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TV Choice – 36

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TV Choice – 35

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TV Choice – 34

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**Su-Doku**: W Womersley, Halifax, West Yorkshire.

****The Perfume Shop Gift Card****: A Rotheram, Southport, Merseyside. H Wiltshire, Willenhall, West Midlands.

## There are some great new shows coming to your screens over the coming months – here's the cream of the crop!

The kids are nearly back at school and the nights are drawing in, which means only one thing – autumn is imminent! So we’ve compiled a guide to the season’s 40 unmissable shows, including _The Forsytes_, which reboots a classic costume drama, while _The Hack_ is a powerful portrayal of the News International phone-hacking scandal. Happy viewing!

This deliciously camp and ruthlessly clever new series will appeal to fans of _The Traitors_. A bevy of strangers are lured to a stately home by the glittering ghost of Elizabeth Hurley, ‘The Deceased’, who dispenses instructions from beyond the grave. Then it’s over to host Rob Rinder, who serves as referee to the fiendish team trials where backstabbing is compulsory and sincerity is a liability. The twist? Only one contestant will win the loot, but everyone gets to plot and scheme regardless. It’s _Cluedo_ meets _Knives Out_ via _Big Brother_.

Period drama fans rejoice – John Galsworthy’s epic novel series _The Forsyte Saga_ is coming to the small screen. This lavish retelling chronicles the lives of four generations of an upper-class family of stockbrokers, coping with the challenges of a late-Victorian world. While the older generation clings to tradition, the younger members are eager to embrace new freedoms. Soames Forsyte and his cousin Jolyon battle to take over the family firm – until they’re distracted by the arrival of two captivating women who make them prioritise their hearts over their heads. The stellar cast includes Francesca Annis, Jack Davenport, Tuppence Middleton and Eleanor Tomlinson.

David Mitchell and Robert Webb return with more of their unique blend of sharp satire and surreal sketches in what they claim to be their most ambitious show yet. This time, they’re recruiting the next generation to star in it. ‘When we were asked to do another sketch show we were startled, bemused and available’, jokes David. Joining them are rising stars Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Lara Ricote, Stevie Martin and Krystal Evans, who are all hoping to relaunch the trickiest genre of comedy with this six-part series. Old hands, new minds!

Ryan Murphy, the master of glossy TV drama, has turned his hand to this high-octane legal series that follows a formidable team of female divorce lawyers. Led by Niecy Nash-Betts, Glenn Close, Kim Kardashian, Teyana Taylor, Naomi Watts and Sarah Paulson, the story sees these Alpha females leave their patriarchal firm to launch a game-changing practice of their own. _Yas Queens_! If you like your drama filled with courtroom showdowns and tangled scandal-filled personal lives, then you’ll enjoy this.

This hotly-anticipated drama from Sally Wainwright stars Lorraine Ashbourne, Rosalie Craig, Joanna Scanlan, Amelia Bullmore and Tamsin Greig as a misfit band of five wannabe punk rockers. Initially they come together to enter a local talent contest in West Yorkshire, but soon discover that songwriting offers more than just a shot at stardom, as it becomes an outlet for expressing their frustrations and life experiences. As the band juggle jobs, kids, tricky parents and romantic mishaps, they form a close bond – helping each other rediscover their voices and their courage. That is, until a long-buried secret threatens to upend everything… The powerhouse cast is joined by Anne Reid and Sue Johnston in this six-parter, set entirely in West Yorkshire. As Sally Wainwright says, ‘I’m having a whole new buzz of excitement about the show as we bring it together in the edit, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone!’

## 6 Witches Of Essex With Rylan And Prof Alice Roberts

Rylan and Professor Alice Roberts investigate the most prolific witch hunts in British history, which took place in Essex during the 16th and 17th centuries. They examine some of the most notorious cases that led to innocent women being executed if found guilty of witchcraft. Essex executed more alleged witches than any other English county, and the series focuses on one of the first, Agnes Waterhouse. There’s also the case of midwife Ursula Kemp, accused of using sorcery to orchestrate the shocking demise of a friend’s daughter.

After years of fighting zombies as _The Walking Dead_’s Rick Grimes, Andrew Lincoln returns to British TV to take on a very different role in this gripping six-part thriller. The _This Life_ and _Teachers_ star plays depressed stay-at-home dad John who, triggered by a violent incident in a London park, moves his wife Fiona (Indira Varma) and their two kids to a rural community in Scotland. But all is not as it seems in Coldwater – least of all their neighbours, local vicar Rebecca and her husband Tommy (Ewen Bremner, on truly terrifying form).

This fresh take on Elizabeth George’s classic detective novels stars Leo Suter (_Vikings: Valhalla_) and Sofia Barclay (_Ted Lasso_). Suter plays Inspector Tommy Lynley, an aristocrat who struggles to fit in with the force, while Barclay is Barbara Havers, a fiery sergeant from more humble roots. Their unlikely partnership crackles with chemistry as they track killers across England’s countryside, supported by a cast including Daniel Mays and Niamh Walsh.

Wicked fun is guaranteed from this season’s unmissable blockbuster, featuring stars like Stephen Fry, Tom Daley and Charlotte Church among the 19-strong line-up. Claudia Winkleman returns and issues a stern warning – ‘It definitely won’t be a walk in the park.’ The celebs will be bluffing, backstabbing and banishing to win £100,000 for charity. We’re eager to see if Alan Carr can mask his giggles as a Traitor, or if Jonathan Ross’ raised eyebrow gives him away. Can actors Celia Imrie and Mark Bonnar pull off a convincing double game? Or might Fry outwit them all? One thing’s certain – it’ll be one hell of a battle at Ardross Castle.

