Crystal Lake: Friday the 13th Prequel Finally Arrives on Sky and NOW This October

Image: Sky TV

By Jon Donnis

As a lifelong fan of the Friday the 13th films, the prospect of returning to Crystal Lake is difficult to ignore. The franchise has been away from screens for far too long, and now Crystal Lake is set to explore the mythology from an entirely different perspective.

The eight-part series, produced by A24 and created, written and executive produced by Brad Caleb Kane, arrives exclusively on Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland on 19 October, with every episode available to watch from launch.

Rather than simply bringing Jason Voorhees back for another round of familiar slasher mayhem, Crystal Lake travels back to the beginning of the story. The series serves as a prequel to the Friday the 13th films, focusing on Jason's mother, Pam Voorhees, before the events that turned her into one of horror's most memorable characters.

Pam is played by Emmy-winner Linda Cardellini, and the setup immediately gives the series plenty of potential. Jason drowned in Crystal Lake almost a year earlier, and Pam remains consumed by grief following the death of her young, sickly son. When two strangers arrive at her home and begin investigating her past, that grief is about to collide with some very uncomfortable questions.

From there, a disturbing chain of events begins to unfold, with the people of Crystal Lake left wondering exactly who Pam Voorhees really is.

For fans of Friday the 13th, that central mystery is particularly intriguing. We already know where Pam's story ultimately leads, but Crystal Lake has the opportunity to explore the woman behind the legend and the events that helped shape the infamous history of the lake.

That also gives the series a chance to expand the mythology without simply attempting to recreate the formula of the original films. Psychological suspense, mystery and emotional storytelling are all being promised alongside the horror, suggesting that Crystal Lake intends to spend considerably more time developing its characters and its setting.

Kane brings plenty of genre television experience to the project, having worked on It: Welcome to Derry, Tokyo Vice and Warrior. He is joined by A24, original Friday the 13th writer Victor Miller and Horror, Inc. in bringing the Jason Universe story to television.

Linda Cardellini leads a cast that also includes William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins and Gwendolyn Sundstrom. Behind the scenes, executive producers include Marc Toberoff, Victor Miller, Robert M. Barsamian, Robert P. Barsamian, Stuart Manashil, Tyson Bidner, Michael Lennox and Roy Lee.

There is inevitably going to be a huge amount of curiosity surrounding Crystal Lake. Friday the 13th has one of the most recognisable horror mythologies ever created, and returning to its origins gives the series plenty of room to surprise even fans who already know the story of Jason and his mother.

For me, the biggest appeal is simply getting back to Crystal Lake. The franchise has produced some of horror's most enduring characters and imagery, and seeing the story explored through Pam Voorhees and the community surrounding the lake offers a genuinely different way into that world.

Whether Crystal Lake can live up to the enormous expectations surrounding the Friday the 13th name remains to be seen, but with the series finally approaching its UK debut, anticipation is certainly building.

Crystal Lake arrives exclusively on Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland on Monday 19 October, with all eight episodes available from launch.

Legacy of Spies Gets First Look as Filming Wraps

Images: The Ink Factory/Des Willie/Csaba Aknay

By Jon Donnis

The BBC and MGM+ have released a first look at Legacy of Spies as filming wraps on the eight-part espionage thriller.

Based on John le Carré's bestselling The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, with additional material from his 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies, the series marks the return of George Smiley to television. Two-time Emmy and BAFTA award winner Matthew Macfadyen takes on the iconic role, with Charlie Hunnam starring as experienced Circus agent Alec Leamas.

Set during the Cold War, the story begins when Leamas recruits Doris Quinz, played by Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu, to smuggle valuable Stasi documents into the West. The operation draws the attention of Stasi operatives Josef Fiedler and Hans-Dieter Mundt, played by Daniel Brühl and Felix Kammerer, whose determination to stop the leak is matched by their fierce rivalry.

