Home//TV Times/3-Aug-24/In This Issue
TV Times|3-Aug-24PACE AND POWERComing home with a silver medal from the 1996 Atlanta Games as a member of Team GB’s men’s 4x400m relay squad, Iwan Thomas knows the skills it takes to make the podium. The Welsh sprinter, who also competed in the men’s 400m in 1996 as well as the men’s 4x400m relay at Sydney 2000, is delighted to now be keeping an eye on this summer’s proceedings in Paris as a commentator for Discovery+. ‘My old event is the 400m and I think Matthew Hudson-Smith has a real chance of winning gold for Britain [the 29-year-old previously competed at Rio 2016],’ says Iwan, 50, as he joins TV Times for an exclusive interview. ‘There are no outstanding Americans running crazy times, so if he can make it through the rounds safely,…2 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24Reopening theFILESTHE MALLORCA FILES NEW FROM THU 8 AUGUST, PRIME VIDEO DRAMA With a sparky, mismatched detective duo joining forces with cosy mysteries and sun-soaked vistas, The Mallorca Files proved an instant hit with viewers when it began in 2019. After a three-year hiatus, the crime drama returns for an eagerly anticipated third outing this week, moving from its original home on BBC1 daytime to debut on streaming service Prime Video. Penned again by Dan Sefton (The Good Karma Hospital), the new eight-part run finds the barbed banter flowing between workaholic British cop Miranda Blake (Elen Rhys) and her fun-loving German counterpart Max Winter (Julian Looman) as they investigate various high-stakes cases. Their first task is finding a kidnapped puzzle genius who has buried treasure somewhere on the Balearic island! TV…5 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24The UNLIKELY ladsTHE INSTIGATORS NEW FROM FRIDAY 9 AUGUST, APPLE TV+ ACTION COMEDY Meeting as children while growing up in the city of Cambridge just across the river from Boston, Casey Affleck and Matt Damon have since worked together on a string of high-profile projects, including 1998 drama Good Will Hunting, the Ocean’s heist trilogy (2002-2007) and last year’s historical epic Oppenheimer. Now, the Oscar-winning friends are teaming up again to play a pair of bumbling crooks in new crime caper The Instigators, which launches on Apple TV+ this week. Written by Casey and Chuck MacLean (City on a Hill), the movie is produced by Matt and Casey’s big brother, fellow Hollywood star Ben Affleck. Set in Boston, the story follows the fortunes of Rory (Matt), a hapless dad desperate to reconnect…5 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24The EX FACTOR!Fiz and Tyrone might be the definition of cosy-couple goals right now, but it wasn’t that long ago their fairy-tale romance was wrecked by a certain mechanic’s wandering eye. Ty broke his soulmate’s heart by trading her in for younger model Alina Pop, but he soon came to his senses and the pair have managed to put the indiscretion behind them. Well, until this week, that is, when fuming Fiz comes face to face with her former love rival. Almost three years since she returned to her native Romania, Alina is back in the UK to testify against human traffickers in a high-profile court case. Fiz has heard word that Ty’s ex is on the scene again and prays she doesn’t bump into her. As we know, though, Weatherfield is…2 min
See Also
Doctor George : 01 - Nina and the Lodger (f/f)Daily Themed Crossword 20 December 2017 Crossword Answers > All Levels | Which Of The Following Describes The Why Of ChangeWindows - Part One - Writing.ComAt least 100 killed by Israeli strike on a school where thousands were sheltering, officials say - FatofthelandTV Times|3-Aug-24A decentPROPOSAL?There are more games going on among the Panesars than there are in the Olympic Village, and everyone is playing dirty – especially nasty Nish. This week, the ailing patriarch digs into Suki’s past in the hope of destroying her future with Eve. Avani is an unwitting accomplice to his wicked plan, having helped him trace an old family friend online. Thanks to the teen’s skills, Nish is ready to make his move. Suki and Vinny meet at Walford East for a progress report on their game plan to wrong-foot Nish. Mother and son are interrupted by the man himself, but he’s not alone – Suki is stunned to see him with Ayesha, the widow of the man Nish murdered