Written by BAFTA nominee James Wood, this gripping six-part thriller stars David Duchovny, Carice van Houten and (brace yourself) comedian Jack Whitehall – who plays a downright sinister role! At the start, this dark and edgy drama drops us into the opulent chaos of the moneyed and dysfunctional Tanner family. Entering into their world comes Whitehall’s character, a cunning ‘manny’, who starts manipulating them to his every whim. Jack says, ‘I can’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved with this drama and I can’t wait for viewers to see the end result!’

In this returning series, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is perfectly placed to meet homeowners who’ve made their little patch of Britain as quirky and original as they are. His joy at discovering what inspires each of them to dare to be different is infectious – and the designs are often spectacular. ‘28 years ago, when I filmed the first episode of _Changing Rooms_, I suspected that this nation wasn’t actually the aesthetic blandscape it appeared to be – and now, with _Outrageous Homes Season Deux: The Glampire Strikes Back_, I’ll be up to the armpits in weird,’ promises Laurence.

Gary Oldman returns for a fifth outing as the gloriously vulgar but brilliant Jackson Lamb, leader of a ragtag band of MI5 outcasts – including River Cartwright, whose career has stalled since being demoted to Slough House. Based on the novels by Mick Herron, the new series sees obnoxious tech nerd Roddy Ho land a glam new girlfriend, leaving the team suspicious. And when a series of increasingly bizarre events unfold across London, it becomes a race to work out what’s going on – and how it’s all connected. _Ted Lasso_’s Nick Mohammed guests.

If you’ve ever pondered the above question, now there’s a show that settles just that! Jimmy Carr presides over this riotous new four-part series where members of the public bring their funniest, most jaw-dropping moral dilemmas to his judgment bench. Joined by panellists GK Barry and Jamali Maddix, Jimmy invites guests to share their shocking or petty confessions – everything from outrageous break-ups to cringe-worthy family squabbles. Brutal honesty and big laughs come our way before Jimmy weighs in with his final verdict.

Mark Ruffalo is an FBI agent with a major investigation – and a moral dilemma on his hands – in this gripping new police drama. As Tom Brandis, he heads up a task force in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, aiming to curb a string of violent drug-house robberies. But the perpetrator is not who he expected – an unsuspecting family man (Tom Pelphrey) trying to hide his double life. From the creator of _Mare Of Easttown_, Brad Ingelsby, this seven-episode series has social tensions and personal flaws at its heart, as well as a tense narrative.

It’s 1975, and the Troubles are shaping the lives of those living in Northern Ireland. When Catholic schoolteacher Cushla (Lola Petticrew) meets Michael (Tom Cullen) – an older, married Protestant barrister who often defends IRA suspects – while working in her family’s pub, both know how dangerous a relationship would be. But neither seems able to resist. Gillian Anderson also stars as Cushla’s mother, Gina, in this adaptation of the best-selling novel by Louise Kennedy.

## 16 I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Hosted as ever by Ant & Dec, the hit show returns for its 25th series. Last year, McFly singer Danny Jones triumphed to be named King Of The Jungle, but who’ll take the crown this time?

Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond host while Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood judge as 12 new bakers enter the iconic tent for 30 new challenges. The ever-popular Cake Week kicks off proceedings!

Rob and Rylan proved to be the double act we never knew we needed in _Grand Tour_, and now they follow in the footsteps of EM Forster on a cultural adventure through India.

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon return as co-anchors Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson in the cut-throat world of a television newsroom. New cast members in this season include Jeremy Irons as Alex’s father Martin Levy.

New professionals Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon join the nation’s favourite dance show. Celebs taking part include Alex Kingston, Stefan Dennis, Balvinder Sopal, Dani Dyer, Thomas Skinner and Vicky Pattison. Viewers can expect the usual spectacular tension, drama and glitz.

Mike Bubbins returns with series two of his sitcom, which he not only writes but also stars in as Seventies PE teacher Tony Mammoth. Having been frozen in time for 44 years, Tony is still trying to get back on track in a world he barely recognises. Despite technically being in his nineties, he’s physically in his late forties – and has to forge a whole new bond with his daughter Mel, played by Sian Gibson. ‘It’s been amazing how viewers have got behind this show,’ says Mike. ‘They have clearly got great taste! So it’s a no-brainer to get Mammoth – the big character with the even bigger moustache – back to create more laughs. I have some huge moments up my sleeve for this series.’

## 22 How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)

Alan Partridge is home, but he’s not quite happy. In his latest sitcom outing, Steve Coogan’s inept host is back in Norwich after a year in Saudi Arabia. It sounds like perfect comfort viewing, but what begins as an upbeat return takes on a more poignant flavour, with Alan realising the joy he expected is, well, missing in action. Instead, we get a candid – and inevitably hilarious – look at his search for fulfilment in middle age, as only Alan can provide. ‘The kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoys extensive oil and natural gas reserves… And yet, despite all that, I somehow felt incomplete,’ muses our man.

Vicky McClure returns for a third outing as bomb-disposal expert Lana Washington – a woman with an unhappy knack for losing those closest to her. Last time, she took down terror group The Wave, who also killed her love interest DCI Thom Youngblood. But there’s no let-up – now, she’s facing fresh jeopardy. When her team is called in to investigate a bomb threat, it soon becomes clear it’s not an isolated incident, but part of a wider vendetta targeting individuals in a chilling campaign of revenge. Can they track down the bomber before they strike again?

