The Chief Returns: Jack Docherty Back as Scotland’s Top Cop with Dougray Scott Cameo

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

Comedian Jack Docherty is set to reprise his role as Scotland's top cop, Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson, in the upcoming second series of the popular sitcom The Chief. Filming has just begun in Glasgow for the four-part series, which is made by The Comedy Unit for BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer.

The show offers a mix of workplace antics and family drama as it follows Miekelson juggling his demanding role at work alongside his home life. Returning cast members include Lorraine McIntosh as Barbara, Miekelson's estranged wife, and Eilidh Loan as his rebellious daughter Ellen. The Chief's loyal, if occasionally frazzled, police team will also be back, featuring Carmen Pieraccini, Dylan Bore, and Lana Pheutan. New to the squad is Sanjeev Kohli, who plays an MSP representing the new government putting pressure on Miekelson from above.

Adding a special twist to the new series is a one-off cameo from Dougray Scott, who will appear as himself in one of the episodes. Scott takes on a personal project for The Chief, promising some memorable moments. Speaking about the upcoming series, Jack Docherty shared his enthusiasm: "I can't wait to once again don the uniform of Scotland's finest crime-fighting legend, law-enforcer, justice dispenser, hero, icon. It's a privilege to play a character as modest and handsome as Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson."

Docherty also expressed excitement about working alongside Dougray Scott: "This series I'm delighted that Dougray Scott will be guest-starring. The Scottish public have longed to see these two giants of acting together on screen. Well the wait is over. We're going toe to toe. Finally. Like DeNiro and Pacino in The Heat."

Dougray Scott, for his part, is equally enthusiastic about the collaboration: "I am very much looking forward to spending time with The Chief. He's a legend in his own lunchtime, a justice seeker of gargantuan proportions and outrageously funny… without realising it. I may have worked in Hollywood with A-listers but starring alongside The Chief might be one of my most challenging roles to date. Joking aside, it's going to be great to work alongside Jack Docherty – I just hope I can keep a straight face!"

Produced by Rab Christie and directed by Iain Davidson, The Chief continues to blend comedy with a uniquely Scottish take on law enforcement, showcasing Miekelson as a multitasking master, balancing the demands of colleagues, criminals, and family life. Christie commented on the new series: "We are thrilled to be producing this new series of The Chief. It is a total delight to work with Jack Docherty and the terrific team involved in the show and we're excited to get out and about capturing Scotland's top cop's latest adventures."

Gavin Smith, Executive Producer for BBC Scotland, added a playful note about the show's reception: "BBC Scotland is delighted to be firing up the blue flashing light for a second time and welcoming The Chief back to our screens. Rumours that Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson furnished the commissioning team with a new set of golf clubs from the evidence lockers are entirely unfounded."

The new series promises to deliver the same mix of sharp humour and heartfelt moments that made the first series a hit, as Scotland's "GOAT" of law enforcement once again takes centre stage.

Poisoned: Killer in the Post Uncovers Chilling Online Death Trade in Powerful Channel 4 Exposé

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

A young man's sudden death sparks a chilling investigation in Poisoned: Killer in the Post, a new two-part documentary airing on Channel 4. The series centres on journalist James Beal as he attempts to unravel the truth behind a series of suicides linked by one disturbing detail: the victims all used the same lethal substance, bought online from the same source.

It begins with Tom. His father, still trying to understand what happened, contacts Beal after finding out his son used a chemical that had been delivered to him through the post. That conversation sets off a global story, one that pulls in victims and families from the UK, Canada, the US, Germany and Australia. At the centre of it is Kenneth Law, a former Canadian chef, now accused of sending over 1,200 packages containing deadly substances to vulnerable people around the world.

The UK's National Crime Agency has linked Law to 99 deaths in Britain. He is facing multiple first-degree murder charges in Canada and has pleaded not guilty. The series shows how Beal's investigation moves from a single grieving family to something much wider. He goes undercover, finds his way into online forums that are hard to stomach, and uncovers a shadow network enabling people to end their lives.

Directed by Joy Ash and produced by Wonderhood Studios, the series combines undercover footage, interviews with bereaved families and exclusive access to The Times' investigation. What emerges is less a true crime story and more a warning. It shows what happens when a dangerous product slips through the cracks of regulation, and how easily those looking for help can find harm instead.

Poisoned: Killer in the Post aired on Channel 4 at 9pm on Wednesday 8 July and concludes the following night, Thursday 9 July.

Samantha Anstiss, Chief Creative Officer, Wonderhood studios says: "This urgent and powerful series is testimony to the bravery of bereaved families determined to prevent further deaths and stop young people from being preyed upon online. BAFTA nominated director Joy Ash's beautifully crafted series captures the high stakes and emotionally charged drama involved in undercover journalism and we are proud to partner with The Times and C4 Documentaries on one of the most important crime stories of our times. It crucially shows the power of investigative journalism to effect change and hold power to account". 

