Hercule Poirot gets a new face in first look at BBC's Hercule

Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/James Stack

By Jon Donnis

The BBC has unveiled the first look at Edward Bluemel as Hercule Poirot in the forthcoming six-part drama Hercule, which is now filming in Liverpool.

Produced by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited, the series will offer a different perspective on one of fiction's most recognisable detectives, exploring Poirot as a man while also portraying Britain in the years between the two World Wars.

Hercule will draw on three of Agatha Christie's early Poirot stories, while expanding the character's world by introducing him to several future friends and allies, as well as a particular nemesis.

Bluemel leads an ensemble cast that includes Henry Ashton, James D'Arcy, Calvin Demba, Phil Dunning, Jack Gleeson, Tamsin Greig, James Nesbitt, Guy Remmers, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Mawaan Rizwan.

The new series marks another screen interpretation of Christie's celebrated detective, whose novels have sold more than 750 million copies worldwide and have continued to attract readers and viewers for more than a century.

Written by Benji Walters, Hercule will see Jonny Campbell direct the opening two episodes. Chanya Button will direct episodes three and four, with Alrick Riley taking charge of the final two instalments.

Charlie Palmer serves as series producer, with executive producers including Walters and Campbell, James Prichard for Agatha Christie Limited, Rebecca Durbin and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, Nick Lambon for the BBC, and Robert Schildhouse, Jon Farrar and Stephen Nye for BritBox.

The six-part series will consist of six 60-minute episodes and is being made for BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, with BritBox set to carry the series in North America.

Hercule is due to arrive in 2027. Fifth Season is handling global distribution.

EastEnders to bring Nancy and Lee Carter back to Walford in autumn 2026

Image: BBC

By Jon Donnis

EastEnders is set to welcome back two familiar faces later this year, with Nancy and Lee Carter returning to Walford for a short stint.

Maddy Hill and Danny Hatchard will reprise their respective roles, marking the latest reunion for the Carter family. Their return is expected to have a significant impact on Linda Carter, although the circumstances that bring Nancy and Lee back to the Square are being kept under wraps for now.

The Carter family has been through plenty since Nancy and Lee were last in Walford, meaning their return is unlikely to be entirely straightforward. With Linda having plenty to catch up on, the reunion could quickly become complicated.

Hill said she was "SO excited" to return to EastEnders and step back into Nancy's shoes, adding that she had missed the character and was particularly looking forward to working with familiar faces and her on-screen family.

Hatchard, meanwhile, said he was "absolutely over the moon" to be returning as Lee, describing Albert Square as a "home away from home" and saying he was "proper buzzing" to be back.

Executive producer Ben Wadey said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have Maddy and Danny back in Walford, bringing two much-loved pieces of the Carter family back together."

He added that while Linda will be delighted to have her children together again, "she's got a lot to catch up on".

Nancy and Lee's return is currently scheduled for autumn 2026, with further details about their storyline yet to be announced.

EastEnders is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Doctor Foster Series 3: First Look at the Final Chapter of Suranne Jones Drama

Suranne Jones as Gemma Foster (Image: Robert Viglasky)

By Jon Donnis

Doctor Foster is set to return for a third and final series next year, with BBC One and BBC iPlayer releasing a first look at the new five-part drama alongside details of its latest casting.

Almost a decade after audiences were first introduced to Gemma Foster, Suranne Jones will reprise her role alongside Bertie Carvel as Simon and Tom Taylor as their son Tom. The new series will once again be created and written by Mike Bartlett, with Drama Republic, the production company behind Riot Women and One Day, making the series in association with Fictional Company and TeamAkers Productions.

The returning cast also includes Adam James as Gemma's neighbour Neil, Thusitha Jayasundera as her friend and colleague Ros, and Anna Madeley as Lucy.

Joining them is Dustin Demri-Burns, known for Slow Horses and Criminal Record, who will play Callum, Gemma's new partner. The series will also feature Rosalie Craig, Gracie Oddie-James, Lois Baglin, Karima McAdams, Anjana Vasan, Michael Balogun, Christina Balmer, Justin Salinger and Ash Tandon.