Fans of _Peaky Blinders_ will enjoy this new offering from writer Steven Knight, who has penned a sweeping drama inspired by the Guinness dynasty. Set in 19th-century Dublin and New York, the story kicks off after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the man who made the family’s brewery world famous. As his four children (played by Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn and Fionn O’Shea) wrestle with the fallout of his monumental will, loyalties are tested and secrets spill, while the fortunes of a host of colourful Dubliners rise and fall with the tide of Guinness. The stellar cast includes James Norton and Jack Gleeson.

40 new shows for autumn 2025 you can’t miss!

Closing date for issue 36 is midnight 15th September 2025. Only one entry per person.


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**Prize Crossword**: J Carr, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

****Robert Dyas Gift Card****: J Birch, Leicester. D Wheatley, London.

Closing date for issue 35 is midnight 8th September 2025. Only one entry per person.


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**Surprise a Loved One with a Subscription to :a[Yours Magazine]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/yours-magazine?utm_source=tvchoice&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=summer_all&amp;utm_content=article' }**

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:a[🌞 Click here to subscribe today! 🌞]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/yours-magazine?utm_source=tvchoice&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=summer_all&amp;utm_content=article' }

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Closing date for issue 34 is midnight 1st September 2025. Only one entry per person.


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**CHO2525**  
   
**Winners**  
**Holiday To Portugal:** Z Gilder, Peterborough.  
**Prize Crossword**: S Bartlett, Beccles, Suffolk.  
**Su-Doku**: E Woodward, Mold, Clwyd.  
   
**Answers**  
**Prize Crossword** = Ten Pound Pom  
**Su-doku** = 4  
**Holiday to Portugal** = A) Atlantic

**CHO2524**  
   
**Winners**  
**Prize Crossword:** Z Larner, Clydebank, Dunbartonshire.  
**M&S Gift Card**: B Mills, Westgate-On-Sea, Kent.   J Watkins, Melksham, Wiltshire.  
**£25 Su-Doku**: K Bamford, Ripon, North Yorkshire.  
   
**Answers**  
**Prize Crossword** = Adolescence  
**Su-doku** =7  
**£200 M&S Gift Card =** B) Tom Kerridge

**Prize Crossword**: R Killick, Guildford, Surrey.

**The Food Warehouse gift card**: K Banks, Paisley, Renfrewshire. S Payne, London.

**Su-Doku**: A George, Carmarthen, Dyfed.

**The Food Warehouse gift card** = B) Iceland Foods Group

## **We sit down with the showrunner to chat about the new series of Doctor Who, starring Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu…**

**Hello Russell! We’re very excited about the new series!** **The Doctor has a new companion, Belinda Chandra, joining him this year. She’s played by Varada Sethu, who we’ve already seen in a different role in last year’s series, in the episode _Boom_…**

**Russell:** Well, that was so lucky. There’s a history of _Doctor Who_ spotting its stars in previous episodes. It happened with Freema Agyeman \[in 2006\], and many years ago, it happened with Colin Baker, when he appeared as a Gallifreyan guard \[in a 1983 :a[Peter Davison]{href='https://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/tv/doctor-who/the-big-interview-peter-davison/' } adventure\], and then became the Doctor. And even Catherine Tate had a dry run \[in the 2006 Christmas special\], and then we brought her back. I’d already invented Belinda – she was called Belinda Finch back then, just as a placeholder name. It was simply a matter of finding the right actor. We saw a lot of people, but the funny thing was, we were still editing _Boom_, written by lovely :a[Steven Moffat]{href='https://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/tv/doctor-who/the-big-interview-doctor-whos-steven-moffat/' }. When you edit an episode, you watch it about 50 times, if not more. Seriously, that’s how many times! I was sitting here at my desk, and every single time I’d watch Varada, I’d love what she’d done, and I was really sad that I hadn’t got to write for her myself. I was musing on the fact that _Doctor Who_ eats up talents, and stars, and sets, and monsters, and ideas… and then you move right on to the next thing. And suddenly, after 27 other people had auditioned, I sat here in this very office and thought, ‘Oh my God, why don’t we just ask Varada?’ So, I sent an email, and it was like a little chain of explosions going off in the New Year’s sky. It just went, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes’, all the way up to Disney. Everyone said ‘yes’, right up to the bosses, because we all loved her. It was one of those easy situations where everything just fell into place. Hooray.

**Will you be drawing attention to the fact that Belinda has a doppelganger in the 51st century?**

**Russell:** Yes! There is a little link. I mean, the Doctor clearly recognises her. He’s seen someone with exactly the same face before. He does a little DNA test, and she is indeed a 3000-year distant relative of Mundy Flynn. So, in this world of _Doctor Who_, why is that a coincidence? What’s going on? Is he destined to be with this woman, at this point in time? Events unfold across the series… and we’ll answer that. It’s great. It’s just nice for fans. It gives it a bit of depth. You can tune in quite happily not having seen _Boom_ – although if you haven’t seen _Boom_, go to the iPlayer right now and watch it.

**Russell:** I know you have, darling! I mean, the Choicers out there – the _TV Choice_ readers. Let’s call them Choicers!