Civilisations: Rise and Fall – A New Lens on Ancient Decline

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

What makes a great civilisation crumble? Is it war, ambition, climate, or the quiet erosion of power from within? Civilisations: Rise and Fall, a new four-part series from BBC Studios, sets out to explore those questions by looking at the stories behind some of the most powerful cultures the world has ever known. With exclusive access to the British Museum's vast collection and insight from historians, artists and academics, the series moves beyond textbook history to explore the moments when empires cracked and the artefacts that help explain why.

Each episode focuses on a different civilisation at its peak and on the brink: Ancient Rome, Cleopatra's Egypt, the samurai of feudal Japan, and the mighty Aztecs. The series doesn't just revisit what happened. It considers how the end unfolded from within, through the pressures of power, political missteps and seismic shifts in the world around them. In doing so, it draws a quiet but clear line to the present, asking what lessons we can draw from the past when our own systems feel increasingly under strain.

Objects rarely seen by the public offer a fresh way in. The Meroë Head of Augustus, a bronze Roman emperor pulled from beneath a Nubian temple; a near four-metre crocodile mummy, once worshipped as Sobek in Egypt; a newly acquired suit of samurai armour from Japan's Edo and Muromachi periods; and the Aztec double-headed serpent, both beautiful and unsettling. These are more than museum pieces. The series uses them to anchor its questions about power, decline and the role of culture in holding a society together.

With commentary from contributors including Dominic Sandbrook, Iszi Lawrence, Salima Ikram and Camilla Townsend, and dramatic reconstructions to bring key figures to life, the series is as vivid as it is reflective. Suzy Klein of BBC Arts calls it "particularly timely in our own uncertain age," and it's hard to disagree. The stories may be thousands of years old, but the themes of hubris, reform, resistance and collapse feel eerily familiar.

This is history told through objects and ideas. It doesn't claim to provide all the answers, but Civilisations: Rise and Fall offers a compelling window into what happens when great societies face their final tests, and how much of their fate was already written in the choices they made long before.

As this is the BBC, do expect some woke nonsense, and some obvious falsehoods.

Human Preview: A New Story of Us

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

For most of human history, there were no books, no archives, no written clues. Just bones, teeth, fire pits and questions. But the new BBC series Human, fronted by paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi, takes those fragments and turns them into a sweeping, vivid story of who we are and how we got here. Over five episodes, this documentary digs through 300,000 years of history, shifting how we understand what it means to be human.

The first episode, The First of Us, begins where we did. Morocco. Not the place most people associate with human origins, but the Jebel Irhoud site there rewrote the timeline, pushing the age of Homo sapiens back 100,000 years earlier than we thought. From there, the series jumps continents and species, piecing together new discoveries from ancient DNA, fossil records and even the microscopic rings in tooth enamel. It's a story not just of survival, but of imagination. Rituals in Botswana caves, extinct species like Homo erectus and Denisovans, the strange truth that for most of our past we weren't the only humans walking the Earth.

Ella Al-Shamahi brings humour, clarity and sharp insight to material that could easily become abstract. She doesn't just explain what we've found, but why it matters. Why our flat faces are so unusual, why we outlived other humans, and what it says about the choices we made. Whether it's ten-foot prehistoric bears or the slow realisation that Homo sapiens weren't made in one single place but formed through a long interwoven network across Africa, this series promises to make ancient history feel alive again.

Human looks set to be one of the most surprising and wide-reaching documentary series of the year. It doesn't just trace where we came from, it questions what kind of species we became, and what might have been lost along the way.

Criminal Code Returns for Third Season on Netflix

Image: Netflix Press

By Jon Donnis

Netflix has confirmed that Criminal Code will return for a third season, much to the delight of fans both in Brazil and internationally. The police drama, which follows the gripping lives of Suellen (Maeve Jinkings), Benício (Rômulo Braga), and Isaac (Alex Nader), has built a strong following thanks to its intense storytelling and complex characters. The announcement came on Tuesday, June 3, promising more action, conflicts, and the kind of revenge-fuelled showdowns that ended the second season with a bang.

Since the release of its second season on June 4, Criminal Code has cemented itself as a major hit on Netflix. The show has consistently featured in the Top 10 lists not only in Brazil, where it has stayed for nearly a month, but also in several other countries including Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Portugal, and Nigeria. Its international appeal highlights the growing global interest in Brazilian productions and crime dramas.

Haná Vaisman, Director of Scripted Series at Netflix Brazil, expressed pride in the series' success. She attributed it to the hard work of the talented teams involved in writing, directing, producing, and acting. Vaisman also emphasised Netflix's ongoing commitment to supporting Brazilian audiovisual projects with rich narratives that deeply affect their characters and engage their audiences over time.

