Over the past couple of decades, Stephen Graham has become increasingly hard to avoid on both TV and film. The variety of roles he’s taken on is extraordinary. He can play cops and robbers, modern and period drama, ordinary and larger-than-life characters. He is convincing in all of them.
Peek around the corner of Badgers Bar in Derry and you’ll see the larger-than-life faces of Erin, Clare, Michelle, Orla and James plastered over the wall. As far as signs of a show’s success go, they don’t get much bigger than a five-metre-high mural.
From the moment the profane and brilliant Derry Girls burst on to our screens last year in a haze of teenage escapades, nostalgic music and 1990s artefacts – such as pastel printed wallpaper, Baby-G watches and armed soldiers on the streets – it captivated its audience.
As TV producers, we’re facing more global competition than ever before. Whenever they wish, viewers can watch one of many programmes from around the world on Netflix or Amazon, rather than one of our shows. Or they can stream or download dozens of feature films available via their TV sets.
I genuinely believe that the best response to this difficult situation is to embrace the creativity of the whole country, and not just rely on Londonbased programme-makers.
Surprise hit of the week is 100 Vaginas, in which the artist Laura Dodsworth photographs the genitalia of 100 women and then talks to them about the images and how they feel about their bodies. It’s a great film – bold and political and warm – but firmly at the art-house end of the channel’s output. Everyone is delighted when it attracts an audience of more than 1 million.
Llas Vegas (w/t) will see the duo source five single-story vintage buses and renovate them for a glamping site in North Wales.
With no previous business experience, Vegas and Dixon will be pushed to their limits to get the glamping site ready for the summer season, especially as neither have conducted renovations of this scale before.
“I bought a bus online. Not because it’s what showbiz folk do, but because my camping van got nicked and it had been my wee bit of creative space heaven,” commented Vegas.
ITV’s new four-part thriller, Cheat, features Katherine Kelly as sociology lecturer Leah, and Molly Windsor as Rose, her scheming student.
Set in Cambridge, Leah (Katherine Kelly) is close to securing a permanent position as a professor when negligent student Rose (Molly Windsor), submits an unbelievably good dissertation. Leah accuses Rose of deception, only to be left vulnerable to a series of sinister attacks from the student and her father, a wealthy benefactor of the college.
The panel show will see Rob Beckett resuming his role as team captain, along with rotating guest captains including Aisling Bea, Katherine Ryan, Sara Pascoe and Kerry Godliman.
Panellists will compete against each other in guessing the results of numerous public polls and surveys on popular topics.
“I’m really excited that 8 Out of 10 Cats is returning to E4,” said Jimmy Carr.
“What Britain needs now more than ever, is a panel show about surveys and statistics. Well, that and six months’ supply of food and medicine.”
Growing Up Gifted returns for a new series centering on six adolescents who are academically gifted from low-income families.
Now in Year 10, teenagers Liam, Kian and Jamarley are preparing for their final GCSE exams.
“The standard of entries for 2019 was very high – several jurors said that you could ‘broadcast that tomorrow’ about many of the films we watched,” said Aradhna Tayal, the Chair of the awards.
“Many seized the opportunity to use their work as a means of challenging and addressing real-life, taboo topics,” she added. “The jurors were in agreement that the entries this year demonstrated the ways in which art can be both important and meaningful.”
Treasure Island with Bear Grylls will be a six-part series that will see 12 strangers stranded on a remote island with hidden riches up for grabs.
Under the watchful eye of Bear Grylls, the islanders will battle for survival against mother nature and each other for a treasure of £100,000.
Pushed to their limits, the contestants won’t just need to find the loot but will also need last to the end of the show, or risk leaving empty-handed.
The revamped reality show will allow the islanders to cooperate, but with money involved can anyone be trusted?
