ITV

The four-part drama stars Lucy Boynton (Murder on the Orient Express) as the real-life 1950s London club manager, then the youngest in the capital.

Ellis later found an entirely different kind of fame, becoming the last woman in Britain to be hanged, after shooting her partner David Blakely. The drama is based on A Fine Day for Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story, the biography by Carol Ann Lee.

A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story follows the impresario’s story through clubland and the abusive relationship she had with Blakely.

From Love Island’s Chloe Burrows, to Wagatha Christie victim Rebekah Vardy, to Reggae Reggae sauce creator Levi Roots, there are many rumours floating around social media as to who will be the next household names turned housemates. But fans will have to wait a little longer to lay these rumours to rest.  

ITV revealed via X (formerly Twitter) that the cast will only be announced live in the launch show – a major shake up from the 2023 civilian series, where the cast were pre-announced, and the show was pre-recorded.

Malpractice won favour with both critics – “intricately plotted and beautifully, leanly written”, said The Guardian – and audiences: it was ITV1’s most watched drama launch episode of 2023 when it aired last spring. Ahead of filming starting on series two, the RTS talked to some of the talent behind the show, including its creator, former NHS doctor Grace Ofori-Attah.

She pitched an idea for a hospital-set thriller about medical malpractice to Simon Heath, CEO of World Productions, whose award-winning dramas include Line of Duty and Save Me.

Four years ago, the UK identified its first cases of a new, highly infectious disease. Within two months, Covid-19 had claimed the lives of thousands of people and the country found itself in an eerie lockdown.

Behind closed hospital doors, the scene was very different: it was one of chaos, as an unprepared and overwhelmed health service struggled to keep people alive.

Love Island: All Stars

Monday

ITV2, 9.00pm

Ex-partners, best friends, and those jilted at Casa Amor; this new batch of islanders have a rich interpersonal history – all of which is detailed over 10 series of Love Island on ITVX.

Taking the place of the winter series, Love Island: All Stars hopes past islanders can forge new connections with each other - their shared experience perhaps leading to a stronger foundation.

Let’s catch up with some old favourites and see what brings them back to old faithful – the Love Island villa…

Criminal Record

Wednesday

Apple TV+

From the mind of Vera creator Paul Rutman comes Criminal Record, a stern detective drama focusing on the effects of institutional errors, centring around an old ‘solved’ murder case.

Mr Bates vs The Post Office

ITV1, 9.00pm

The Detectorist’s Toby Jones stars as the Erin Brockovich of the British Post Office Scandal, Mr Bates.

What does the job involve?

Working with the brilliant producers and writers we have in this country, we look for dramas that we think people will watch and love on ITV – and then we facilitate the producers to make them. We’re out there telling people what we think might work for ITV, and the producers also come to us with great ideas.

We want ideas that will surprise and challenge us, so we’re not simply doing the same thing over and over again.

What was your route into TV?