WHAT TO WATCH 7-13 February

Its'a huge week for new telly!

This week's best telly includes Jack Thorne's brand new adaptation of Lord of the Flies, Mackenzie Crook's new comedy Small Prophets, Lisa McGee's new comedy thriller How to Get to Heaven from Belfast and David Eldridge's new drama Betrayal.

Elsewhere, Ben Shephard hosts ITV1's new reality series The Summit, hit BBC comedy Dinosaur returns for a second series, and U&Gold celebrate the life and career of Victoria Wood.

Here are 7 TV shows you can't miss this week...

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1

 RETURNING COMEDY

DINOSAUR

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Saturday 7th February

10pm & 10.30pm | BBC Three

Ashley Storrie's brilliant BBC comedy Dinosaur, which was co-created by Matilda Curtis, returns this week to BBC Three, and eight months after we last saw her, Nina is knee-deep in mud on an Isle of Wight dig site, living her palaeontology dream. Or at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Truthfully, she’s exhausted, missing Glasgow, her family, Lee - oh, and her home comforts, namely Real Housewives marathons with Evie and Sausage rolls. When she finally returns to Scotland, she finds that everything has changed.

Her workplace has moved, there’s some big McArthur family news, plus she’s thrown into an awkward feelings triangle between Lee and an unexpected new arrival. She has learnt to handle change. But this much change, all at once?

Read my interview with Ashley Storrie here.

 6 EPISODES  CONTINUES WEEKLY

 STREAM ON BBC IPLAYER  ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE

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2

 BRAND NEW DRAMA

LORD OF THE FLIES

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Sunday 8th February

9pm | BBC One

Jack Thorne's new adaptation of Lord of the Flies, launches this week on BBC One and promises to be truthful to the original novel, whilst delving further into the book's emotive themes: human nature, the loss of innocence and boyhood masculinity.

Set in the early 1950s on an unnamed Pacific island, Lord of the Flies is the story of schoolboys stranded on a tropical island with no adults, following a deadly plane crash. In an attempt to remain civil, they organise themselves, led by Ralph and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy. But when Jack becomes more interested in hunting and vying for leadership, he soon begins to draw other boys away from the group and, ultimately, from hope to tragedy.

Each of the four episodes is titled after a character at the core of the story, Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack, offering a subtly different perspective on the boys’ collective plight and the manner in which they cope with their predicament.

The series has been made with the support of Lord of the Flies author William Golding’s family and features an ensemble cast of over 30 boys, many making their professional acting debuts, is led by Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy and Ike Talbut as Simon. They are joined by fellow castaways, including Thomas Connor as Roger, Noah and Cassius Flemyng as twins Sam and Eric, Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice and Tom Page-Turner as Bill.

 4 EPISODES  CONTINUES WEEKLY

 STREAM ON BBC IPLAYER  ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE

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3

 BRAND NEW DRAMA

BETRAYAL

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Sunday 8th February

9pm | ITV1

Shaun Evans, Romola Garai, Zahra Ahmadi and Nikki Amuka-Bird star in ITV1's gripping four-part thriller Betrayal, about trust, truth, and the personal cost of secrecy in the modern intelligence world, from David Eldridge.

Set against the backdrop of MI5, Betrayal explores the fragile, tangled web of human relationships, where loyalty and deception collide. At the heart of the story is John Hughes, a mid-career MI5 officer navigating a rapidly evolving intelligence landscape while struggling to keep his personal life intact.

On a hunch, John meets a British-Iranian man with links to the Stockport gangland who claims he has intelligence about a plot on UK soil. Before he can share intel, the informant is executed, and John kills the assassin in self-defence. John soon finds himself under internal investigation, facing scrutiny from his superiors, including Simone Grant, while his partner Claire grapples with the secrecy that defines his world.

John’s efforts to save his marriage are complicated by his inability to let the case go. And when he meets Mehreen Askari-Evans, an intelligence operative who is tasked with taking over John’s duties, he finds an unlikely ally.

As John becomes increasingly convinced of the involvement of a hardline faction of the Iranian regime, he also starts to worry there are enemies closer to home. But can he identify the target and avert the attack before it’s too late?

 4 EPISODES  CONTINUES WEEKLY

 STREAM ON ITVX  ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE

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4

 BRAND NEW COMEDY

SMALL PROPHETS

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Monday 9th February

10pm | BBC Two

BBC Two's new comedy, Small Prophets, has been created, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, and follows eccentric Michael Sleep, played by Pearce Quigley, who, since his darling wife Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. He eats Shreddies, works in a DIY store, visits dad Brian, played by Sir Michael Palin, and hopes for Clea to return.