Agnes O'Casey plays Liz Gold, an idealistic young woman whose involvement with Leamas brings another personal dimension to an increasingly dangerous operation. Meanwhile, Smiley works behind the scenes while the elusive Soviet mastermind Karla remains a threat.

The cast also includes Dan Stevens as Bill Haydon, Jake Dunn as Peter Guillam, Anjana Vasan as Connie Sachs, Charlotte Ritchie as Ann Smiley, Joe Alwyn as Jim Prideaux and Hugh Laurie as Control.

Filmed principally in the Czech Republic, with additional filming in the UK and Germany, Legacy of Spies will launch exclusively on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK. MGM+ will release the series in the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil and Spanish-speaking Latin America.

Joe Thomas and James Buckley Head Out on the Road in New Channel 4 Comedy Series

Image: Channel 4

By Jon Donnis

Joe Thomas and James Buckley are back together, and this time they are hitting the road to work out what being a grown-up is actually supposed to mean.

The pair, best known as Simon and Jay from The Inbetweeners, return to Channel 4 for Joe and James: Boys to Men, a new four-part comedy travelogue following their attempts to make sense of life as they approach their 40s.

Joe has recently turned 40, while James will reach the milestone next year. Rather than suddenly having all the answers, they set off on an "epic-ish" journey to figure out what is expected of them at this stage of life, including who they should be spending time with, where they should be going and what they can still get away with doing.

The two take very different approaches to the questions they encounter. Joe has a more introspective and esoteric outlook, while James is considerably more straight-talking and no-nonsense. Their contrasting personalities provide the basis for a road trip filled with unusual experiences as they meet people who might offer some insight into making the most of midlife.

The result is less about finding a definitive guide to adulthood and more about two old friends trying to understand where they fit now that they are supposedly grown up.

Joe and James: Boys to Men is a four-part series made by Idle Industries in conjunction with Fudge Park for Channel 4.

COMPETITION: Win The Terror: Devil in Silver on Blu-ray

Acorn Media has announced the release of The Terror: Devil in Silver, available to download and own the complete series from 28 September and on Blu-ray and DVD on 5 October 2026. 

And to celebrate we have a copy on Blu-ray to give away!

Synopsis:

Based on Victor LaValle’s best-selling book and adapted by the writer himself alongside Chris Cantwell, The Terror: Devil in Silver boasts film maestro Ridley Scott as its executive producer. Internationally acclaimed British acting sensation Dan Stevens (The Guest, Downton Abbey, Beauty and the Beast) takes the lead in an awe-inspiring turn as a psychiatric patient who must face not only his own demons but possibly one of the most sinister entities known to man.

Pepper (Stevens) is a working-class removal man who, through a combination of bad luck and a bad temper, finds himself wrongfully committed to New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital – an institution filled with the people society would rather forget.

There, he must contend with patients who work against him, doctors who harbour grim secrets and perhaps even the Devil himself. As Pepper navigates a hellscape where nothing is as it seems, he finds that the only path to freedom is to face down the entity that thrives on the suffering within the hospital walls – but doing so may prove that the worst demons of all live inside him. 

Beware The Terror: Devil in Silver is a must-own release to add to your physical media collection.

Pre-Order from https://link.amazon/B0bRaWr2u

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who plays Pepper in The Terror: Devil in Silver?

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

Quick Terms and conditions

1. Closing date 12-10-26

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.

Smilla’s Sense of Snow Coming To AMC+ In The US And Canada

Image: ITV

By Jon Donnis

Crime drama series Smilla’s Sense of Snow is heading to AMC+ in the US and Canada, following a new international distribution agreement between AMC Global Media, ITV Studios and Constantin Film.

The modern adaptation of Peter Høeg’s internationally acclaimed bestseller stars Filippa Coster-Waldau, Elyas M’Barek and Henry Lloyd-Hughes, with BAFTA winner Amma Asante directing. Amanda Collin, Morten Suurballe, Silver Wolfe, Set Sjöstrand and Alexandre Willaume also appear in the series.

