Friday, 19 December 2025

Kelly Reilly and Rafe Spall Front Sky Original Under Salt Marsh as Trailer Drops

Under Salt Marsh

Image: Sky TV Press

By Jon Donnis

Sky has unveiled the full trailer for its upcoming Sky Original drama Under Salt Marsh, led by Kelly Reilly and Rafe Spall. The six-part crime series will launch on Sky and NOW on 30 January 2026.

Set in the fictional Welsh town of Morfa Halen, the drama stars Kelly Reilly as Jackie Ellis and Rafe Spall as Detective Eric Bull. The story centres on a close-knit community pushed to breaking point by an unspeakable crime that refuses to stay buried.

Created, written and directed by Claire Oakley, Under Salt Marsh opens as a once-in-a-generation storm approaches from the sea. Jackie Ellis, a former detective now working as a teacher, makes a disturbing discovery that reopens a three-year-old cold case. It is a case that cost her both her career and the trust of her family.

Pulled back into the past, Jackie is forced to reunite with her estranged former police partner Eric Bull. Together, they return to an investigation that threatens to tear Morfa Halen apart, exposing long-held secrets and unresolved grief before the approaching storm destroys the remaining evidence.

Alongside Reilly and Spall, the series features a strong supporting cast including Naomi Yang, Jonathan Pryce, Dinita Gohil, Brian Gleeson, Kimberley Nixon and Harry Lawtey. The drama combines atmospheric crime storytelling with an intimate portrait of resilience and community.

Further cast members include Mark Stanley, Dino Fetscher, Lizzie Annis, Rhodri Meilir and Julian Lewis Jones.

Under Salt Marsh will premiere on Sky and the streaming service NOW on 30 January 2026.


Thursday, 18 December 2025

Sky Sports Secures Multi-Year Extension as UK Home of the Masters

Image: Sky TV Press

By Jon Donnis

Sky Sports and Augusta National Golf Club have confirmed a multi-year extension to their partnership, ensuring Sky Sports and NOW remain the exclusive broadcasters of the Masters Tournament in the UK and Ireland.

The renewed deal will deliver almost 20% more live coverage throughout the week from Augusta National. Fans can expect dedicated feeds from Amen Corner, Featured Groups, and Live on the Range, offering deeper insight into the action than ever before.

This announcement follows Sky Sports' most comprehensive Masters coverage to date in 2025, which culminated in the most-watched day in the network's history. Rory McIlroy's triumph, claiming his maiden Green Jacket and becoming the first European to complete a career Grand Slam, drew a peak audience of 1.85 million viewers and captured 37% of total UK TV viewership.

Jonathan Licht, Sky Chief Sports Officer, said: "We're delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with the Masters Tournament and Augusta National Golf Club, further cementing Sky Sports as the home of golf in the UK and Ireland. Rory McIlroy's win in April was a standout moment in 2025 and we look forward to bringing fans even more unmissable drama from Augusta National in the years ahead."

The new agreement will also see Sky Sports air the Masters Par 3 Contest and the Augusta National Women's Amateur, alongside the Latin America Amateur Championship and Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

Sky Sports offers fans an extensive year-round golf calendar, including live coverage of all men's and women's Majors, the Solheim Cup, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, and Ladies European Tour. Coverage combines expert analysis with cutting-edge technology, including 3D Augmented Reality, the Trackman Golf Simulator, and golf's world-first Spidercam, which made its debut at The Open at Royal Portrush.

The 2026 Masters is scheduled for 6-12 April and will be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports and NOW. Fans can follow the latest news, results, and analysis via Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports News, the Sky Sports app, SkySports.com, and Sky Sports' social media channels.

Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Tommy and John Fury Settle In for a Battle of Words on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds

What the Fury?!

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

A different kind of heavyweight contest is heading to the BBC, as Tommy Fury and his father John Fury prepare to face off in a new visualised podcast titled What the Fury?!. Produced by All3Media's Optomen, the ten part series will land on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, promising sharp opinions, family friction, and plenty of outspoken debate.

