: "This artist's life can be for you"

Julie Hesmondhalgh with Noreen Kershaw (Credit: Jess Boulton)

The actor, who has won two RTS North West awards for her performances in ITV soap Coronation Street and BBC Two factual drama Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster, was giving this year’s Anthony H Wilson Memorial Lecture.

During the course of a conversation with actor and director Noreen Kershaw, Hesmondhalgh proved to be the embodiment of the words of the late Granada Reports anchor and music impresario, Wilson, who memorably summed up his city: “This is Manchester: we do things differently here.”

BBC Two confirms air date for new drama Death and Nightingales

Billy Winters (Matthew Rhys), Beth Winters (Ann Skelly), Liam Ward (Jamie Dornan) in Death and Nightingales (Credit: BBC/Night Flight Pictures Ltd 2018/Helen Sloan)

Adapted from Eugene McCabe’s classic novel of the same name, the three-part drama stars Ann Skelly (Red Rock), Matthew Rhys (The Americans) and Jamie Dornan (The Fall).

The nineteenth century period drama is set in the rural countryside of Fermanagh, Ireland, following young catholic Beth Winters (Skelly) and her dysfunctional relationship with her Protestant stepfather Billy Winters (Rhys).

TV picks of the week: 29 October - 4 November

Black Earth Rising

Monday: BBC Two, 9.00pm

The thrilling political drama comes to a close with a key villain finally being unmasked. Kate (Michaela Coel) also finds what she’s been looking for. A collective guilt hangs over her and Michael (John Goodman) over the Rwandan genocide and the reprisals that saw Hutu refugees massacred in camps.

The different narratives interwoven throughout the series are knitted together in the finale with several truths being revealed.

 

Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff to present new series of Top Gear

Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris (Credit: BBC)

Following the departures of host Matt LeBlanc and co-presenter Rory Reid after the next series, McGuinness and Flintoff will join Chris Harris in a new all-British line-up of Top Gear.

Sabine Schmitz will remain in the Top Gear family with Reid continuing to host Top Gear spin-off Extra Gear on BBC Two.

The announcement took place near the River Thames in London as a photocall, as the new line-up was joined by the real stars of the show: a blue Porsche 911 GT2RS and a red Aston Martin DSB Superleggera.

TV picks of the week: 22 October - 28 October

A Woman Captured: Storyville

Monday: BBC Four, 10.00pm

Film-maker Bernadett Tuza-Ritter tells a harrowing story of modern slavery through one woman’s nightmare. Marish is 52, works 12-hour days in a Hungarian factor and has been a domestic slave for ten years.

Consistently abused and forced to live off scraps Marish eventually gathers the courage to plan an escape.

 

Digital Cities North East: Kerrigan/Writers Room

(Credit: BBC)

“To get a show on TV is so hard – it’s like winning the lottery,” said Kerrigan, who lives in Cramlington, Northumberland and admitted to knowing nobody in television when he first put pen to paper. Winning the Writers Room Trans Comedy Award took the writer from his “bedroom to the BBC”. 

He continued: “It changed my life and I’m really grateful – if it wasn’t for the Writers Room, God knows what I’d be doing.”

Inside No. 9 returns for live Halloween special

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton (Credit: BBC)

The live episode is the twenty-fifth story to come out of the RTS award-winning series. The comedy duo, who will write and perform in the live special, will be joined by guest star Stephanie Cole (Still Open All Hours).

Dead Line focuses on the unfortunate Arthur Flitwick (Steve Pemberton), as he discovers a mysterious old mobile phone in a local graveyard.

Unknown to him, the phone is tied to dark mystical forces and when Flitwick attempts to contact the owner, his good deed goes punished and he is forced into his own living nightmare.