ITV Studios holds worldwide distribution rights to the production, with the latest agreement adding the US and Canadian markets to the growing international reach of the series. The deal was brokered by Rob Kaplan, Senior Vice President of Sales for the US and Latin America at ITV Studios.

Set 30 years after Høeg’s novel was first published, the series brings its story into a near-future setting while retaining its focus on identity and origins. Its world also explores issues including the energy crisis, surveillance, climate change and growing nationalism.

The story takes place in Copenhagen in 2040, where Smilla Jaspersen lives an isolated life within a heavily surveilled society facing an impending energy crisis. Her world changes when she forms a bond with a young Inuit boy.

When the boy suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances, Smilla begins searching for answers. Her investigation takes her from Copenhagen to the icy landscapes of Greenland, where she becomes caught up in dangerous political power struggles.

As Smilla digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding the boy's death, her own extraordinary abilities become central to uncovering the truth, including the mystery surrounding her identity.

Smilla’s Sense of Snow is produced by Constantin Film and is directed by Amma Asante, whose previous credits include Belle, Mrs. America and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Love Is In The Blood Returns To Channel 4.0 For Second Series

Image: Ch4

By Jon Donnis

Channel 4.0 is bringing Love Is In The Blood back for a second series, with Adeola Patronne returning as matchmaker for another group of hopeful singles.

The digital entertainment channel has commissioned eight new episodes of the series in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). The branded entertainment series is produced by Word On The Curb and once again combines blind dating with blood donation.

The format sees two singletons matched together, with one having donated blood before and the other preparing to give blood for the first time. Separated by dividers, the pair will get to know each other without seeing one another, while also taking part in a blood donation that could help save lives.

Adeola will guide each date, putting the hopeful couples through a mixture of quick-fire questions and deeper conversations designed to explore their personalities, values and approach to relationships.

Questions will range from playful choices such as whether they believe in love at first sight or prefer a slow burn, through to more meaningful discussions as the dates attempt to establish whether they share the same core values.

At the end of each date, both participants will have to decide whether they want to finally meet face-to-face. If either person chooses not to continue, the pair must walk away without ever seeing the person they have been matched with.

The return follows a successful first series, which won Best Content Partnership or AFP at the 2026 Broadcast Digital Awards and Best Branded Content at this year's TellyCast Digital Video Awards.

With Adeola back in the matchmaking role, the second series will once again put romance and an important cause together, while leaving the final decision firmly in the hands of the people taking part.

Twice the Food, Half the Price: Rosie Ramsey and Nathan Anthony to Help UK Families Cut Food Costs

Image: Ch4

By Jon Donnis

Channel 4 has commissioned Twice the Food, Half the Price, a new six-part series from South Shore presented by Rosie Ramsey and Nathan Anthony, better known as @boredoflunch.

The series will focus on the financial pressure facing households across the UK as families continue to feel the squeeze of rising costs. Rosie and Nathan will work with families struggling with increasing food bills, showing them how changes to the way they shop, cook and plan meals can help make their budgets stretch further.

Across each episode, the pair will help a different family rethink their weekly food shop, using smart shopping, practical swaps and achievable recipes to demonstrate how they can spend less without sacrificing enjoyable and satisfying meals.

The series will cover food for every part of the week, including packed lunches, quick midweek dinners, fakeaways and meals for entertaining at home. Along the way, Rosie and Nathan will share practical ideas designed to be used in viewers' own kitchens.

Rather than simply focusing on individual recipes, Twice the Food, Half the Price will follow the families as they attempt to establish new habits around shopping and cooking. Their real financial circumstances will provide the backdrop as they discover whether the changes can make a lasting difference to their food spending.

With relatable family stories combined with practical ways to reduce the cost of meals, the series aims to show how making smarter choices in the kitchen could help households get more from their weekly food budget.