Channel 4 has commissioned Close to Home

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

Channel 4 has commissioned Close to Home, a four part drama produced by Element Pictures, a multi Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winning company and part of Fremantle. The company is known for Normal People and Bugonia, and this new series promises a story grounded in Belfast, looking at youth, trauma and the lingering effects of history.

The series is adapted by Michael Magee from his debut novel, which won the 2023 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and the 2024 Nero Prize for Debut Fiction. Direction is by Diarmuid Goggins, known for Code of Silence, giving the story a tense and immersive feel.

Anthony Boyle stars as Sean, a young man returning to Belfast after university. He falls back into old habits, late nights, borrowed money, missed rent, unreliable jobs, and living with his brother and mother, all while unspoken family tensions simmer. Jessica Reynolds plays Mairéad, Seamus O'Hara is Anthony, and Oisín Thompson is Ryan, completing a close knit circle of friends whose lives are intertwined with the city around them.

The story takes a dark turn when Sean assaults a stranger at a party, setting off a chain of events that upends friendships and family life. Close to Home is a story of love, recklessness and the struggle to find your place in a city still marked by its past, where every street seems to hold a story and every choice has weight.

Derren Brown: Incognito - Coming Soon

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

Derren Brown: Incognito is a fresh six part series on Channel 4, created by Vaudeville Productions and thought up by Derren Brown.

In our daily lives we all make quick judgments about people. These ideas come from years of social conditioning and our own personal biases. But what happens when those assumptions are tested in situations no one expects?

In Incognito, ten strangers from very different walks of life are brought together to live in a mysterious institution for seven days. The one thing they share is an identity that others are likely to judge right away. There could be a Soldier, a Spy, a Priest or a Porn Star among them. Each person believes they have a simple goal. They must work out the identities of the other participants while keeping their own a secret.

But Derren Brown has another plan. This is not just a clever guessing game. It is a playful psychological experiment that looks at how identity affects behaviour and how prejudice can blind us.

Every game played, every conversation had and every time someone is eliminated is designed to make the players question their initial impressions. Alliances and strategies shift as unexpected twists unfold. As this happens, both the participants and the viewers at home may start to question their own long held views and see people they might normally overlook in a new light.

At a time when society often feels divided and polarised, the series raises a big question. Can these long standing ideas about others be changed, and can the players find a new empathy for one another, or will old prejudices remain once the experiment ends?

Derren Brown said, "This has been a fascinating new venture. With my previous shows I've normally had a clear idea of how things will conclude, this was very different. It's a show about how we form opinions, live by our labels, judge others by them. And what happens when all that's removed. It was a beautiful and extraordinary thing to make." 

Break Clause Brings Breakups and Flatshares Into Sharp Comic Focus

Images: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

A breakup is messy at the best of times. Add a shared tenancy and nowhere else to go, and things get complicated fast. That awkward, painfully familiar setup sits at the heart of Break Clause, a new six-part comedy from BBC Studios Comedy, written and created by Jess Bray and directed by Alice Snedden.

The series follows Ben and Lil, played by Samuel Bottomley and Lara Ricote, whose relationship has come to an end but whose living situation has not. They are stuck under the same roof, trying to untangle their lives while still sharing the same space. Moving on from your first love is hard enough. Moving out, it turns out, is even harder.

Bottomley, known for How to Have Sex, steps into the role of Ben, with Ricote from Mitchell And Webb Are Not Helping playing Lil. Around them is a packed ensemble that promises plenty of comic friction. John Thomson appears as Alan, Lucy Black as Deb, Catherine Cohen as Jos and Charly Clive as Frances. They are joined by Hammed Animashaun as Paul, Michael Workéyè as Kas, Jessica Knappett as the Vicar, Nathan Foad as Owen, Assa Kanouté as Kira, Jack Shep as Liam, Tamika Bennett as Nic, Jack James Ryan as Jordan and Lucas Jones as Sean.

Behind the camera, the show is steered by Bray's writing and Alice Snedden's direction, with production handled by BBC Studios Comedy in a co-production with Germany's ZDFneo. The project was commissioned for Channel 4 by Charlie Perkins, Head of Comedy, and Laura Riseam, Commissioning Editor.

Executive producers Jess Bray, Mark Freeland, Molly Seymour and Josh Cole represent BBC Studios Comedy, with Laura Mae Harding for ZDFneo, while Olly Cambridge serves as producer. BBC Studios will also oversee global sales, taking the flat share fallout to audiences well beyond the UK.

