Nightsleeper Set to Return as BBC Orders Second Series

Image: Element Pictures

By Jon Donnis

The BBC has confirmed that Nightsleeper will return for a second series following the strong performance of its debut run and its growing popularity with audiences both in the UK and overseas.

Created by BAFTA and RTS award-winning writer Nick Leather and produced by Element Pictures, a Fremantle company, the thriller quickly established itself as one of the broadcaster's standout dramas. When it launched in September 2024, the opening episode attracted 8.5 million viewers, making it the BBC's biggest new drama launch of the year.

The first series centred on the fictional Heart of Britain sleeper train travelling from Glasgow to London. As events spiralled out of control, two strangers found themselves working together under intense pressure to protect the passengers on board and uncover the truth behind the unfolding crisis.

The drama's appeal extended far beyond the UK. Nightsleeper was sold into 176 territories around the world, helping it build an international audience and paving the way for a follow-up chapter.

For its second outing, the series is leaving the railway tracks behind and heading out to sea. The new story will unfold aboard a vessel crossing the Irish Sea, providing a fresh backdrop for another tense, real-time thriller.

While details of the plot remain under wraps, the BBC has hinted at a mystery-filled journey where every cabin holds its own secrets. With a new setting, new characters and another high-pressure situation at its heart, the next chapter of Nightsleeper looks set to deliver more suspense for viewers when it returns.

Nick Leather says: “It’s so exciting to set sail on season two! The passengers and crew on tonight’s Belfast to Liverpool passenger ferry are about to experience six hours of non-stop thrills and spills, secrets and lies, triumphs and tragedies. None of them are quite as they seem. Nothing in their lives will ever be the same again. Not all of them will make it to the other side. The new Nightsleeper is going to be more nightsleepery than ever…”

Kate Harwood, Executive Producer, says: “Audiences embraced Nightsleeper in such a huge way, and we’re incredibly excited to return with a bold new story.  Nick has once again created a brilliantly tense thriller packed with new characters, twists, emotion and edge-of-your-seat drama. We can’t wait to bring this new drama from the high seas.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “Series one of Nightsleeper was a breakout hit, thundering across the U.K. to reach millions of viewers. Series two brilliantly builds on everything that made the first so irresistible, and we could not be happier to be working with Nick, Kate and the team to bring it to BBC iPlayer and BBC One.” 

Apple TV+ Sets September Premiere for New Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson Comedy Brothers

Image: Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey star in and executive produce “Brothers,” premiering Wednesday, 23 September 2026, on Apple TV.

By Jon Donnis

Apple TV+ has confirmed that its upcoming comedy series Brothers will premiere worldwide on 23 September 2026, launching with its first two episodes before moving to a weekly release schedule through to the season finale on 4 November.

The eight-episode series stars Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey and Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson, who also serve as executive producers. Produced by Paramount Television Studios, the show is led by showrunner and executive producer Lee Eisenberg, a multi-Emmy Award nominee and Peabody Award winner.

Brothers sees McConaughey and Harrelson playing fictionalised versions of themselves in a story that turns their long-standing friendship upside down. The pair are forced to confront a startling possibility after discovering a decades-old family secret suggesting they could actually be brothers.

The story begins when the wedding of Woody's daughter falls apart, prompting him to move his family to Austin for an extended stay at Matthew's ranch. What starts as an opportunity to recover and reconnect soon becomes something much bigger after Matthew's mother, Ma Mac, accidentally reveals information that raises questions about the pair's family history.

As Woody becomes increasingly determined to uncover the truth, chaos spreads across the ranch. At the same time, Matthew faces a personal crossroads of his own as he considers a potential campaign to become Governor of Texas. The series blends comedy and heartfelt drama as it explores friendship, family relationships, celebrity life and the blurred line between fact and fiction.

Joining McConaughey and Harrelson is an ensemble cast that includes Natalie Martinez, Brittany Ishibashi, Nolan Almeida, Ella Grace Helton, Noah Carganilla, Highdee Kuan, Oona Yaffe and Holland Taylor, who plays Ma Mac.

Brothers is executive produced by Eisenberg, McConaughey and Harrelson alongside Natalie Sandy, David West Read, Trish Hofmann, Bill Bost, Jason Winer, David Finkel, Brett Baer and Jeremy Plager. Trent O'Donnell directs multiple episodes, including the pilot.