**How does Belinda’s arrival change the show’s dynamic? And how does she get on with :a[Ncuti Gatwa]{href='https://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/tv/doctor-who/the-big-interview-doctor-whos-ncuti-gatwa-millie-gibson-and-russell-t-davies/' }’s Doctor? She is a bit older than Ruby Sunday (played by Millie Gibson), isn’t she?**

**Russell:** Yes, she is a little bit older. She’s actually slightly older than Ncuti, I think. Obviously, the Doctor is a billion years old, but nonetheless, she plays as the same age as him, which gives it a slightly different dynamic. I felt that quite naturally, the Doctor became a little bit paternal with Ruby Sunday. It was a great thing we did, casting someone that young, but the consequence of that was the Doctor became slightly paternal. While looking at the second series, I thought, ‘We’ve got the youngest, sexiest, most talented man in the universe – that’s enough paternal, it’s time to let him rip!’ So, we’ve kind of got an equal alongside him. And the tagline to the whole series – as you’ll have seen with the Disney posters – is ‘Get her home!’ It’s a whole series of trying to get Belinda home, because it’s no spoiler to say in the first five minutes of action, she finds herself on an alien planet. And then, it’s not giving away too much to suppose that the Doctor saves her, and would normally take her straight back to Earth, but can’t! He keeps bouncing off the 24th of May 2025 – a real date, that is heading towards us at lightning speed. So, what on earth could have happened on that terrible day? Again, that unfolds over the series. It’s not so heavy that you need to be an expert in _Doctor Who_ to follow it. It’s just a fun link through the episodes, that builds up to a huge, devastating climax, which is very exciting!

**So, we’re guessing that’s also the transmission date for the two-part finale?**

**Russell:** Yes, episode seven goes out on May the 24th. Will we ever reach episode eight? Maybe the world will be destroyed, and the Doctor will die, and there will never be an eighth episode? Maybe it will just be a blank screen for 45 minutes? No spoilers for this one!

**Can you tell us a little bit about the mix of stories?**

**Russell:** I think _Doctor Who_ is at its best when it’s taking wild swings, when every week is staggeringly different – not just a different setting, but practically a different genre. So, episode one this year is a very big space opera romp. It’s literally full of robots and spaceships and space cities, in a way we’ve never quite done before. There’s quite a 1950s design to it – there’s a science-fiction city, with towers and spires and robots and things zinging past in the sky. It’s surprising how little we do that, and that really looks gorgeous. Episode one is called _The Robot Revolution_, with great big monsters with lasers and battles… and Belinda, thrown into the middle of it! That’s the key to it. Then, we go straight from that to Miami in 1952, where a cartoon character has come to life. That episode is called _Lux_, and it’s really gorgeous. Alan Cumming is the voice of Mr Ring-a-Ding, and that’s quite scary! From that, we go to a planet 500,000 years in the future, which is good old-fashioned scary episode, which we didn’t really do last year. We didn’t do a proper scary one. I think _73 Yards_ \[from last year\] was more disturbing than scary, but _The Well_ is proper old horror. And then, off it goes, off it goes! We come back to Earth for episode four, _Lucky Day_, where you see what’s going on in modern-day Earth, with a story based on Ruby Sunday. And then we are at Lagos in 2019 for a very strange and quasi-supernatural episode, _The Story & The Engine_. Then we have _The Interstellar Song Contest_, which is hilarious, and much tougher than you think. Everyone thinks that episode is going to be a camp old laugh, but it’s terrifying, that one! And then we head into a great, big two-part finale – _Wish World_ and _The Reality War_ – the like of which you’ve never seen before, and it’s very exciting.

**We know there are some familiar characters returning. You’ve already mentioned Ruby Sunday, but Melanie Bush (:a[Bonnie Langford]{href='https://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/tv/doctor-who/the-big-interview-doctor-whos-bonnie-langford/' }) is also back, alongside Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and the rest of the UNIT gang. What does it bring to the show, to see these familiar faces alongside the new?**

**Russell:** It’s great, just seeing them. As an old television fan, I hold very close in my heart that episode of _The Avengers_ where Tara King walks past Emma Peel on the stairs. I think that’s a great moment! I probably watched that when it first transmitted – two of Steed’s companions walking past each other. So, I absolutely had to deliver on this. There are some great big action scenes of the Doctor and Ruby being together. You have to wait for it, but it’s well worth paying off. It’s just lovely. And every year, I love going back to that UNIT team. I simply love working with Jemma Redgrave. She is one of the finest actors in the land. It’s an honour to have her just turning up every year! I think it gives a nice continuity to the Doctor, knowing that there’s always that UNIT base he can go back to, which is slightly different every year. Plus, we have lovely Mel, and Shirley is back too. We missed Shirley last year, because beautiful Ruth Madeley who plays her was busy filming _Nightsleeper_ – that mad old show on a train! Oh, I loved that. Sadly, that meant we didn’t have any Shirley last year, but she’s back, big time. We get three episodes’ worth of Shirley this time, which is lovely. _Doctor Who_ is a show where you can land anywhere, and go anywhere, and do anything, so it’s nice to have some little bits of continuity – things that can bring you down to Earth and say, ‘This is the same show’. And it’s good to develop the Doctor’s relationship with those people. It’s a nice spine to have underneath it all, while allowing for him to run off to another planet a thousand years in the future, where he might die a horrible death!