At its core, Break Clause leans into the small, everyday chaos of modern relationships. Not grand drama, just two people trying to figure out what comes next while still passing each other in the kitchen. It is an idea that feels instantly relatable, and ripe for comedy.

Ricky Wilson Joins Bill Bailey for a Moving New Series of Extraordinary Portraits

L-R: Caroline Pool, Jack Dickson, Nick Elphick, Bill Bailey, Ricky Wilson, Unza Saleem, and Karen Turner (Image: BBC/Chatterbox)

By Jon Donnis

BBC Arts' Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey returns this spring for its fifth series, and this time the line-up at the easel includes an unexpected but fitting addition. Kaiser Chiefs frontman and former art teacher Ricky Wilson steps into the studio as part of Bill Bailey's growing family of artists, bringing his creative roots back into focus for what promises to be another deeply emotional run of episodes.

The announcement arrives alongside a special BBC event in Bradford, marking the broadcaster's partnership with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and showcasing the cultural activity still to come this year. After a sold-out exhibition in the city in 2025, the portraits created in the new series will once again be displayed for the public, offering visitors a chance to see the finished works up close and to meet the powerful stories behind them.

The programme's format remains simple but heartfelt. Musician, comedian and lifelong art enthusiast Bill Bailey pairs ordinary people with extraordinary lives with some of the country's most talented portrait artists. Together they create artworks that do more than capture a likeness. The aim is to reveal something deeper, something personal, a snapshot of modern Britain told through paint, sculpture and mixed media.

This year's sitters reflect that spirit. Among them is a civil servant who fought off a terrorist with a narwhal tusk, sisters who made medical history when one gave birth using the other's womb, and a grandmother still competing in Iron Man competitions well into her 80s. The series also follows a survivor of the Post Office scandal who was imprisoned while pregnant, and young brothers living with early-onset frontotemporal dementia who have chosen to embrace life as fully as possible.

Wilson joins an accomplished group of artists that includes award-winning painters Caroline Pool and Karen Turner, sculptor Nick Elphick, multi-media artist Jack Dickson and newcomer Unza Saleem. For Wilson, who previously taught art at Leeds College of Art and Design, the role feels like a natural return to his earlier career, trading the stage lights for a studio lamp and a brush in hand.

Together, they face the same challenge. Not just to paint what they see, but to uncover the emotional weight behind each story and translate it onto canvas. As ever, the results promise to be intimate, thoughtful and quietly powerful, a celebration of everyday people whose lives are anything but ordinary.

Ricky Wilson says: "I was delighted to get the call from Bill and jumped at the chance to join the Extraordinary Portraits family. Art has always been close to my heart, and it's now great to be putting my experience to the test. I'm also really pleased that we're announcing the new series in Bradford. Growing up in West Yorkshire gave me a love of creativity, humour and community, and seeing the city buzzing with culture over the past year has made me prouder than ever. I can't wait for people to see the incredible talent on display."

Bill Bailey says: "It's wonderful to be back on the show and to see our crack team of artists pouring everything they have into the work, and the sitters putting their trust in them and really opening up. The results are extraordinarily powerful and incredibly moving and in this series I think we see what portraiture is really capable of."

Claudia Winkleman Joins Channel 4 for Crufts 2026 Coverage

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

Claudia Winkleman is set to become part of Channel 4's live coverage of Crufts when the world's best known dog show returns on Thursday 5th March. She will join Clare Balding and the established team for four days of broadcasts from Birmingham's NEC, with almost 20 hours of live television spread across Channel 4 and More4 for viewers who never tire of a good tail wag or a proud lap of the ring.

Much of the familiar line up remains in place. Radzi Chinyanganya returns as the show's regular reporter, while Paralympic swimming champion Ellie Simmonds is back for a second year, presenting features, conducting interviews and keeping up with the latest stories from inside the halls. Resident vet Dr Paul Manktelow will again offer practical advice on caring for dogs, and commentary throughout the event will be provided by Jim Rosenthal and Frank Kane.

From Thursday 5th March to Sunday 9th March, coverage will follow the most popular competitions, with top class dogs taking part in breed judging, agility, flyball and Heelwork to Music. The weekend builds towards the much anticipated Best in Show, where the standout dogs compete for the top prize. It is a packed schedule that captures the scale and energy of the biggest dog show in the world.