That is just the way it is, until one day dad Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Michael sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi, magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future - in the hope they have the answer to his burning question, ‘will I ever see Clea again?’.

Michael gets help from young workmate Kacey, played by Lauren Patel, in an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly (but not wholly) through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon, played by Mackenzie Crook.

Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of his nosy neighbours, played by Sophie Willan and Jon Pointing, who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed.

 6 EPISODES  CONTINUES WEEKLY

 STREAM ON BBC IPLAYER  ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE

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5

 BRAND NEW REALITY TV

THE SUMMIT

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Tuesday 10th February

9pm | ITV1

Ben Shephard hosts ITV1's epic new adventure reality series, The Summit, in which 14 brave contestants embark on a thrilling journey to reach the peak of one of New Zealand’s most spectacular mountains whilst carrying the cash prize they hope to win.

Fourteen strangers from all walks of life come together to face the daunting challenge of climbing a mountain in the breathtaking, rugged Alps of New Zealand’s south island. The adrenaline-filled series sees them face the ultimate test of strategy and resilience as they compete for a share of a potential £200,000 prize.

With 14 days to reach the summit, and an equal share of the prize fund in their backpacks, the contestants have to navigate treacherous terrain, wild conditions and overcome extraordinary challenges - set by the mysterious Mountain’s Keeper - that block their path to the peak.

But it isn’t just a test of physical strength; strategy plays a crucial role, as the cast will also have to eliminate their competitors along the way. Who will forge alliances? Who will betray? And ultimately, who will have what it takes to conquer the mountain and claim the prize?

 8 EPISODES  CONTINUES WEEKLY

 STREAM ON ITVX

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6

 BRAND NEW COMEDY DRAMA

HOW TO GET TO

HEAVEN FROM BELFAST

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Thursday 12th February

Netflix

Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee brings us a new comedy thriller this week on Netflix called How To Get To Heaven From Belfast.

It stars Roísín Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne as three childhood friends, now in their late 30s, who come together over news of a fourth friend’s death, leading them on a dark, dangerous and hilarious odyssey through Ireland and beyond as they try to piece together the truth of the past.

Clever, chaotic TV writer Saoirse, played by Gallagher, glamorous, stressed-out mother of three Robyn, played by Keenan and dependable, inhibited carer Dara, played by Dunne, have been a tight-knit group since school.

Now in their late 30s, but still as close as ever, these three friends are about to embark on the most thrilling adventure of their lives. When an email arrives, telling them about the death of the estranged fourth member of their childhood gang, Greta, a series of eerie events at her wake set them on a dark, dangerous and hilarious odyssey through Ireland and beyond as each tries to piece together the truth of the past.

It promises to be a show about friendship, memory, and what happens when life doesn’t turn out quite like you’d expected.

 STREAM ON NETFLIX  ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE

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7

 BRAND NEW DOCUMENTARY

BECOMING VICTORIA WOOD

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Thursday 12th February

U&Gold

Almost 10 years on from her sad passing, a new 90-minute documentary has been made. Becoming Victoria Wood. Celebrating the life of Britain’s beloved comedy icon, Victoria Wood, is airing on U&Gold this week, following a recent cinematic release.

Victoria Wood remains one of Britain’s most cherished entertainers, a northern comic genius whose work reshaped the landscape of British humour. But behind the joyous persona, the singer, the satirist, the sharp-witted writer, lay a young woman navigating insecurity, anger, and self-doubt.

Told in her own words and through the voices of those who knew her best, the film uncovers the formative experiences and personal battles that powered Victoria’s unmatched ability to make the nation laugh.

The film will explore never-before-seen archive material and previously unheard audio recordings to paint a vivid portrait of the woman behind the fame.

Among the unearthed treasures are her first-ever recorded performance from 1973, behind-the-scenes footage from stage and screen, unseen interviews with Victoria and intimate audio diaries recorded during the making of dinnerladies, candid, confessional entries that reveal the unfiltered Victoria: thoughtful, biting, vulnerable, and funny.

From Wood and Walters to As Seen on TV, Pat and Margaret to dinnerladies, the documentary carefully threads her most iconic work into her personal story, highlighting how her lived experience shaped the characters and worlds she created.

Testimony from those closest to her, friends and colleagues from her formative years, will bring further insight into her evolution as a performer and person.

 STREAM ON SKY AND NOW