Channel 4

Channel 4 announces new special The Whole Truth for World Mental Health Day

Che Lingo, Arlo Parks and Kojey Radical will each perform one of their songs and candidly share their mental health experiences with one another, as well as recounting personal stories that have inspired their music.

Jordan Stephens, one half of Rizzle Kicks and founder of the mental health campaign #IAMWHOLE, will host the programme.

Stephens said: “Our intention is to shed light on mental health from the perspective of cultures not often centred in the conversation.

All 4 to stream Iris Prize Best British Short films

Wings (credit: Jamie Weston and Carla Fraser)

Supported by Film4, the Iris Prize’s shortlisted films explore the wide ranging and diverse experiences of the LGBT+ community in contemporary Britain, from childhood to old age, metropolitan to rural.

With tales of self-discovery and belonging, falling in and out of love and exploring the personal battles won and lost, the selected films will leave viewers in tears, laughter or with a sense of hope.

Channel 4 releases first teaser for It’s a Sin

Russell T Davies with the cast of It's a Sin (credit: Channel 4)

Written by Russell T Davies (A Very English Scandal), the series follows a group of queer men in 1980s London set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis.

Olly Alexander plays 18-year-old Ritchie Tozer, a youngster beginning a new life in London. There he meets the unassuming Colin (Callum Scott Howells) and party boy Roscoe (Omari Douglas) and the trio form a close friendship.

Date set for the return of Taskmaster

The tenth series will air on 15 October on Channel 4, its new home having been acquired from Dave.

The line-up of comedian contestants was announced earlier this year, including Daisy May Cooper (This Country), Johnny Vegas (Benidorm), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring (RHLSTP with Richard Herring).

Alex Horne created Taskmaster for a live show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012, before it was picked up by Dave who ran it for nine series. It has since been exported to seven countries.

Alex Mahon: How indies saved Channel 4 during lockdown

Speaking at the RTS Digital Convention 2020, Mahon recalled that in the spring when Britain was hit by the first wave of coronavirus: “Indies came to the rescue of Channel 4 and said ‘We’ll be flexible, we’ll work out how to produce in lockdown.’  

“They said, ‘We have to delay this programme or we can’t make it or we’ve found a cunning way to make this programme.’”  

She added: “Indies did incredible things and produced things cheaply.”  

In conversation with Alex Mahon | RTS Digital Convention 2020

Watch Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4, in conversation with Tim Hincks, co-CEO of Expectation as part of the RTS Digital Convention 2020, sponsored by YouTube.

Alex and Tim discuss Covid strategies, editorial direction and production budgets, the rate of change at Channel 4, Ofcom’s PSB review and much more.

The session is part of a number of online events from leading industry figures for RTS Digital Convention 2020, sponsored by YouTube.

New crime thriller Before We Die announced by Channel 4

(credit: Channel 4)

The six-part series is based on the hit Swedish thriller of the same name, with the UK adaptation taking place in Bristol.

Before We Die follows detective Hannah Laing (Lesley Sharpe) who discovers her son is playing a crucial role in a brutal murder investigation as an undercover informant.

Patrick Gibson (The OA) stars as Christian, Hannah’s mixed-up son whose role is causing deep conflict for his mother.

10 things you might not know about Taskmaster

Each series sees host Greg Davies and sidekick Alex Horne stump five comedian contestants with their tasks.

Ahead of the show’s October 2020 return on Channel 4, we take a look at who and what makes Taskmaster tick.

Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Taskmaster.

Channel 4 documentary delves into The Real AC12

Viewers will get unprecedented access to the counter corruption unit and learn about the work of the Professional Standards Department (PSD), unveiling a side of policing that is largely unknown to the public.

Avon and Somerset Police opens its doors to Story Films at a time when police conduct is under more scrutiny than ever before, allowing them to uncover the work of their PSD teams.