**Can we talk about some of this series’ brand-new guest stars? You’ve already mentioned Alan Cumming, but there’s Freddie Fox as well…**

**Russell:** Lovely Freddie Fox! We seem to have got the entire cast of _Slow Horses_ coming in, as we also have Kadiff Kirwan and Christopher Chung! That was down to Ben Williams, who directed episode six, _The Interstellar Song Contest_. I had never watched _Slow Horses_, so he said ‘Nonsense!’ and slapped me. And then, there was a long weekend where I watched every single episode, and I realised it’s one of the greatest shows ever made. Suddenly, the stars of that keep popping up everywhere, which is a joy. I’ve always stayed in touch with Freddie Fox ever since I worked with him, 10 years ago, on _Cucumber_ \[Russell’s 2015 Channel 4 drama\]. I think he’s not just a great actor, but a very clever and decent man. I love Freddie, and he’s very dear to me. We’ve always been looking out for the right thing to work with each other, and this came along, so it’s a joy! We also have Charlie Condou from _Coronation Street_, who is an absolutely brilliant talent. He’s so funny in episode four. Not just funny – he gets into some really big dramatic stuff. He’s brilliant. There are lots and lots of other people too, some of whom we haven’t announced yet. Ariyon Bakare is in episode five playing a villain called The Barber, and that’s a terrific guest role. He’s really centre-stage in that. I love him, gorgeous man.

**Someone else who we know is coming back this series is the enigmatic Mrs Flood, played by Anita Dobson. Hopefully there will be some answers about her – but maybe a bit more mystery before we get them?**

**Russell:** Absolutely! I won’t give away Mrs Flood’s first appearance, because it’s very funny. But you will very quickly see her. You won’t have to wait long to meet Mrs Flood. And then she starts popping up at different times and places. I mean, we did that last year with Susan Twist’s character, but she didn’t know who she was. Mrs Flood very much knows who she is, and I can absolutely promise you big reveals when you’re least expecting it. And, oh, it doesn’t disappoint! It’s really glorious to see Anita Dobson grabbing some of these scripts and devouring them. It’s really one of the great joys of my life, actually. I loved seeing her at the Proms. When she walked on stage, the audience loved her. I’ve rarely seen an actor handle a big crowd of 5000 people as well as she did. She owned that room, and that’s a very big room to own. She’s magnificent, and you realise what a classy actor you’ve got there. I absolutely love her. I was as surprised as anyone when she turned up in _EastEnders_ \[during the soap’s 40th anniversary episodes in February\]. She kept that quiet!

**It just goes to show how much more impactful these things can be when you watch without spoilers getting out, doesn’t it?**

**Russell:** Exactly. But it’s hard with _Doctor Who_, because when a programme has been loved this much for over 60 years, there are people who are literally dedicated to spoiling it. We face the situation almost every day, thinking, ‘Do we make everything so secret that it’s almost impossible to work on, and we don’t trust each other? Or do we just shrug and sigh?’ My basic line is, ‘Yes, all right, things might get spoiled for 5,000 people online’. My nieces, who are in their twenties, don’t read that stuff, so most people still get nice surprises, and haven’t been spoiled. We live in a television world, where it’s all the buzz. But that’s actually a very small world, I think. Every time we put our heads in our hands, and we’re really sad that something’s been spoiled, we have to look up, and look at the bigger horizon and say, ‘Actually, it’s fine’. Also, there are still three or four things that have not been spoiled so far, that I’m very excited about.

**As with last year’s series, these new episodes are going onto iPlayer before their BBC1 transmission later that evening. Are you happy about that?**

**Russell:** Yes, like most BBC dramas now, _Doctor Who_ is now going up at 8am. That’s just the way the world works. If anyone would like to come and complain about that, I would offer you a free ride at the TARDIS, back 10 years when those complaints were valid. So, if you’re worried about spoilers, make sure you watch each episode at 8am, as soon as they go up on iPlayer. But OK, fair enough, you might not want to watch at 8am. And some people need to be online, for all sorts of reasons. It’s a very easy thing to say – ‘Don’t go online’. Although, equally, I think a lot of people say they need to be online when they don’t. So, actually, have a word with yourself! If you can’t control yourself, then you’ll be spoiled, and that’s nothing to do with me!

**Can you talk us through some of the monsters we’ll be seeing this year? How satisfying is it when you think, ‘I’ve got a new idea for a _Doctor Who_ monster’?**

**Russell:** It’s great. You always want to vary it. For example, we’ve got Mr Ring-a-Ding this year, who is an animated monster, which I’ve always wanted to do. I wanted to do this back in 2005, but the cost of it was impossible. Believe you me, that’s expensive. Proper hand-drawn animation is possibly one of the most expensive things you can ever try to do on a screen, let alone on a television budget! That’s very, very hard to do, and it’s magnificent. The Frame Store did that for us – a lovely designer called Ian – and it was a great learning process. I had never worked with step-by-step animation before. There were all these stages you have to sign off, and we all learned so much over the whole process. So, you’ll get an animated monster, who is far more frightening than he sounds, actually. I think there’s something odd about cartoons. Mr Ring-a-Ding is based on those Fleischer cartoons from the 1930s. The adventure takes place in 1952, but I can remember seeing Fleischer cartoons in London cinemas in the 1970s. There’s something really creepy about Fleischer cartoons. You can never quite tell who’s a human who isn’t. Look at Betty Boop – that’s the strangest-looking woman in the world, frankly! She’s bizarre. So, Mr Ring-a-Ding taps into that oddness and weirdness. Then, in episode one, you’ve got great big, stunning robots. There’s another creation in that episode as well, which we’re not talking about yet, but one that I actually find quite scary. And in episode four, written by Pete McTighe, there is a good old-fashioned prosthetic monster called the Shreek, really terrifying the pants off you! And then, oh my God, the finale has some great physical creations and some great CGI creations. There’s a really bizarre world called the Bone Palace in the finale. That’s such a strange setting. It’s really quite surreal and weird and unnerving, and I love it! Some of the designs in that are just creepy! There is some really good stuff to come.

