The Trip to the Northern Lights: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon reunite for fifth instalment

Image: Sky TV

By Jon Donnis

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are heading to Scandinavia for The Trip to the Northern Lights, the fifth instalment of their comedy series, which will arrive on Sky and NOW this December.

Set six years after their previous outing in Greece, the six-part series once again follows the pair as they travel through Europe, combining restaurant visits with conversations, observations and the familiar comic rivalry that has defined the franchise.

This time, the journey takes them across Northern Europe, where the rugged Scandinavian landscape provides the backdrop for another round of fine dining and dry humour. With the Northern Lights also on the itinerary, the series promises a change of scenery while retaining the central dynamic between Coogan and Brydon.

Michael Winterbottom returns to direct, continuing his involvement with a series that has become a regular collaboration between the filmmaker and its two stars. His previous work includes This England and 24 Hour Party People.

The Trip to the Northern Lights is produced by Revolution Films, Baby Cow Productions and Small Man in association with Sky Studios. Winterbottom, Melissa Parmenter, Coogan and Brydon serve as executive producers, alongside Sky executive producer Alex Moody. Josh Hyams is the series producer.

The Trip to the Northern Lights will be available on Sky and NOW in December.

BBC Releases Trailer for Cold War Thriller Honey

Preview by Jon Donnis

The BBC has released the trailer for Honey, a new darkly comedic thriller set in East Berlin during the Cold War. Written by Emma Moran and produced by Sid Gentle Films Ltd, the series will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Saturday 14 November, with ZDF also attached to the production.

The trailer introduces Ann Skelly (House of Guinness, The Nevers) as Martha Schmitt, Nate Mann (Masters of the Air, Licorice Pizza) as Kurt Fischer, Jannis Niewöhner (Munich: The Edge of War, Napoleon) as Friedrich Baumann, and Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) as Graham Anderson.

Set in 1982, the story follows Martha, a 24-year-old MI6 agent working undercover in East Berlin. With her identity at risk, she must avoid the attention of Friedrich Baumann, the new Stasi Head of Counter-Espionage against British Targets at the Berlin office.

Her position becomes more complicated when she is drawn to Aaron Neeland, a CIA operative posing as Kurt Fischer. Reckless and arrogant, Neeland presents a further risk as Martha finds herself caught between him and Friedrich.

Alongside its espionage plot, Honey explores the difficulties of intimacy in a world built on secrecy. Martha is accustomed to the threat of exposure and imprisonment, but falling in love presents a different kind of danger. For someone trained to conceal her true identity, allowing herself to be vulnerable may prove harder than maintaining her cover.

Honey will be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from Saturday 14 November.

COMPETITION: Win Sword of the Demon Hunter blu-ray

From Acorn Media International comes this exciting new action-packed anime series, Sword of the Demon Hunter which will be available on Blu-ray from 26 October 2026.

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

Synopsis:

Discover exciting new supernatural historical anime series Sword of the Demon Hunter – an epic tale of revenge, produced by Yokohama Animation Laboratory and directed by Kazuya Aiura (Assassins Pride). Based on the popular novels and manga by Motoo Nakanishi, this Japanese fantasy series chronicles the fight between man and demon, from the Edo period to modern day. With a gripping mix of supernatural samurai action, adventure, tragedy, romance and drama, this 24-part series will transport viewers on a thrilling journey through time.

Pre-Order from https://link.amazon/B05kAkmdG

Enter now for a chance to win.

On what date is Sword of the Demon Hunter released on Blu-ray in the UK?

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

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1. Closing date 02-11-26

2. No alternative prize is available

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

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

COMPETITION: Win Blue Murder Motel: Series 1 on DVD

It’s time to check in to Blue Murder Motel for the brand-new New Zealand detective drama starring Michala Banas and Brett Tucker. This cosy Kiwi must-watch series makes for the perfect seaside sleuthing escape and is set for a DVD release on 26 October 2026, from Acorn Media International, following its UK premiere on ITV3. 

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

Synopsis:

Married couple Vanessa (Michala Banas) and Peter Coleman (Brett Tucker), aka Vinny and Cole, have swapped their high-pressure careers as Sydney homicide cops for retirement bliss, setting up a retro seaside motel in Mōwai Bay on the New Zealand coast.  

 

Believing their hardest days are behind them, their dream new life suddenly takes a deadly turn when a body is discovered in one of the apartments, just one week after opening. But the crimes don’t stop there and as the charm of the idyllic location begins to crack, hidden secrets are revealed and unresolved grudges start to surface… the next murder most horrid could be just around the corner. 

 

Deep down solving crimes is in Vinny and Cole’s veins and as their detective instincts kick in once more, they are drawn back into investigation mode and on hand to help the local laidback surfer cop Jamie (Jayden Daniels – Evil Dead Rise, Shortland Street) with his investigations. 

 

For a delightfully deadly getaway book your stay at Blue Murder Motel for the ultimate in seaside sleuthing entertainment. 

Pre-Order from https://link.amazon/B00N49GWz

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What is the name of the character played by Michala Banas in Blue Murder Motel?