Winkleman said she absolutely loves dogs and could not think of anywhere else she would rather be. She added that she is excited to join the team and grateful to Channel 4 for the opportunity, joking that her pocket will be full of treats. Balding welcomed her as a fantastic addition, saying she brings fun, curiosity and style, along with a genuine affection for dogs.

Pete Andrews, Head of Sport at Channel 4, described Crufts as an event that holds a special place for viewers and said there is nothing quite like it. He added that it is a thrill to welcome Winkleman to the presenters and to continue celebrating everything about dogs.

Crufts is organised and hosted by The Royal Kennel Club, the UK's largest organisation devoted to dog health, welfare and training. Channel 4 has broadcast the show since 2010. Coverage is produced by Sunset and Vine, with Gary Franses as executive producer and Diana Keen as production manager. Viewers can watch across Channel 4, More4 and Channel 4 Streaming throughout the four day event.

COMPETITION: Win Mystery Road: Origin Series 2 on DVD

Acorn Media International has announced that Mystery Road: Origin Series 2 is set to arrive on DVD and digital on 16 February, following its run on the BBC.

And to celebrate we have a copy of Season 2 on DVD to give away!

Synopsis:

Series two continues to explore the rich and riveting early life of Jay Swan one of ‘Australia’s all-time greatest screen sleuths’ (The Guardian), played by the award-winning Mark Coles Smith. He is joined by a stellar cast including Tuuli Narkle (Territory, All My Friends Are Racist), Clarence Ryan (Territory, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Robyn Malcolm (After The Party, The Survivors), Geoff Morrell (The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power, Ice Road: Vengeance) and Nicholas Bell (Elvis, Bay of Fires).

Six months on from the previous series, the young detective is attempting to forge a new life with partner Mary (Narkle) in the fading town of Loch Iris, caring for Mary’s niece, Anya, and awaiting the birth of their first child. It doesn’t take long however, for the majesty of the tall trees in the brooding surrounding forests and the deep lake that shimmers at the edge of town to take on gothic dimensions…

When Jay begins to investigate the disappearance of a young girl and the drowning of a former nun, Loch Iris closes rank around him. As the pieces of the crime start to come together, the detective starts to realise the entire community has been hiding a shadowy past that haunts the town. As the long buried past ripples through to the present and the secret is unearthed, it threatens to tear Jay and Mary apart forever.

With a stunning new location, Mystery Road Origin: Series 2 opens up an immersive visual feast for the eyes set amongst the trees, dams and waterways of Western Australia.

For a captivating combination of rich characters, intricate backstories, powerful themes and scenic Australian landscapes, unearth the secrets of Mystery Road: Origin Series 2, the journey is only just beginning.

Pre-Order from https://amzn.to/4qJ2dPX

Enter now for a chance to win.

What is the name of the charcter played by Mark Coles Smith in Mystery Roads Origin?

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

Quick Terms and conditions

1. Closing date 23-02-26

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.

The Miniature Wife Lands on Sky This April

Image: Sky TV

By Jon Donnis

Sky is adding a sharp new comedy drama to its spring line-up, with The Miniature Wife arriving in full on 9 April. All episodes will be available at once on Sky and the streaming service NOW across the UK and Ireland, making it an easy one to settle into in a single sitting.

The series spins a strange and funny twist on married life. Elizabeth Banks plays a woman who is unexpectedly shrunk during a technological mishap, a development that leaves her husband, played by Matthew Macfadyen, reeling. What follows is not gentle domestic chaos but something much sharper. Everyday routines turn into a sly and escalating struggle for control between two people who suddenly feel even more mismatched than before.

Banks, an Emmy nominee, and BAFTA winner Macfadyen lead a busy ensemble. Zoe Lister-Jones, O-T Fagbenle, Sian Clifford and Sofia Rosinsky appear as regulars, while Ronny Chieng, Aasif Mandvi, Rong Fu and Tricia Black take on recurring roles that round out the world around the central couple. It is a cast packed with familiar faces, each adding a different edge to the humour.

The show is based on a short story by Manuel Gonzales and has been created by Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner, who also serve as showrunners and executive producers. Greg Mottola directs episodes one, two, seven and eight, and is also on board as an executive producer. Banks and Macfadyen share producing duties with Michael Aguilar, Suzanne Heathcote, Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer.

Produced by Media Res Studio and distributed by Sony Pictures Television, The Miniature Wife comes to Sky through a deal negotiated by Katie Keenan and Facundo Bailez for Sky UK and Europe. From its offbeat premise to its sharp tone, it looks set to turn a simple marriage story into something far more unpredictable.