over 20 years ago. You may recall Suki confessed to…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24MORE SOAPSHOLLYOAKS Abe confronts Kitty over why she stole the real Kitty’s identity, explaining they were friends and he’s been worried about her since she disappeared. Kitty breaks the news that she died in the car crash six months ago, and Abe’s emotional reaction leads her to realise he was the abusive ex that her dead pal was escaping from! When Kitty tries to warn Cleo that her man is dangerous, her outlandish-sounding claims are dismissed. Knowing she’d implicate herself in Declan’s death if she told the police about the identity theft, Kitty may have to choose between protecting herself or others… Meanwhile, Abe manipulates vulnerable Cleo into agreeing they should have an open relationship. Despite drunkenly going along with the idea when they discussed it at their flat-warming party, secretly…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24SAMSON ARRESTEDThe Dingles are on tenterhooks as Samson’s sentencing looms. Having admitted the truth about the hoo-ha at the Hide that saw Matty framed, Samson is still the local pariah. Wanting to do the right thing, the lad finally stands up to Josh, who forced him into lying in the first place. Unfortunately, this lands Samson in even more trouble as he’s arrested for assault on top of his existing charges. But who reported him to the cops? Soon Samson heads to court. After an agonising wait at the pub for the Dingles, Lydia arrives with news. Is Samson going down?…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24FilmsThe Kid Detective C4 1AM - 2.40AM ★★★★ PREMIERE MYSTERY Writer-director Evan Morgan’s ace debut follows Adam Brody’s washed-up PI, who solved a couple of tinpot mysteries as a child but is now the town joke, chasing answers at the bottom of a bottle. Then high-school student Sophie Nélisse asks him to investigate her boyfriend’s murder, and a chance of redemption beckons… An amiably ambling whodunnit that makes light of its film noir motifs for much of its running time, this is funny, whimsical, charming, its edges softened in the heat haze. But what makes Morgan’s movie memorable is a final section that takes a hard left turn into unexpected territory. How he pulls off such an abrupt shift in tone is, well, a mystery. Dir: Evan Morgan 2020, 15…2 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24MONDAY HighlightsEastEnders SOAP 7.30PM, BBC2 Grotty old Walford receives a shot of glamour tonight when one of the WAGs from Footballers’ Wives rocks up – yes, that really is Laila Rouass, AKA Amber Gates, as Ayesha, a face from the Panesars’ past. Laila’s character has been summoned by nasty Nish to unsettle Suki, as the women share an intriguing history. Nish hopes Ayesha’s reappearance will drive a wedge between Suki and Eve, even though she’s the widow of the bloke the Panesar patriarch murdered 20 years ago. Just what is Nish playing at? ★★★★ JH See Soaps, page 25 On the Edge NEW DRAMA FROM 10PM, C4, CHANNEL 4 ON DEMAND The anthology returns with three new shorts and a starry cast including Iwan Rheon and Clare-Hope Ash*tey. The series features…3 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24YOUR STARSPHONE NOW FOR WEEKLY, MONTHLY, COMPATIBILITY AND TAROT READINGS ARIES (21 March-19 April) Feeling like you need a change? An opportunity may present itself now to help you move in a new direction. Call… 09058 170 399* TAURUS (20 April-20 May) Your determined nature helps you achieve many things. Just remember that it’s also OK to change course. Call… 09058 170 400* GEMINI (21 May-20 June) Mars in your sign gives you a boost. What would you like to achieve at the beginning of August? Call… 09058 170 401* CANCER (21 June-22 July) Sometimes you feel that you are being oversensitive. Perhaps it’s your intuition whispering to you… Call… 09058 170 402* LEO (23 July-22 August) The New Moon in your sign brings exciting opportunities! Give thanks for your blessings.