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A “masterpiece” that comes from the creator of The Night Manager can be streamed for free.

The Night Manager has made its comeback to our screens, but there’s another “utterly amazing” drama that fans can binge-watch.

It’s been a decade since BBC viewers last saw Loki star Tom Hiddleston as former soldier Jonathan Pine, and now he’s returned for a second series which was initially revealed, much to everyone’s astonishment, in 2024.

The Night Manager, which draws from the bestselling 1990s novel of the same title, isn’t the sole John le Carré tale brought to television.

Eight years ago, another of le Carré’s narratives was transformed into a mini-series focusing on Charlie, an English actress recruited by Israeli intelligence to penetrate a Palestinian terrorist organisation by masquerading as the girlfriend of a bomber’s sibling.

Branded as both the “ultimate spy novel” and “one of the most beautiful heartwrenching love stories”, this alternative to The Night Manager shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Little Drummer Girl, which is available to stream without charge on BBC iPlayer, has garnered tremendous acclaim since its original broadcast.

Writing on IMDb, one viewer remarked: “This was such a breathtaking screen adaptation.”

Another agreed: “This is a beautifully made, written, directed and acted period thriller that has it all.

“This is not your typical Hollywood action fodder but an elegant and stylish piece of theatre,” a third contributor noted.

One devoted fan branded it “utterly amazing” whilst another viewer hailed it as a “masterpiece of acting, pacing and writing”. One viewer gushed: “I am speechless and overwhelmed…This has left me wanting for more, unlike The Night Manager.”

With a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%, on par with The Night Manager, The Little Drummer Girl boasts an impressive cast.

At the centre of the drama is Florence Pugh, known for her roles in Marvel’s Thunderbolts, Little Women and Oppenheimer, who plays Charlie.

She stars alongside Alexander Skarsgard, famed for his roles as Eric Northman in True Blood, Perry Wright in Big Little Lies and Tarzan in the 2016 film The Legend of Tarzan.

Other notable names include Michael Shannon from Death By Lightning, Simona Brown of Behind Her Eyes fame and Clare Holman, known for Inspector Morse.

The Little Drummer Girl is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Waiting for the Out follows a man who teaches philosophy to prison inmates

The BBC has been slapped with complaints as viewers fumed over a new prison drama on Saturday (January 3).

New six-part drama Waiting for the Out has been penned by award-winning screenwriter Dennis Kelly from Andy West’s memoir, The Life Inside.

It follows Dan Stewer (played by Josh Finan), who decides to teach a group of male inmates about dominance, freedom, luck and other topics that have troubled philosophers for thousands of years. These topics also gain a new meaning when seen through the prisoners’ eyes, both igniting passions and creating tension.

The official synopsis continues: “Through his work, Dan begins to dig deeper into his own past – growing up with a father (Gerard Kearns) who ended up in prison, as did his brother Lee (Stephen Wight) and uncle Frank (Phil Daniels). Dan took a different path, but this time working in a prison begins to make him worry, obsessively, that he belongs behind bars just like his father.

“As Dan’s personal crisis deepens, his actions begin to threaten both his own future, and his family’s.”

The show’s cast also includes Samantha Spiro, Phil Daniels, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Neal Barry, Alex Ferns, Francis Lovehall, Steven Meo, Ric Renton, Tom Moutchi, Nima Taleghani, Sule Rimi, Charlie Rix and Jude Mack.

The first episode saw Dan begin his first day teaching philosophy in a men’s prison. The lesson soon unravelled as he realised he’d underestimated his audience – and the weight of his own past.

Fixating on small details, Dan lost control of the class, risked his chance to become a father and broke an important promise to his new girlfriend. But when a familiar face resurfaced, Dan was soon forced to confront someone he thought he’d left behind.

BBC viewers were quick to share their complaints after watching the episode, with many sharing their frustration on X (formerly Twitter). “Well this is 45 mins of my life I won’t get back,” one person wrote.

Another added: “This is so weird,” while a third said: “God this is awful. Fella has no survival instinct. I’d be out of there. Don’t think they’d lock him in there alone with no way out.”

Meanwhile, other viewers were impressed with the contents of the episode, with one person writing: “Wow very interesting style! Quite different from anything else I’ve seen,” while another shared: “Just watched #WaitingForTheOut and I think it’s going to be brilliant.”

Andy West, executive producer and author of The Life Inside, previously said in a statement: “I’m so thankful to the writers, directors, producers and everyone involved in adapting The Life Inside. They have brought extraordinary creative and moral imagination to the stories in the book. We all hope to make a series that goes beyond the clichés about prisons and the families inside them and that touches people either side of the wall.”

Writer and executive producer Dennis Kelly added: “It’s not at all unusual for the men in Andy West’s family to end up in prison – but Andy is the only one that chose to be there. His book is funny, insightful, beautiful, genuinely heartbreaking and nothing like what you’d expect it to be – we’ve tried to take that into the series. God alone knows if we’ve succeeded, but we’ve tried…”

Waiting for the Out is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

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The series should offer a fresh take on a beloved classic character

Fans have been given their first looks at a ‘crazy’ period drama meets fast-paced action prequel series based on a series of classic novels and an iconic literary character.

The new show comes from the acclaimed writer and director Guy Ritchie. He is known for creating Netflix hit The Gentlemen, which in turn was based on his film of the same name. He also helmed British comedy gangster films Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells to name a few.

Ritchie is now returning to the world of Sherlock Holmes, which he previously visited in 2009 and 2011 with Robert Downey Jr as the renowned detective. His new series, set to premiere on Prime Video next year, will examine the character’s origins.

Young Sherlock will be streaming on the platform from March 4 and promises the same kind of wit and charm of found in Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes feature films. According to the synopsis provided by Prime, Young Sherlock follows the origin story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved detective in an explosive re-imagining of this iconic character’s early days.

Sherlock Holmes is a disgraced young man, raw and unfiltered, when he finds himself wrapped up in a murder case that threatens his liberty. His first ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy that changes his life forever. Unfolding in 1870s Oxford and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin, who has previously appeared in Harry Potter, will star as the 19-year-old Holmes. Joining him in the cast are Joseph Fiennes as Silas Holmes, Sherlock’s father, Natascha McElhone as Sherlock’s mother and Colin Firth as Sir Bucephalus Hodge. Dónal Finn takes on the role of a young James Moriarty, Sherlock’s future arch-nemesis

The show’s first trailer was released and gives viewers a taste of what they could expect. It seems that the action will be full throttle from the beginning and even some younger versions of Sherlock’s classic villains on the way.

It didn’t take long for fans to react to the announcement and the trailer. Sharing their thoughts on social media, one person posted: “Guy Ritchie doing Sherlock? Sounds wild, cant wait for March.”

Another replied: “The origin story we didn’t know we needed.” While a third commented: “It’s crazy…. but it looks good! Nice surprise.”

Many are excited at the prospect of Guy Ritchie returning to the world of Sherlock Holmes and what he can contribute to the lore and period genre. One person said: “Guy Ritchie directing an origin story means we are 100% getting fast-paced dialogue, bare-knuckle boxing, and stylish editing.

“It sounds like he’s treating this less like a detective show and more like The Gentlemen in the 1870s. The ‘globe-trotting’ aspect suggests this is going to be way more action-heavy than just sitting in Baker Street.”

One person agreed: “Guy Ritchie’s style could reshape Sherlock’s origin story, but period accuracy often clashes with fast pacing.”

Young Sherlock is streaming on Prime Video from March 4.