Channel 4

The dystopian Channel 4 drama Humans has been recommissioned for a second series.

The show is set in an alternative present where Synths – robotic servants who eerily resemble humans – are a must-have household gadget. Over eight episodes, the science fiction drama has explored the consequences of artificial intelligence.

Humans has been the highest rated Channel 4 original drama in over 20 years with its debut launch in June garnering an audience total of 6.1 million.

The programme is part of BBC Three’s Defying the Label season, which aims to explore disability, poverty, hate crime, sex and romance in 15 specialist programmes over four weeks.

Yet Pearson, a former BBC and Channel 4 researcher who also starred in Channel 4’s Beauty and the Beast, argues that the BBC season is a ‘double-edged sword’. While there’s been progress in discussing disability on primetime TV, Pearson hopes to get to a stage where disabled people can appear on screen without “the need for a special season or with such a big song and dance”.

The show, which tests partner compatibility by DNA and personality tests, sees couples married to each other the very first time they meet on screen.   

The final episode aired on Thursday 23 July and the show drew in an audience of 2.5 million , attracting a large share of 16-34 year old viewers.

Over 1,500 people applied to take part. But while some found love at the altar, others failed to ignite a spark and split up.

The series, produced by CPL, is based on a format originally created by Danish indie Snowman Production. 

Getting information out of politicians on TV is proving difficult this election. Day after day of interviews on a range of programmes are testing parliamentary hopefuls on every policy they have, and straight answers are rare. 

Television becomes the perfect climate for politicians to avoid tough questioning and instead get their planned party message across. 

BBC Three controller Damian Kavanagh fielded harsh criticism from audience and panel alike at the RTS Futures Summer Party.

"Is TV out of touch?" asked former CBBC presenter Kirsten O’Brien, who chaired the event, "is it relevant for 16 to 34 year olds?"

With the BBC’s youth brand soon set to relinquish its linear channel, Kavanagh was told that young people were bearing the brunt of difficult BBC cuts.

Monday

Idris Elba: No Limits

Discovery, 9pm

Drag racing, aerobatics, rally driving and land speed record attempts might seem like the perfect training ground for a would-be James Bond, but Luther star Idris Elba has denied that he will be taking that baton from Daniel Craig.

The economic arguments for diversity came under the microscope at a lively joint RTS/BBC session held at New Broadcasting House last month. The panellists agreed that, following years of inaction, broadcasters are finally making an effort to boost black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) represen­tation in television.