…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24ON THE COVER IN… 1985Roland Rat joined presenter Chris Tarrant on our cover, and the rodent star of ITV’s television network TV-am granted us an interview in which he shared the recipe for his ‘rat co*cktail’ – consisting of strawberries, bananas, milk and ice cream. Since his debut on TV-am in April 1983, Roland, who lived in the sewers beneath London’s King’s Cross railway station, had developed a taste for the finer things such as travelling first class and eating caviar, albeit with chips. ‘I don’t usually eat in restaurants,’ he told us. ‘I never carry cash on me as Kevin the Gerbil handles all that side of things and looks after the credit cards.’ In October 1985, Roland left TV-am for the BBC, where he made a number of shows during his six-year…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24DoubleTROUBLEVIENNA BLOOD NEW SUNDAY, 9PM, BBC2 DRAMA (BOX SET, BBC iPLAYER) Proudly sporting smart period attire, Matthew Beard and Juergen Maurer are clearly thrilled to be reprising their roles as sharp psychoanalyst Max Liebermann and gruff Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt as they join TV Times for a virtual interview from the set of their popular 1900s-set procedural drama Vienna Blood. ‘I always have this slightly nervous flutter before we start filming where I wonder, “How do I get back into this?”’ smiles London-born Matthew, 35. ‘But then I put on Max’s stiff collar, get strapped into his waistcoat and braces, and we snap into it pretty much straight away, don’t we?’ ‘Yes, I just love it when we put on our costumes, stand next to each other, and click-clack, there we…5 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24UnderPRESSUREWe’ve seen some right wrong’uns walk the streets of Weatherfield, but Joel Deering is up there with the worst. The sleazy solicitor has been secretly preying on vulnerable young girls – however, could his comeuppance be in sight this week as new mum Lauren is grilled by the police and bolshie Betsy issues a sinister threat? Despite Joel’s repeated attempts to get rid of Lauren and their unborn child, the teen has survived his sick plot and, following a traumatic birth, is keeping vigil at her newborn son’s side. The premature lad is fighting for his life in an incubator, and the police want Lauren to confirm the identity of her baby daddy. With Nathan Curtis framed for trying to kill Lauren, will she pretend he is the father to…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24WEATHERFIELD EXTRAActor Sean Wilson has confirmed the rumours that he’s returning to the cobbles as Martin Platt for the first time since 2018. The character is set to play a key role in the departure storyline for ex-wife Gail Rodwell,following star Helen Worth’s decision to bow out of the ITV1 soap later this year. ‘It’s great to be invited back tocontribute to Helen’s exit story,’ says Sean, 59, who was a regular fixture on the Street between 1985 and 2005, before a brief stint six years ago when the charactermoved to New Zealand. ‘Playing Martin has been a joy since day one, and he’ll no doubt throw a spanner into the heart of the Platts. I’m looking forward to reuniting with my TV family!’ WHATTOWATCH.COM/CORONATION-STREET…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24CAUGHT IN THE ACT?Sinful Cindy can’t wait for her next stolen moment with Junior as their affair heats up. So when her bit on the side bins her off for work, she’s fuming and flirts with Harry to make him jealous! It has the desired effect, and Junior is soon knocking on the Beales’ back door for some private time. To free up more of the same, Cindy promotes Bobby to manager at Beale’s Eels. He’s out of his depth, though, and smells something fishy when Cindy bails on him with a migraine. While his boss sneaks upstairs with Junior at No.45, Bobby heads home – will he catch them at it?…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24Long-lostFAMILYThe Sugdens are the first family of Emmerdale, but in recent years their number has dwindled and the iconic clan are looking pretty thin on the ground. That all changes this week when an estranged member of the farming dynasty arrives in the village and meets relatives he didn’t realise he even had! Who is the mysterious John Sugden, and how does he fit into their story? If you were around in 1988, you might remember much-missed patriarch Jack Sugden having a fling with a woman named Barbara. The affair was short-lived and Jack got dumped, but it turns out Babs was pregnant with his child when she bowed out of his life and never told him. ‘JOHN’S