The story picks up ten years after Gemma discovered that Simon was having an affair, setting in motion a devastating chain of events that ultimately saw her 15-year-old son Tom disappear. Now, Gemma remains a GP and is still living in the same house, but her life appears to be entering a new chapter.

Having found love again, Gemma is preparing to get married. However, as the wedding approaches and those closest to her gather around her, events from her past begin to resurface. Her happiness and reputation are soon placed under threat, forcing Gemma to confront a new danger while attempting to protect the people she loves.

With someone seemingly determined to hurt her, Gemma must uncover the truth and expose whoever is behind the latest threat. The central question will be whether she can finally leave the events of the past behind, find justice and secure the future she believes she deserves before everything she has rebuilt is destroyed.

Doctor Foster originally aired in 2015, with its second series following in 2017. The drama became a major BBC hit, with almost 10 million viewers watching the finale of series two. Both series received critical acclaim and won National Television Awards, while Suranne Jones earned a BAFTA for her performance as Gemma Foster.

The third series will bring the story to its conclusion, giving Gemma one final chapter after years of betrayal, revenge and personal upheaval.

The Ministry of Time: BBC and A24 Begin Filming on Ambitious Time-Travel Drama

Aoife Hinds (Image: Pip) and Billy Howle (Image: Iona Wolff)

By Jon Donnis

The BBC and A24 have begun filming The Ministry of Time, a new six-part drama based on Kaliane Bradley’s bestselling debut novel. Production is now under way in and around London, with Aoife Hinds and Billy Howle leading the cast.

Hinds, known for Normal People and Dune: Prophecy, plays Sophy, a civil servant whose hard-earned promotion takes her into a secret government experiment unlike anything she could have anticipated. Howle, whose credits include The Perfect Couple and Under the Banner of Heaven, plays Commander Graham Gore, a Victorian polar explorer brought forward from the 19th century as part of the programme.

The series centres on a newly established government department tasked with gathering people from different periods of history, known as ‘expats’, and bringing them into the present day. The experiment is intended to establish whether time travel can work on a practical level, with Sophy assigned to help Graham adapt to modern life.

What begins as a professional relationship gradually develops into an intense and forbidden romance. Their growing connection becomes increasingly complicated as Sophy discovers that the Ministry's motives may be far more sinister than she first realised. As the true purpose of the experiment emerges, their relationship places both of them in increasing danger.

Alice Birch, who previously worked on Normal People, The End We Start From and Dead Ringers, has adapted Bradley's novel for television. Aneil Karia, whose credits include Hamlet, The Gold and Surge, serves as lead director.

Bradley said she is excited to see the story brought to the screen, joking that she might have reacted very differently had she travelled back six years and discovered what would happen to the polar explorer she had begun writing about.

BBC Director of Drama Lindsay Salt described the series as a distinctive, genre-defying drama, highlighting the relationship between Sophy and Graham at the heart of the story. She also praised Birch's adaptation and said the BBC was looking forward to audiences joining the pair on their unusual journey.

The Ministry of Time will consist of six 60-minute episodes and is being produced by A24 for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Frances du Pille is the producer, while executive producers include A24, Alice Birch, Kaliane Bradley, Aneil Karia and Jo McClellan for the BBC.

Amediateka, Bell Media's Crave, Binge Australia and ZDF are co-producing the series, with A24 handling international distribution.

With its combination of science fiction, historical figures, government conspiracy and an increasingly dangerous romance, The Ministry of Time has the ingredients for a drama that can move between genres while keeping its central relationship at the forefront. The casting of Hinds and Howle also puts two performers with strong dramatic credentials at the centre of a story that spans centuries.

Further casting and details about the series are expected to be announced in due course.

Full Episode Question Team S01 E02

 

Richard Ayoade's self-quizzing collective this time are Katherine Ryan with a round on social media, Desiree Burch on astrology, Ivo Graham on music festivals, and special guest Nick Helm.