**We’re 20 years on from _Doctor Who_’s 2005 comeback, which you masterminded, with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. What would your 2005 self make of where _Doctor Who_ is today, if he could have seen into the future? Would he have believed it?**

**Russell:** Never! We never could have imagined still being here in 20 years’ time. You were there, Tom! We all had conversations late into the night at the bar in 2005, at press launches. The most any of us would have dared to think was, ‘What if we’re still here in 10 years’ time?’ Certainly, we were wondering if we would get a second year. We would dreamily talk about five years. Once in a while, if we’d had too much to drink, we’d think, maybe 10 years. But 20? Absolutely never. I don’t think it was ever said, not even as the wildest dream. So, it’s quite astonishing. We decided not to celebrate it particularly, but now we’re here, I’m wondering if I made the right decision. I was very much aware that _Doctor Who_ had had its 60th anniversary \[in 2023\], and before that, it celebrated the 100th anniversary of the BBC \[in 2022\]. But actually, what’s wrong with the party? There is going to be a special extra episode of _Doctor Who: Unleashed_, all about the anniversary. That’s new information for _TV Choice_, actually! There will be a lovely, really well-researched _Unleashed_ episode, which means there will be nine _Unleashed_ episodes in total. There is also going to be a Radio 2 documentary with Jo Whiley. So, we are doing some stuff to celebrate the anniversary. It’s not being completely ignored.

**Do you think your approach to _Doctor Who_ has changed massively over the past 20 years?**

**Russell:** Not massively, to be honest. I think you’re always racing to catch up with _Doctor Who_. And actually, it’s interesting. The world and society keep throwing up new villains. It will be very interesting to talk about that post-transmission. Back in 1963, when the world was staggering, and not even a generation had passed since the end of World War Two, Terry Nation created the Daleks as an analogy for the Nazis. And that’s what the world keeps on doing. Evils keep on rising up. Problems keep on rising up. You keep putting that into the framework of _Doctor Who_. There’s a lot of that this year. That’s a post-transmission conversation, but that’s very much at the forefront. So, yes, I think you’re taking the temperature of the world, and touching on that as you go along. You can’t write any other way, I think.

**Given that it was quite a while back that you filmed most of this series, you must be getting excited about finally having it released, and seeing the reaction to it?**

**Russell:** Well, it’s funny, because we’re still working on it. There are some little digital bits to be done with episode six, and we haven’t quite signed off on episodes seven and episode eight. It’s another month’s work, maybe? No, it’s probably another fortnight’s work to go. So, yeah, it’s nice and busy, and I love it! It doesn’t feel like the past tense at all, because the episodes just feel like they’re all queuing up. You keep them in mind all the time, but it’s almost time to unleash them – literally! It’s very exciting.

**Finally, you’re known for being a massive TV fan yourself, so what else have you been enjoying recently? Give us some recommendations for _TV Choice_ readers!**

**Russell:** I am halfway through _Adolescence_ on Netflix at the moment, which is just amazing. It’s horrifying… and terrifying. What the hell are we doing? It’s five great ideas all piled on top of each other. One of those great ideas would have been enough. One of those cast members would have been enough. It’s an absolutely astonishing piece of work. Jack Thorne \[the co-writer\] is just the king – I adore him and Stephen Graham. So, I loved that. I very much enjoyed the _EastEnders_ 40th anniversary. I thought that was enormous fun. I loved _Black Doves_ at Christmas. I thought that was brilliant. What else am I madly into? I’m an old-fashioned viewer, and I’m still watching _The Apprentice_. I’m still there! It’s so guaranteed to go wrong, that it never goes wrong! It’s the most brilliant thing.

**_Doctor Who_** **returns on BBC iPlayer and BBC1 on Saturday 12 April**

**:a[Tom Spilsbury]{href='https://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/author/tom-spilsbury/' } has been a writer for _TV Choice_ and its sister publication _Total TV Guide_ since 2021. He was previously the longest-serving editor of the official _Doctor Who Magazine_ from 2007 to 2017, and has contributed to the _Doctor Who_ DVD and Blu-ray ranges. His favourite stories include _The War Games_, _The Robots of Death_, _The Five Doctors_, _Partners in Crime_, _The Time of the Doctor_ and _Hell Bent_.**

The BIG Interview: Doctor Who’s Russell T Davies

# Meet the cast of Call The Midwife: Get to know the new and returning characters in series 14

Call The Midwife is now well into its second decade, with over 100 episodes so far. The nurses of Nonnatus House have faced down challenges with grit and good humour over the years — and they've delivered a lot of babies!

We've put together a guide to all of Call The Midwife's main characters, including those who have since left the show, along with the actors who played them.

### **Vanessa Redgrave as the voice of Jennifer Worth**

Jennifer was the main character of Call The Midwife from series 1 to 3, when she was played on-screen by Jessica Raine. After she left Nonnatus House, she married artist Phillip Worth, who encouraged her to write about her work as a nurse — this provided the basis for the show. She continues to serve as narrator for the show with Vanessa Redgrave as her voice.

**What else has Vanessa Redgrave been on?**

A legend of stage and screen, Vanessa is part of an acting dynasty that includes her father, Michael Redgrave, and her daughters Natasha and Joely Richardson. She has received the Triple Crown of Acting — an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Emmy Awards — and was made a Dame in 2022. She landed a place in cinema history in 1966 when she starred in Blow-Up, an influential film for directors including Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma and Francis Ford Coppola. Her first of six Oscar nominations thus far came in 1966 for her performance in Morgan: A Suitable Case For Treatment, and she would win for Supporting Actress in 1977 for Julia. She starred in two Merchant Ivory films, The Bostonians (1984) and Howards End (1992), both of which also garnered her Oscar nominations. Alongside her prolific acting career, Vanessa has dedicated her life to political activism, from anti-Vietnam War protests in the 1960s to anti-Iraq War protests in the 2000s, as well as supporting the cause of Palestinian liberation and the rights of refugees.