ENIGMATIC AND WILL RUFFLE FEATHERS…’ Fast-forward to now and Pollard hears his…2 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24DALES EXTRAThere’s bound to be drama when a familiar face returns to the village this autumn, as tormented teen Angelica King is released after serving time in a secure children’s home for causing Heath Hope’sdeath in a car crash. Rebecca Bakes, who plays Angel, reveals: ‘We haven’t started filming it, but I should be back on screen at the end of September. Heath’s death was a reallyexciting plot – I knew in advance Angelica would be driving the car. I’d never done anything as big. Angelica might come back as a bit of a rebel – I don’t know yet!’…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24TUESDAY HighlightsOLYMPICS HIGHLIGHT Olympics LIVE SKATEBOARDING (TIMES VARY) BBC1, BBC2, IPLAYER, EUROSPORT 1, DISCOVERY+ Team GB’s Sky Brown is vying for skateboarding glory in the women’s park (4.30pm), having become the nation’s youngest ever Olympic medallist when she bagged a bronze, aged just 13, at the Tokyo games with a sensational performance. Post-Tokyo she’s gone on to become Britain’s first skateboarding world champ and has earned celeb status, with over 1.3million followers on Instagram. Now aged 16, she’s got her heart set on a podium finish in Paris, making her definitely one to watch! ★★★★★ HD Vera DRAMA 9PM, ITV1 There is mystery, murder and a kidnapping in this episode of the popular crime drama, first shown in 2022. DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) and her loyal colleague Aiden Healy (Kenny…3 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24WHAT YOU’RE WATCHINGHIGH DRAMA High Country on the BBC is a cop drama like no other. Set in Victoria, Australia, it’s so beautiful with its snow-capped mountains and lush greenery. It follows detective Andie Whitford, who ruffles a few feathers as she investigates an unsolved case. A brilliant and bingeworthy series. Helen Regan, Cardiff ED: The series concludes on Saturday on BBC2 and is available as a box set on BBC iPlayer. WAR STORY Guy Martin’s Lost WW2 Bomber on C4 was a fascinating insight into a salvage operation funded by the Dutch government to recover a Lancaster bomber from a lake in the Netherlands. It showed how the recovery team were not only able to recover the wreckage but also the remains of three of its brave crew, who had been…2 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24LAURA’S CYCLING RACES TO WATCHWOMEN’S TEAM SPRINT * FINAL IS MONDAY 5 AUGUST The GB team comprises Sophie Capewell, Katy Marchant and Emma Finucane, with Lowri Thomas as the reserve rider. ‘We’ll most likely have Katy at the start, Sophie in the middle and Emma finishing up at the back,’ says Laura. ‘Emma goes faster in her third lap than most people do in the second lap! She is so good. The Germans and the Chinese are the team’s biggest competition.’ MEN’S TEAM SPRINT * FINAL IS TUESDAY 6 AUGUST The GB team is made up of Jack Carlin, Ed Lowe and Hamish Turnbull, with Joe Truman as the reserve rider. ‘The men’s sprint team is so strong, especially with Jack and Olympic debutant Ed, who is a bit of a wild card, but…2 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24WORLDS apartSLIP NEW FROM THU 8 AUGUST, ITVX COMEDY DRAMA A restless 30-something New Yorker finds herself unexpectedly living out different versions of her life on a journey of self-discovery across parallel universes in new dramedy Slip. Launching on ITVX this week, the seven-part series is created by American actor and filmmaker Zoe Lister-Jones (New Girl and Life in Pieces), who also takes centre stage in the story as dissatisfied Mae Cannon. DIFFERENT LIVES Assistant museum curator Mae is in a loving but dull marriage to struggling writer Elijah (GLOW’s Whitmer Thomas), but after Mae has a one-night stand with musician Eric (Willow’s Amar Chadha-Patel), she is stunned to discover she is now Eric’s troubled wife and her former life with Elijah never existed. She eventually realises that each time she…3 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24SPRINKLING OF MAGICWalter Elias Disney was born in Chicago on 5 December 1901 and took a keen interest in drawing from an early age, taking art classes as a boy before landing a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. The early 1920s saw him move to California, where he and his elder brother, Roy, set up the Disney Brothers Studio, which would later become the Walt Disney Company. Walt’s first brush with success was with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and he made 26 cartoons featuring the character before discovering he didn’t own the copyright to the creation. After the loss of Oswald, Walt and animator Ub Iwerks dreamt up a character called Mortimer Mouse, before Walt’s wife Lillian suggested he change it to something more relatable like Mickey.