Question Team is a lively British comedy quiz show hosted by Richard Ayoade, where three comedians take turns creating their own unusual rounds and challenging the rest of the panel. Rather than sticking to traditional quiz questions, the show mixes trivia with comedy, games, bizarre challenges and elaborate set-ups, with each guest bringing their own personality and interests into the competition. The result is a fast-paced and unpredictable panel show that combines the fun of a quiz with the chaos and creativity of a comedy programme.

Buried with Michael Sheen: A Chilling Investigation into Wales' Toxic Past

Image: BBC

By Jon Donnis

Buried with Michael Sheen is a gripping two-part investigation that sees the Welsh actor turn his attention to a story that has stayed with him for almost a decade. At the centre of the series is the late farming consultant and whistleblower Douglas Gowan, who spent more than 50 years claiming that toxic industrial chemicals had been dumped across Wales and north west England.

For Sheen, this is more than another investigation. He first met Gowan almost ten years ago, when the whistleblower told him that communities across Wales had been exposed to dangerous chemicals for decades. Gowan claimed that thousands of tonnes of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, better known as PCBs, had been buried at sites across the region.

PCBs were once considered something of a wonder chemical because they were extremely resistant to breaking down. That same quality has since made them a serious environmental concern. They are now classified as a Group 1 carcinogen and have been banned globally.

Gowan believed that major corporations, government bodies and local councils had failed to properly address the dangers. He specifically accused Monsanto, once the world's leading PCB producer, of knowingly burying highly toxic waste in communities across Wales. These are serious allegations, and the series sets out to examine the evidence behind them.

After first hearing Gowan's story, Sheen eventually tracked him down and spent two days filming an interview with him. Just two months later, Gowan died, leaving Sheen with the testimony of a man who had spent decades trying to get people to listen.

Now, Sheen joins investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor to retrace Gowan's footsteps. Across two episodes, they visit former dump sites and speak to environmental experts, forensic scientists and residents living close to locations linked to the alleged contamination.

The result promises to be an investigation into claims of toxic pollution, alleged cover-ups and the long-term consequences of industrial waste, while also focusing on the ordinary people who believe they have been left to deal with the fallout.

Buried with Michael Sheen looks set to be a serious and personal piece of factual television, combining Sheen's connection to Wales with an investigation into claims that could have consequences far beyond the communities at the centre of the story.

COMPETITION: Win My Life is Murder: Series 5 on DVD

My Life is Murder Series 5 is set to arrive on DVD and digital on 17 August 2026, courtesy of Acorn Media International. 

And to celebrate we have a copy on DVD to give away!

Synopsis:

Series five introduces eight thrilling new cases featuring dangerous villains that only Alexa Crowe (Lawless) can catch, but as always, she brings her friends and family along for the ride.  

 

There’s tech whiz Madison (Ebony Vagulans – The Furies) who contributes her considerable IT know-how to the investigations and café owner Reuben (Joe Naufahu – Game of Thrones, Ghost in the Shell) is always there to lend a helping hand, plus Detective Harry (Rawiri Jobe – Shortland Street) remains a steady ally.  

 

When Alexa’s bad boy brother Will (Martin Henderson – Virgin River, Grey’s Anatomy) drops by with a dilemma things are about to get complicated, and her cantankerous cat Chowder continues to stir up trouble in his own mischievous way. 

 

The new series sees Alexa dive headfirst into a world of puzzling crime, from shady aquariums and elite cheerleading squads to creepy dolls and deadly island getaways. As buried secrets resurface, justice is never quite as simple as it seems, but one thing is certain – Alexa isn’t backing down.  

 

But catching killers isn’t her only unfinished business, as a reunion with former police partner Jesse (Craig Parker – Spartacus, Xena: Warrior Princess) leaves the headstrong sleuth questioning herself: could he be the one that got away? 

 

Embark on a new murder mystery adventure this Summer with more wit, warmth, drama and intrigue in the ‘charming, endlessly thrilling’ (Good Housekeeping) My Life is Murder Series 5. 

Pre-Order from https://link.amazon/B01TxzvpA

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who plays Alexa’s bad boy brother Will in My Life is Murder?

Send your name, address and of course the answer to competition365@outlook.com

Quick Terms and conditions

1. Closing date 24-08-26

2. No alternative prize is available

3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.

4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.