### **Jenny Agutter plays Sister Julienne**

Sister Julienne is the sister-in-charge at Nonnatus House and manages all the other midwives. She is no-nonsense and steadfast, but she is also a warm figure and is willing to offer comfort to the younger sisters.

Jenny has been a working actor since she starred in East Of Sudan (1964) at the age of 12. She played Roberta in The Railway Children TV show in 1968, and she has returned to this world twice — in the same role in the 1970 film version and the 2022 sequel The Railway Children Return, and as Mother in the 2000 made-for-TV film. Her successful cinematic career continued into the 1970s and onwards, giving her starring roles in films including Walkabout (1971), Logan’s Run (1976) and An American Werewolf In London (1981). More recently, she shared the screen with Bill Nighy in Sometimes Always Never (2018), and Marvel fans may have seen her as a member of the World Security Council in Avengers Assemble (2012) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). Jenny won an Emmy in 1971 for the TV movie The Snow Goose, a BAFTA in 1977 for her supporting role in Equus and even a :a[TV Choice Award]{href='https://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/awards/winners/ceremony-2022/' } in 2022 for Call The Midwife!

### **Judy Parfitt plays Sister Monica Joan**

Sister Monica Joan is the last surviving founder of Nonnatus House, one of the UK’s earliest registered nurses. She retired before the series began, and suffers from dementia, although she remains in good spirits and is well-liked by the younger midwives — even though she has a naughty streak.

Judy’s career began in earnest in the 1960s when she guest-starred in various popular shows, including multiple episodes of The Avengers (1962, 1963, 1967) as different characters. She has acted in adaptations of many great works of British literature, from Pride And Prejudice (1980) to Little Dorrit (2008). She has been BAFTA nominated twice, for The Jewel In The Crown (1984) and Girl With A Pearl Earring (2003). Judy seems to have focused her energies on Call The Midwife since the series began in 2012, although she has found time to guest on series including Vera (2012) and The Game (2015).

### **Helen George plays Nurse Trixie Franklin**

Trixie is a senior nurse and midwife at Nonnatus House. She’s outgoing and fun, and a little boy-crazy — when she broke up with Tom Hereward in series 4, she struggled with alcoholism, and this returned when she broke up with Christopher Dockerill in series 7. In series 10, she met Matthew and Fiona Aylward, which led to friendship and eventually romance with Matthew after Fiona tragically dies. The pair are now married, making Trixie, Lady Aylward. In series 13, Matthew moved to New York, leaving Trixie behind, but in the finale she decided to join him. Trixie is now spending time in New York as well as continuing with her duties at Nonnatus House.

Before joining Call The Midwife in its first season, Helen had smaller roles in shows including Hollyoaks, Hotel Babylon and Doctors. She’s since guest starred in Red Dwarf and DI Ray, and played Miss Shelley in Nativity Rocks! (2018). In 2015, she competed on Strictly Come Dancing, landing in sixth place with partner Aljaž Skorjanec. Helen dated Jack Ashton, who played Reverend Tom Hereward on Call The Midwife, from 2016 to 2023. The pair became close while shooting the 2016 Christmas special and had two daughters together, Wren and Lark, before their split.

### **Laura Main plays Nurse Shelagh Turner**

Gentle and kind Shelagh was known as Sister Bernadette before she decided to leave the order in series 2, when she fell in love with Dr Turner. She is a senior midwife and becomes the manager of Dr Turner’s GP practice. The couple have four children together.

Primarily a theatre actor, Laura has been performing since she was a teenager in her native Aberdeen. More recently, she starred as Fiona in Shrek: The Musical and as M’lynn in Steel Magnolias. Her largest TV role prior to Call The Midwife was as DC Alison Bain on Murder City (2004-2006). Laura has also guest starred on Doctors (2011, 2016), Holby City (2007, 2011) and Father Brown (2014), as well as starring in six episodes of The Mill (2014).

### **Stephen McGann plays Dr Patrick Turner**

Dr Turner is the local GP in Poplar, and he works closely with Nonnatus House as their clinical lead. He is married to Shelagh, and the couple have four children between them — Timothy, Dr Turner’s son with his late wife; Angela, who was adopted; May, who is a fostered orphan from Hong Kong; and Teddy, their biological son.

**What else has Stephen McGann been on?**

Stephen is tied to Call The Midwife in more ways than one, since he’s been married to the show’s creator, Heidi Thomas, since 1991. Stephen played Sean Reynolds on Emmerdale (1999-2002), but his first big success was the show The Hanging Gale (1995), which he co-created with his brother Joe from their own family history. His brother Paul, who also starred in The Hanging Gale, played a different kind of doctor on the BBC — the eighth iteration of the titular Time Lord on Doctor Who. When he’s not acting, Stephen is a passionate medical science communicator, even writing a book covering some of the cases discussed on Call The Midwife.

Fred is the caretaker of Nonnatus House, a role he has held since the end of World War II. While he was in the Army, his wife was killed, and his daughters were looked after by family members. In series 4 he takes an interest in shopkeeper Violet, and the pair are married at the end of the series.