Filmed inside the Holmes Chapel Boxing Club in Cheshire, the setting is a fitting one. This is familiar ground for the Furys, but instead of gloves and ring ropes, the action comes through conversation. Across ten thirty minute episodes, father and son will tackle subjects that have shifted dramatically over recent decades, from modern masculinity and parenting to relationships, artificial intelligence, and wider cultural change.

The format leans into their contrasting outlooks. John Fury brings a traditional, old school perspective shaped by a lifetime in boxing, while Tommy represents a younger, Gen Z voice with a very different take on the same issues. The result is positioned as a lively exchange of views, mixing humour with hard opinions and the occasional verbal sparring you would expect from the Fury name.

Speaking about the project, Tommy and John Fury said the podcast reflects how differently they see the world, describing it as a clash between old school and new school that naturally comes with plenty of fighting talk. Despite those differences, the series places their relationship at its centre, using it as a lens to explore bigger generational divides.

Kalpna Patel Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC, said audiences can expect the same energy and spirit associated with the Furys, carried over from their television appearances into this new visualised format. She added that viewers and listeners will have a front row seat as Tommy and John share their views on modern day topics in a way only they can.

With its mix of family dynamics, strong personalities, and topical debate, What the Fury?! aims to offer something a little louder and more confrontational than the average podcast, all without a single punch being thrown.

Doctor Who Heads to CBeebies as Blue Zoo Wins Landmark Animation Commission

CBeebies

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

British animation studio Blue Zoo has landed the contract to produce a brand new Doctor Who animated series for pre-school audiences, following a highly competitive pitch process run by BBC Children's and Education. The series will air on CBeebies and be available on BBC iPlayer, bringing the iconic franchise to its youngest viewers for the first time.

UK producers were invited to submit pitches in June 2025 as part of a fair and open commissioning process. From a strong and diverse range of proposals, Blue Zoo's concept emerged top after being assessed against the BBC's published criteria.

The new show, inspired by the long running Doctor Who universe, has been commissioned for 52 eleven minute episodes spread across two series. Production is scheduled to begin in 2026. The project marks the first expansion of the Whoniverse into animation created specifically for pre-school children, representing a significant new direction for the brand.

Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children's and Education, said the BBC is thrilled to welcome the Doctor to CBeebies, introducing a much loved family favourite to younger audiences in a completely new way. She added that the series reinforces the BBC's commitment to supporting the British animation sector by backing homegrown productions with global appeal. Hidalgo also praised the overall standard of submissions, noting that the bidding process was exceptionally competitive and that the shortlisted pitches were of outstanding quality.

Saturday, 13 December 2025

First Look at After the Flood Season Two Promises Tension and Intrigue

After the Flood

Image: ITV Press

By Jon Donnis

ITV and BritBox have unveiled the first look images from the highly anticipated second season of After the Flood, giving fans a glimpse of the returning cast and the gripping drama to come. Sophie Rundle reprises her role as Jo Marshall, the newly promoted detective at the heart of the six-part thriller. She is joined by Olivier nominee Lorraine Ashbourne as her mother, Molly Marshall, Nicholas Gleaves as the morally ambiguous Sergeant Phil Mackie, Philip Glenister as Jack Radcliffe, and Matt Stokoe returning as Jo's husband, Pat Holman. The series is written, created, and executive produced by BAFTA-nominated writer and actor Mick Ford and produced by Manchester's Quay Street Productions, part of ITV Studios.

The expanded cast for this season includes Alun Armstrong, Jill Halfpenny, Ian Puleston-Davies, Matthew McNulty, and newcomers such as Anil Desai and Lola Brown. Faye McKeever, George Bukhari, Maui Connock, and Tripti Tripuraneni also return, alongside Jacqueline Boatswain, Leo Flanagan, and Heider Ali. The first-look images capture both the suspense and emotional depth of the series, showing tense confrontations between Sergeant Mackie and Jack Radcliffe, intimate mother-daughter moments between Molly and Jo, and the budding professional partnership between Jo and newcomer DS Sam Bradley as they investigate a new string of murders in Waterside.