Heitor Dhalia, the director and showrunner of Criminal Code, described returning to the show's universe as an emotional experience. He highlighted the importance of the tri-border region setting and the chance to reconnect with the characters and stories that have captivated viewers. Dhalia assured fans that the series will continue to offer surprises in its new season.

Produced by Paranoïd, the series features a strong creative team. The second season was created by Heitor Dhalia, Bernardo Barcellos, and Leonardo Levis, with direction shared by Heitor Dhalia, Pedro Morelli, and Vellas. Executive producers include Manoel Rangel and Egisto Betti. Alongside Jinkings, Braga, and Nader, the cast also features Thomás Aquino and other talented actors.

Criminal Code is available to stream on Netflix, and with the third season on the horizon, viewers can look forward to more thrilling and intense storytelling from this acclaimed Brazilian crime series.

Last Pundit Standing: BBC's Bold New Take on Football Punditry

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

There's a new kind of football competition coming to BBC iPlayer, but this one doesn't take place on the pitch. Last Pundit Standing, a fresh series from BBC Creator Lab and BBC Sport, is setting out to transform how we see punditry. The show kicks off Monday 7 July, with the first two episodes available from 6am. New episodes will drop weekly until the final airs on 11 August, and you can also catch them on BBC's YouTube and TikTok channels.

At the heart of it are twelve football-obsessed content creators. These aren't former pros or established broadcasters, but digital-first voices who live and breathe the game through social media. From YouTube rants to TikTok clips, they're already talking to thousands of fans. Now they're stepping onto a much bigger stage, competing for a shot at becoming BBC Sport's next go-to football creator.

Guiding them through the chaos are Troy Deeney and James Allcott. Deeney brings on-pitch grit and no-nonsense insight, while Allcott knows the rhythm and pace of modern sports content like few others. The duo makes for a sharp combination, bridging traditional football culture and the evolving digital world.

The contestants won't have it easy though. A rotating line-up of football icons and media veterans will be setting the tasks and raising the stakes. Names like Martin Keown, Rebecca Welch, Chris Sutton, Alex Scott, and Sean Dyche bring credibility, while others like Max Fosh and Robbie Savage ensure the energy stays unpredictable. These guests won't just appear for a chat. They'll challenge the contenders to create content that doesn't just entertain, but properly informs and connects with football fans.

Filmed across some of the UK's most iconic football locations, each episode sets out to test creativity, football knowledge, and the ability to cut through in a crowded content landscape. It's not enough to know the game. Contestants have to sell it, shape it, and stand out.

The line-up is deliberately diverse. Among the twelve names are blind content creator Toby Addison, freestyle talent Lia Lewis, and tactical analyst Raees Mahmood. Each brings a unique lens to the game, from fan culture to analytics to lived experience. Together, they represent a broader shift happening in football conversation, one that's younger, sharper, and far less predictable than the old matchday clichés.

Backed by BBC Creator Lab and TikTok, the series is more than just a talent show. It's a snapshot of where football media is heading. The loudest voices aren't necessarily on TV anymore. They're filming from bedrooms, editing clips on trains, and going viral by lunchtime.

Last Pundit Standing isn't trying to replace the old guard. It's just asking what comes next. And judging by the line-up, the answer looks bold, creative, and completely unafraid to shake things up.

Taskmaster Series 20: New Line-Up, Same Glorious Chaos

By Jon Donnis

It's hard to believe Taskmaster has been on our screens for ten years now, but here we are celebrating the twentieth series of the show that turns everyday objects into instruments of chaos. Greg Davies is still towering over the proceedings as the Taskmaster, and Alex Horne remains the calm force quietly orchestrating every absurd challenge. This year they've roped in five very different comedians to battle for the coveted title. Ania Magliano arrives fresh from rave reviews on Live at the Apollo, wielding razor-sharp observations. Maisie Adam brings a laid‑back confidence honed on A League Of Their Own, ready to improvise under pressure. Phil Ellis, whose comedy often feels like joyous sabotage, could upend every rule in play. Reece Shearsmith, best known for his twisted brilliance on Inside No.9, might either plot the perfect strategy or spectacularly overthink each task. And Sanjeev Bhaskar, ever affable and astute, could quietly outwit them all.

The format remains beautifully simple. Five comedians face a series of bizarre assignments, filmed in advance and then judged in front of a live audience. Part of the fun is watching them wrestle with instructions designed to make sense only once complete, an approach that often pulls contestants apart (not physically, although that has happened in past series) in terms of how they think, panic, cheat and improvise. From coffin‑sized containers to mountains of loose change, nothing is off limits. Behind the scenes, Alex Horne and a seasoned production team keep the pace brisk without letting things become formulaic, and Channel 4's commitment shows no sign of waning. You can catch the new series later this year on Channel 4 and stream past episodes on Channel4.com, ready yourself for more gloriously ridiculous creativity, and perhaps even learn a new way to weigh a melon.