Cliff began his career as a touring stand-up comedian, which he kept up throughout the 1980s until he was cast in Queen Of Hearts (1989). After taking smaller roles in projects including A Bit Of Fry And Laurie (1990), The Saint (1997), Casualty (2000) and From Hell (2001), Cliff was cast as Minty Peterson on EastEnders (2002-2010). More recently, he competed in I’m A Celebrity… in 2019, although his time there was fairly short — he was the third contestant to leave. Cliff thankfully recovered from the hypothermia he suffered while filming the trip to the seaside from the latest series of Call The Midwife and will soon be seen in a guest role on Channel 5’s The Good Ship Murder.

### **Linda Bassett plays Nurse Phyllis Crane**

Initially brought in as temporary cover for Sister Evangelina, Phyllis became a permanent resident of Nonnatus House when Chummy announced her resignation. She’s a forceful character, driven and sometimes stern, but the younger midwives have grown to see her as a mentor.

Linda began her career in community theatre in the 1970s, and her first on-screen role would come in 1987, when she played Gertrude Stein in Waiting For The Moon. She is perhaps best-known for playing matriarch Ella Khan in East Is East (1999), for which she was BAFTA nominated. Supporting roles in comedic British films followed, including The Hours (2002), Calendar Girls (2003) and Kinky Boots (2005). She played Ella Khan again in West Is West (2010), and from 2008 to 2011 she starred as Queenie Turrill on Lark Rise To Candleford. She has worked with Simon Amstell twice — as Grandma on his show Grandma’s House (2010-2012) and as Dr Yasmine Vondenburg in Carnage (2017). In 2022, she starred in the fifth series of Strike and in 2023 she played a supporting role in The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry.

### **Annabelle Apsion plays Violet Buckle**

Formerly Mrs Gee, shop owner Violet fell in love with and married Fred Buckle in series 4. She and Fred look after Reggie Jackson, a child of Fred’s late cousin who has Down’s syndrome. Later, she ran for the local Tower Hamlets Borough Council, and now has become mayor of Poplar.

**What else has Annabelle Apsion been on?**

Annabelle’s first screen credit was on two episodes of Emmerdale as Lucy Dowling (1988). From 1991 to 1995, she starred as Joy Wilton on Soldier Soldier, and she played Margaret Barnes on The Bill from 2004 to 2005. In 2001 she played Polly Nichols, Jack the Ripper’s first victim, in For Hell, which also featured her Call The Midwife co-star Cliff Parisi. Her longest-running starring role before Call The Midwife was as Monica Gallagher on Shameless from 2004 to 2013.

### **Daniel Laurie plays Reggie Jackson**

Reggie becomes the ward of Fred and Violet Buckle after his mother — Fred’s cousin — dies suddenly. He has Down’s syndrome, and lives in a residential facility for young adults with disabilities, though he visits Fred and Violet regularly and considers them his surrogate family.

Before he was cast as Reggie, Daniel played Jamie on the TV show Stella (2016). Since he joined Call The Midwife he has starred in an episode of Vera (2020) and four episodes of Finding Alice (2021).

### **Georgie Glen plays Miss Millicent Higgins**

Millicent is the receptionist at Dr Turner’s surgery. She takes her job very seriously, always wearing formal attire. She’s close with Nurse Phyllis and friendly with the other members of Nonnatus House, having stayed there for a while after her home was burgled in series 11.

Georgie is best known outside of her role on Call The Midwife as history teacher Audrey McFall in Waterloo Road, who she played from 2012-2015. She has played different roles in two adaptations of Les Misérables — in 2012 and 2019 — and has been a lady-in-waiting to Judi Dench in both Mrs Brown (1997) and Shakespeare In Love (1998). She has starred with a fellow Call The Midwife cast member twice — with Jenny Agutter in The Railway Children (2000) and with Linda Bassett in Calendar Girls (2003). Since joining the Call The Midwife cast, she has played Dr Wendy Newstone in Ridley (2022) and Diana’s grandmother Ruth Lady Fermoy in series 4 of The Crown (2020).

### **Zephryn Taitte plays Cyril Robinson**

Cyril was introduced to the midwives when he was called out to fix Phyllis’ car. He met Lucille when she brought him some tea, and the pair got married in series 11. When Lucille suffered a breakdown in series 12, Cyril bought her a ticket to Jamaica to be with her family, and since she left he has dedicated himself to his new career as a social worker. Cyril became close with Rosalind in series 14.

**What else has Zephryn Taitte been on?**

Zephryn has starred in one episode of The Hour (2011), Doctors (2018), Father Brown (2022) and Unforgotten (2023). His biggest role before Call The Midwife was as Dorian in Brothers With No Game, which he played from 2012 to 2018.

### **Megan Cusack plays Nurse Nancy Corrigan**

Early on, Nancy reveals that she had a child when she was only 16 — Colette, who lives first at a Catholic orphanage and then with a foster family, and has been told that Nancy is her sister. Colette becomes her motivation for qualifying as a midwife and earning enough to get them somewhere to live together. In the 2023 Christmas special, their little family was finally united when she and Colette were given their own room at Nonnatus House. In series 14 Nancy got engaged to salesman Roger, and the pair will leave Poplar (and the show) once they're married.

Megan is a member of a performing dynasty — her grandparents are actors Cyril and Maureen Cusack, and her aunts Sinéad, Sorcha, Niamh and Catherine are all actors. Megan’s first cousin is Max Irons, Sinéad’s son with her husband Jeremy Irons. Before she joined the cast of Call The Midwife, she had featured in one episode of Doctors (2018) and on stage in an Irish production of The Cherry Orchard (2020).

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