…2 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24MASON’S SECOND CHANCEMason has a lot to prove if he’s going to convince the locals that he’s serious about making up for his bullying behaviour that almost drove young Liam Connor to take his own life. Stu knows a thing or two about second chances, so, when he sees Mason stealing food, he takes pity on the down-on-his-luck teen. The ex-jailbird offers Mason a placeto stay, and a job washing the pots at Speed Daal, much to the horror of some Weatherfield residents. Betsy then chooses to stir it by warning Dylan not to mess with Mason, as he’s got access to some very sharp knives now he’s working in a restaurant. This leaves poor Dylan fearing for his life, and when he sees Mason in the precinct, he panics. Is Dylan…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24BLACKMAIL plot!With Dean’s trial fast approaching, The Six are working harder than ever to cover up the truth about Keanu’s death. So you can imagine the panic that sets in this week when Linda gets a note from an anonymous blackmailer threatening to reveal the truth about her Christmas Day crime. Has someone in the Square cracked the case? Since framing her rapist for killing Keanu, L is already living on her nerves, and a diet consisting mainly of Pinot Grigio, and doesn’t need another reason to live in fear. The fragile landlady is flustered when she’s approached in the pub by a guy called Fraser, who claims to be an acquaintance of Dean’s. ‘SHE THINKS HER LIFE IS OVER’ The stranger insists he doesn’t want any trouble, and has tracked…2 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24WALFORD EXTRAIt was an awkward moment for Ian Beale when Jane and Cindy came face to face for the first time recently, but, off-screen, it was a much happier encounter! ‘I’m nothing like Jane, andMichelle Collins is nothing like Cindy, but in real life we are very similar creatures, in many respects,’ says actor Laurie Brett, 55, who made a shock comeback to EastEnders as Jane this July after almostseven years away. ‘Finally meeting Cindy was like seeing a ghost for Jane – she’d heard so much about her. But Michelle and I got on so well and didn’t stop giggling!’…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24GuiltySECRETSWhen will anybody learn that crossing Kim Tate never ends well? Rose tried and failed, and now she’s disappeared – and our guess is she’s six feet under! Suspicion grows about Rose’s vanishing act this week, so Kim and Will hastily try to cover their tracks. But can the conspiring couple trust each other, and what actually happened to Rose? Once Kim rumbled love rival Rose’s plan to oust her from Will and Dawn’s life, the queen of Home Farm wasted little time in taking revenge. Quite what that entailed isn’t yet clear, and all we know is Rose has gone and her handbag was found abandoned outside the village. Will and Kim exchange guilty looks as Dawn fears her missing mum might be in trouble, especially Mr Taylor, who…1 min
TV Times|3-Aug-24WEDNESDAY HighlightsLove Is Blind: UK NEW REALITY NETFLIX Move over MAFS! Get ready for your new reality TV obsession as this dating show with a difference finally comes to UK soil. Hosted by TV’s hottest married couple (in our humble opinion!) The Voice UK’s Emma Willis and her Busted star husband Matt, it sees 30 singletons enter specially designed pods, to go on a series of dates… with potential love interests they can’t see. Those who build the strongest connections get engaged (yes, really!) and it’s only then that those couples meet – but will they like what they see? With the first four parts dropping this week, we guarantee you won’t be able to take your eyes off it! ★★★★★ VW See feature, page 16 Irvine Welsh’s Crime NEW DRAMA…3 min
