This week's best telly includes two brand new dramas, a new reality show where celebrities have to live in the dark, a new judge for a new series of Britain's Got Talent and a very moving documentary about Dame Deborah James.
Here are 5 TV shows you can't miss this week...
1. Britain's Got Talent
Saturday 15th at 8pm and Sunday 16th April at 7.45pm on ITV1
Britain's Got Talent is back for its 16th series and this time there's a new face on the judging panel as Bruno Tonioli replaces David Walliams to sit alongside Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell.
Once again, the incomparable duo Ant and Dec will be hosting, both on stage and from the wings as they get ready to cheer and console the acts brave enough to perform in front of thousands.
With auditions held in both London and Manchester for the first time since before the pandemic, the calibre of talent this year is said to be the best the competition has ever seen. Promising to be bigger and better than ever before, as this year sees more jaw-dropping acts, including more golden buzzer moments than any season yet.
1-2/ Continues weekly
2. The Hunt for Raoul Moat
Sunday 16th to Tuesday 18th April at 9pm on ITV1
Stripped across three nights, ITV1's latest drama The Hunt For Raoul Moat, from Kevin Sampson shines a light on the human tragedies that lay behind Britain’s biggest manhunt, told through the eyes of those who sought to bring a violent killer to justice.
The drama focuses on the innocent victims of Moat’s crimes, Christopher Brown, Samantha Stobbart and PC David Rathband, the police officers who put themselves in the firing line in their quest to apprehend Moat and the local journalist who sought to tell Moat’s real story in a landscape of sensationalist reporting and social media provocation.
Lee Ingleby plays Neil Adamson, a senior Northumbria Police Officer leading the race against time to apprehend Moat and Sonya Cassidy plays local journalist Diane Barnwell.
Other cast members include Vineeta Rishi as Nisha Roberts, Sally Messham as Samantha Stobbart, Matt Stokoe as Raoul Moat and Josef Davis as Christopher Brown.
1-3/3 Continues nightly
3. Scared of the Dark
Sunday 16th to Thursday 20th April at 9pm on Channel 4
Hosted by Danny Dyer, Channel 4's latest reality series Scared of the Dark sees eight celebrities step into the unknown where their senses are taken on the ultimate journey by entering a completely pitch-black reality space for 8 days.
The 8 celebrities entering the dark will be retired pro-boxer Nicola Adams, reality star Chloe Burrows, Professional Boxer Chris Eubank, Former Professional Footballer Paul Gascoigne, singer Max George, Comedian Chris McCausland, TV personality Scarlett Moffatt and actress Donna Preston.
They'll each be living in The Bunker, a purpose-built living space designed to block out any light and rigged with 50 infrared cameras. Over five successive nights the show will follow the celebrities as they get to grips with living in the dark. To leave The Bunker the celebrities must simply shout “I’m Scared of The Dark” and they are escorted into the light.
To prove their mettle, each of the celebrities will take on a series of challenges designed to test either their primal fear of total darkness or their ability to function in the pitch black. Those that fail at their challenges will have to take on herculean tasks to save their place on the show. Each celebrity will be motivated to conquer their fears because in the end only one will step out into the light as the series winner.
But will being in the dark form trust amongst the group, or will the overwhelming fear of being in the darkness cause them to crumble leaving them begging for the lights to be turned on?
1-5/5
4. Deborah James: Bowelbabe In Her Own Words
Monday 17th April at 9pm on BBC Two
BBC Two's new 80-minute documentary as part of their Storyville strand will detail the last extraordinary five years of cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James’ life on film. Known by many as her online persona Bowelbabe, the former deputy head teacher amassed a huge social media following.
From living with incurable bowel cancer to Damehood to her untimely death Deborah James: Bowelbabe In Her Own Words will show Deborah in the last months of her life as she talks frankly about her diagnosis and treatment.
Filmed with Deborah, the cancer campaigner will share many personal moments whilst dancing and documenting what the reality of living with bowel cancer was really like for her and those closest to her.
The archive-based documentary features never seen before mobile phone footage, Deborah’s collection of Tik Tok videos, Instagram posts, You Me and the Big C podcasts, family videos and Deborah’s voice notes.
In May 2022, before her death in June 2022, Deborah was made a Dame by Prince William and she worked to establish The Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK which to date has raised more than £7 million, supporting causes and projects that Deborah was passionate about, including working with others such as the Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and Bowel Cancer UK.
1/1
5. The Diplomat
Thursday 20th April on Netflix
Not to be confused with the recent drama on Alibi with the same name, Netflix's new eight-part drama The Diplomat from showrunner Debora Cahn promises to be a high-stakes, contemporary political drama about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships, between countries and people.
Set in the midst of an international crisis, The Diplomat follows a career diplomat who lands in a high-profile job she’s unsuited for, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future.
Played by Keri Russell, Kate Wyler is the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom who was supposed to go to Afghanistan and is great in a crisis zone. But in a historic home, less so.
With war brewing on one continent and boiling over on another, Kate will have to diffuse international crises, forge strategic alliances in London, and adjust to her new place in the spotlight, all while trying to survive her marriage to fellow career diplomat and political star Hal Wyler, played by Rufus Sewell.
1-8/8 All episodes available at launch