Season two picks up with Jo navigating a complex murder investigation against the backdrop of rising moorland fires and the threat of flooding. A body is discovered under unusual circumstances, thrusting Jo into a perilous investigation that intersects with corruption in the town's police force and her own family history. Fans can expect a story that is as personal as it is suspenseful, as Jo operates in secret to expose longstanding wrongdoing.

Friday, 12 December 2025

Ted Returns with a Fresh Run of Chaos on Sky and NOW

Image: Sky TV Press

By Jon Donnis

All episodes of the live action comedic prequel Ted, now heading into its second season, will arrive on Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland in March. The show continues to dig into the early days of the foul-mouthed bear from the Ted films, dropping us back into the '90s at a point where his fleeting brush with fame has already faded. He has retreated to life in Framingham, Massachusetts with his closest mate, seventeen year old John Bennett, played by Max Burkholder. They live with John's parents, Matty and Susan, played by Scott Grimes and Alanna Ubach, along with cousin Blaire, played by Giorgia Whigham. Ted is still a terrible influence on John, yet his loyalty never really wavers, and he always finds a way to push himself a little too far for the sake of friendship.

Seth MacFarlane, who writes, directs, produces and voices Ted, offered a joint note with fellow EPs, writers and co showrunners Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh. They say they are excited to share a second batch of episodes that reflect the work of the writers, actors and visual effects artists who bring the bear to life. They describe the eight episodes as filthy, funny and oddly heartfelt, centred on a teenager, his talking teddy bear and a family that barely functions. They even joke that anyone who dislikes the series can seek revenge by letting the episodes run on every device in the house.

Season two sees MacFarlane return as EP, writer, director and co showrunner, working alongside Corrigan and Walsh. Erica Huggins, Alana Kleiman, Jason Clark and Aimee Carlson from Fuzzy Door also serve as EPs. The regular cast remains led by MacFarlane, Burkholder, Ubach, Grimes and Whigham.

The series is produced by UCP, part of Universal Studio Group, along with Fuzzy Door and MRC, and it is distributed by NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution. Katie Keenan and Lucy Criddle acquired the new season for Sky.

Ted will make his return on Sky and NOW in March 2026.

Thursday, 11 December 2025

Channel 4 Steps Inside Downing Street with Steven Moffat’s New Drama Number 10

Number 10

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

Channel 4 is taking viewers deep inside one of the most recognisable homes in the world with Number 10, a new comedy drama from Hartswood Films, part of ITV Studios. Steven Moffat writes the series, marking his first project for the channel after titles like Sherlock, Dracula and Inside Man.

Rafe Spall leads the cast as the Prime Minister. Jenna Coleman appears as the Deputy Chief of Staff, with Katherine Kelly as Chief of Staff. It is a trio set up to carry both the political chaos and the human tangle beneath it.

They are joined by a packed ensemble inside Downing Street. Akshay Khanna, Abigail Lawrie, Laura Haddock, Jing Lusi, Pierro Niel Mee, Rick Warden, Joe Wilkinson, Robyn Cara, Richard Rankin, Rhiannon Clements, Patrick Baladi, Shaun Prendergast, Harry Baxendale, Alex Macqueen, Sid Sagar, Sam Alexander and Emer Kenny all step into the mix. It creates a house full of clashing personalities, sharp ambition and plenty of room for disaster.

The story plays out in a building where the Prime Minister can hide in the attic, a basement cafe keeps everyone fuelled, and the narrow corridors act as a maze of crisis, romance and quiet heartbreak. It is a terrace home with both mice and a nuclear deterrent. It is also a place where something as small as a hangover can tip the world off balance.

The government in the show remains deliberately vague. The problems, though, stay very real. Once everything starts to crumble, it hardly matters who holds the keys. The focus is on the house, the people working and worrying inside it, and the daily oddities of the only address where a lift engineer might share the day with a conspiracy minded barista. And yes, the cat is part of the story too.

Number 10 treats Downing Street as Britain in miniature. It gathers the country's history, its decisions, its frustrations and its flickers of hope under one roof. It looks at how things became so tangled, and hints that the way out might still be found in the same cramped halls.