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1. Closing date 02-11-26

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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.

COMPETITION: Win You're Killing Me Season One on DVD - Starring Brooke Shields and Amalia Williamson

From Acorn Media International, Brooke Shields returns to the screen in acclaimed new TV crime-mystery series You’re Killing Me which is set for its release on DVD on 26 October 2026.

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

Synopsis:

At a mystery convention in the small town of Founders Cove, New England, Allie Chandler (Shields), a best-selling novelist, wins the esteemed award for best romantic mystery. But her career is already spiraling, as more and more readers want edgier and grittier books…

When a literary critic – who also happens to be Allie’s mentor and friend – is murdered at the event, the author’s shock quicky turns to determination to find the killer. But there’s someone else on the case too, an aspiring true crime hopeful Andi (Amalia Williamson – Northern Rescue, Sullivan’s Crossing), who wants to cover the crime on her podcast.

The two women find themselves at loggerheads, getting in each other’s way with their separate investigations… but when things start to take a dangerous turn, the pair decide two heads are better than one and form an unlikely alliance to solve the mystery. And there’s another person on the trail too… Jack (Tom Cavanagh – The Flash, Ed, Scrubs) the local Police Department’s new lead detective, who’s a former city slicker trying to acclimatise to the quirks of small-town life.

With a combination of strong-wills, opposing world views and bickering, can the solo sleuths pull together to become a case-cracking triple threat and solve the mystery?

Get on the case with You’re Killing Me the brilliantly fun, sleuthing sensation of a crime thriller that will have you hooked.

Pre-Order from https://link.amazon/B0hK5cAjZ

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who plays Allie Chandler in You're Killing Me?

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Quick Terms and conditions

1. Closing date 02-11-26

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.

COMPETITION: Win My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha on Blu-ray

From Acorn Media International comes this exciting new action-packed anime series, My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha: Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon, I'm Out for Revenge! which will be available on Blu-ray from 26 October 2026.

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

Synopsis:

Treat yourself to My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha: Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon, I'm Out for Revenge! for a brilliant, action-filled Japanese anime series directed by Katsushi Sakurabi (Gunparade March) with animation from famed Japanese studio J.C.Staff. This epic 12-parter – based on Shisui Meikyō’s Japanese light novel and manga series – blends fantasy, adventure, drama, violence and magic into one enthralling quest for revenge. 

Pre-Order from https://link.amazon/B0hCo3oc7

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On what date is My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha released on Blu-ray in the UK?

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

Quick Terms and conditions

1. Closing date 02-11-26

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.

Mathew Baynton and Louisa Harland Lead Voice Cast for CBeebies Series MaeBee

Image: Karrot Entertainment/Kavaleer Productions/BBC

By Jon Donnis

Mathew Baynton (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) and Louisa Harland (Derry Girls) lead the voice cast of MaeBee, a new animated series arriving on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer on Monday 19 October.

Produced by Karrot Entertainment and Kavaleer Productions, the 24-episode series follows siblings Mae and Bee as they explore the magical Green Garden and meet its inhabitants. Seven-year-olds Elle McNicoll and Abeer Desai make their debuts in the title roles.

Harland voices Ma-Mae, the children's mother, while Baynton plays their father, Da-Nono. Several of Baynton's Ghosts co-stars also appear, with Martha Howe-Douglas voicing Minni the Firefly, Laurence Rickard as Burt-Bird the Robin and Jim Howick as King Gob, a gnome convinced he is royalty.

The cast also brings together several actors from Derry Girls. Ian McElhinney and Julia Dearden voice Granda-Bill and Grand-Mae, while Tara Lynne O'Neill plays Ma-Mouse, conductor of the Mouse Train. Kathryn Hunter voices Great Grand-Mae, and Mina Anwar plays Lesley, a snail whose shell contains a magical bakery.

Other roles include Trevor Dion Nicholas as Lionel the Frog, Clare Perkins as Witch Linda, Fern Brady as the mischievous wood sprite Fossy and Bec Hill as Marsha the Turtle Ferry. Guest appearances come from Sandra Dickinson, Philip Jackson, Colin McFarlane, Marjolein Robertson and Darren Foreman.

The wider voice cast features L.A. Davis, Maanuv Thiara, David Monteith, Katie Leung, Ayesha Antoine, Louis Martin, Hildur Magnusdottir and Sarah Lam.

Tim and Rebecca O'Sullivan created the series, with Tim directing and Rebecca serving as series designer. Jamie Badminton is the senior producer.

Tim O'Sullivan said: "It has been an enormous pleasure to work with so many of my favourites actors and comedians on MaeBee, rendering myself directorially star-struck on numerous occasions. Matching voice to the character is such an integral part of the show, many of which we had fantasy cast right from the start. So, we were thrilled when they agreed to come aboard the Mousetrain and bring so much heart and humour to the Green Garden."

MaeBee airs on CBeebies on Monday 19 October, with all 24 episodes available on BBC iPlayer from the same day.