With two of Hollywood's most recognisable stars playing exaggerated versions of themselves and an unusual family mystery driving the story, Brothers is shaping up to be one of Apple TV+'s most intriguing comedy releases of 2026.

Central Intelligence Series Three Brings CIA Story to BBC Radio 4

Image: BBC PR

By Jon Donnis

Kim Cattrall, Kelsey Grammer, Johnny Flynn, Jason Watkins and David Duchovny return to tell the story of the CIA from the inside out in the third series of BBC Radio 4’s award winning audio drama Central Intelligence. Part of the BBC Limelight strand, the production continues its exploration of intelligence, power and secrecy through a large-scale fictionalised retelling of American history.

Kelsey Grammer joins the cast as President Lyndon B Johnson, while David Duchovny plays Bill Colby, the CIA’s Far East Chief during the period covered. Johnny Flynn appears as Richard Helms, and Jason Watkins plays David Ormsby Gore, expanding the political and intelligence landscape that drives the series forward.

At the centre of the drama is CIA operative Eloise Page, played by Kim Cattrall, who began her career on the agency’s first day in 1947 and rises through its ranks to become one of its most influential figures. Through her perspective, the series traces the shifting identity of the CIA as it moves through decades of global tension and internal transformation.

Series three begins in 1964, following the aftermath of President Kennedy’s assassination and moving into the Johnson years. The narrative spans the agency’s deepening involvement in Vietnam, the political turbulence surrounding figures such as Che Guevara, and the growing wave of protest and paranoia that defines the decade.

The story travels across Chile, British Guiana, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, the Middle East and the Bolivian jungle, as the United States intensifies its fight against communism on multiple fronts. At home, shifting public opinion on the war creates new pressures, while within the agency satellites, surveillance and covert operations become central tools. Even Operation Kitty, involving the use of a cat, becomes part of its extraordinary methods.

Central Intelligence series three is a ten part drama beginning on Friday 10 July at 2.15pm on BBC Radio 4, with the full series available as a boxset on BBC Sounds. It is a Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4, with series one and two also available on BBC Sounds.

The series is written by Greg Haddrick, with Jeremy Fox as executive producer. John Scott Dryden and Emma Hearn produced the series for Goldhawk Productions Ltd, commissioned by Alison Hindell, Radio 4 Commissioning Editor for Drama and Fiction, and Rhian Roberts, Commissioning Editor for Radio 4 Podcasts, Formats and Digital.

Jasmine Harman Returns for More Spanish Renovation Adventures on Channel 4

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

Channel 4 has commissioned a second series of Jasmine Harman’s Renovation in the Sun, following the success of the show's first run.

The new series will once again follow popular A Place in the Sun presenter Jasmine Harman as she continues the ongoing renovation of her family home on Spain’s Costa del Sol. Alongside the challenges and rewards of transforming the property, viewers will also see Harman embracing everyday life in Spain while exploring the culture, landscapes and communities that make the region such a popular destination.

Produced by Double FTV, the second series is set to broaden its scope beyond Harman’s own renovation project. This time around, the programme will also follow three additional renovation journeys, each led by British expatriates determined to build a new life in Spain. The projects will showcase the realities of taking on ambitious property transformations abroad, from overcoming obstacles to pursuing long-held dreams of a different lifestyle under the Spanish sun.

Throughout the series, Harman will remain closely involved with the featured renovations, regularly visiting the projects to offer practical support, advice and encouragement. Her experience of navigating her own renovation challenges is expected to provide valuable insight as the various builds progress.

By combining personal stories, renovation setbacks and successes, and a closer look at life on the Costa del Sol, the new series aims to offer viewers an even broader perspective on what it takes to turn a dream move to Spain into a reality.

Renovation in the Sun is expected to continue blending property transformation with lifestyle programming, giving audiences the opportunity to follow multiple renovation journeys while discovering more of the region through Harman’s eyes.

Jasmine Harman said, “We’re so thrilled that Jasmine Harman’s Renovation in the Sun has been commissioned for a second series. Filming the first series was such an experience and we were truly humbled by the support from viewers. It was wonderful to share both the reality and excitement of starting a new life in Spain.  We’ve still got plenty more renovation challenges ahead of us, so I can’t wait to continue the journey and start filming again.”

COMPETITION: Win Half Man on Blu-ray

Critically acclaimed new series, Half Man, is out now on Digital platforms and arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD from 22nd June!

