I May Destroy You

The younger version of Jack – played by Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls) – and Danny (Jon Pointing, A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou) are dealing with their last year of university. Dissertation deadlines and the real world loom, but Jack’s got bigger fish to fry. It might not be easy being gay, but turns out it’s even harder being an X-Factor fan.

“They replaced Louis [Walsh] with Rita Ora,” he moans in the trailer.

“This country has gone to pot!” Danny concurs.

Among them is Playing Nice, starring James Norton (Happy Valley) as a father faced with an impossible choice. After learning two toddlers were switched at birth, their parents must decide whether to keep the children they’ve been raising, or swap to be with their biological sons. Pete (Norton) and Maddie (Niamh Algar) seem to be in agreement with the other couple, Miles (James McArdle) and Lucy (Jessica Brown Findlay). That is, until ulterior motives rise to the surface.

Written, produced and led by Coel, First Day on Earth will follow Henri (Coel), a British novelist in a severe rut. When she is offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa sounds like the perfect escape from her dead-end relationship and lack of writing work. What’s more, her estranged father lives in the country, and she’s hoping that she can reconnect with him and her heritage.

Listen with even half an ear and it’s obvious that TV music soundtracks have upped their game in recent times. This year alone, Hans Zimmer’s score for The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Federico Jusid’s work on A Gentle­man in Moscow jostle other worthy contenders to show how music can significantly elevate a series.

A finale, then, is a touchy affair, as the emotional stability of a show’s entire fandom rests in the palms of the showrunners’ hands. And if you think I’m exaggerating, just ask a Game of Thrones fan what they thought of The Iron Throne.

That was an extreme case but it did prove the power of a finale to tarnish a show’s legacy (although House of the Dragon is so far doing some good damage limitation). Here, however, we take a look at the ones who secured theirs.

Needless to say, the SPOILERS abound.

That was the core of an RTS London discussion, “Too much TV!”, which examined how the pandemic is affecting our viewing tastes and why, despite significant progress, platforms need better curation to guide audiences through the labyrinth of peak TV.     

As all the panellists agreed, you can’t have too much great TV. Whether there is enough of it is a moot point.   

And, perhaps, ultimately, the definition of what constitutes outstanding TV is subjective.   

The West Wing – All4

Aaron Sorkin’s fast-walking and faster-talking political drama offers a look behind the curtain at the inner-workings of the White House, as the administration deals with everything from hostage situations to passing new bills.

The online event will bring together some of the best talent in TV and the creative industries from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

Faron McKenzie, Head of CDX, said: “I’m proud that our team of creators looked like and shared a similar lived experience to our audience.

“It is important for the BBC to champion Diversity and Inclusion and not be afraid to lean into these subject matters.”

Michaela doesn’t skirt issues – she goes straight at them.” Executive producer Roberto Troni is talking about Michaela Coel’s fearless new drama I May Destroy You, which explores sexual consent in contemporary London.

The 12-part BBC One/HBO series is, to an extent, based on personal experience – like her character, Arabella, Coel was sexually assaulted after her drink was spiked, an experience she revealed two years ago while giving the MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh International TV Festival.