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

Synopsis:

Niall and Ruben are brothers. Not related in blood but the closest you can get. One, fierce and loyal. The other, meek and mild-mannered. Inseparable youth. Brought into each other’s lives through death and circumstance, all they have is each other…

But when Ruben turns up at Niall’s wedding three decades later, everything seems different. He is on edge. Shifty. Not acting like himself. And soon, an explosion of violence takes place which catapults us back through their lives, from the eighties to the present day.

Capturing 30 years in the lives of these broken men, Half Man explores brotherhood, violence, and the intense fragility of male relationships. After all, when things fall apart, it is sometimes the closest relationships which break the hardest…

Half Man is the latest, critically acclaimed and deeply impactful drama from the creator of Baby Reindeer, starring Emmy award winner Richard Gadd and BAFTA award winner Jamie Bell.

Dazzler Media presents Half Man out now on Digital platforms and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD from 22nd June 

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

Enter now for a chance to win.

What are the names of the two actors who play Niall and Ruben in Half Man?

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

Quick Terms and conditions

1. Closing date 29-06-26

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.

Fightland Teaser Introduces a Gritty London Boxing Crime Drama

Image: Sky TV

By Jon Donnis

Sky has released the first teaser for Fightland, a new family crime drama set within London’s boxing world, executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The series is due to premiere this summer on Sky and streaming service NOW, marking Jackson’s first internationally produced project through G-Unit Film & Television.

The story centres on themes of redemption, betrayal and ambition, unfolding in a world shaped by money, influence and violence. Positioned both inside and outside the ring, Fightland builds a picture of a criminal underworld where power is constantly shifting and trust is in short supply.

At the heart of the drama is British boxer Duke Kilroy, played by Howard Charles, who reaches the peak of his career by becoming world heavyweight champion on the same night a brutal attack leads to the death of his brother, Calvin. The aftermath of the tragedy results in Duke serving eight years in a US prison. When he is released, he returns home after uncovering what he believes to be evidence of a setup, setting his sights on revenge against former promoter and criminal figure Kingsley Marshall, played by Nicholas Pinnock.

However, Marshall has disappeared, leaving behind his family, including Joy, played by Deborah Ayorinde, who also happens to be connected to Duke’s past. As Duke begins to work his way into Marshall’s former criminal network, he becomes entangled with a cartel aiming to control London’s drug trade, forcing him into a dangerous effort to dismantle the empire from within while searching for those responsible.

The cast also includes Anita-Joy Uwajeh as Cebella “Cece” Marshall, Charles Babalola as Ezekiel “Zeek” Marshall, Tahirah Sharif as Kim Harper, Tyler Conti as Justin “Jay” Hall and Richard Pepple as Gary “Gazzer” Kilroy.

Fightland is executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson alongside Francis Hopkinson and Kate Leadbetter of Expanded Media. The series is created by Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith, who also serve as executive producers and writers, with Damione Macedon and Raphael Jackson Jr working as showrunners, executive producers and writers. Otto Bathurst directs and executive produces the first two episodes.

Taskmaster Returns with a New Line-Up of Comedians Facing Greg Davies’ Demands

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

As another Taskmaster series reaches its conclusion, Greg Davies and Alex Horne return to set the stage for a fresh group of comedians ready to be put through a series of tests designed to stretch logic, patience and creativity in equal measure, all in pursuit of the familiar prize of Greg’s gleaming trophy.

The new line-up brings together five performers from across comedy, television and film, each arriving with their own experience and expectations. Chloe Petts, known for appearances on Have I Got News For You, joins the challenge alongside Isy Suttie, recognised for her work on Peep Show and her background as a writer, songwriter and performer.

They are joined by Matt Lucas, an award-winning comedian, writer and actor whose screen credits include Gladiator II, while Nina Conti brings her distinctive blend of ventriloquism, acting and directing, including her work on the comedy feature Sunlight. Rounding out the group is Richard Ayoade, an actor, writer and director known for his varied work across comedy and film.

Together, the five contestants step into a familiar but unpredictable environment where every task carries its own logic, or lack of it, and where success often depends on thinking in ways that make sense only within the world of the Taskmaster house. With Greg Davies overseeing proceedings and Alex Horne managing the detail behind each challenge, the stage is set for another contest where confidence rarely guarantees victory, and where only one comedian will ultimately be crowned Taskmaster Champion.