All of the characters upped their game ahead of the final battle against Vecna but someone who surprised fans with their newfound bravery was Karen Wheeler (played by Cara Buono).
Not only did Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Holly Wheeler’s (Nell Fisher) mum fight off a demogorgon with a wine bottle, she blew up three of the creatures in the hospital’s laundry room, saving some of the beloved gang.
Fans flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to hail Karen a “hero” and a “bada**”, with someone writing: “Wow. I feel like I need to write Karen Wheeler multiple apology letters. She achieved fully elevated GOAT status this season.”
Now Karen Wheeler star Cara Buono is working on a brand new project that’s worlds away from the dangers of the Upside Down.
Buono is set to play the leading role of Cassie in what’s currently being listed as “Untitled Musical Comedy Jesse Eisenberg”.
The official synopsis for the project, which is currently in post-production, reads: “A shy woman unexpectedly cast in a local musical production loses herself in the role under the spell of the strong-willed director, immersing herself in the high-stakes world of community theatre.”
But Buono is far from the only familiar face in the upcoming musical comedy as she heads up a star-studded cast.
Alongside the Karen Wheeler actress, the project will star Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti, famed for The Holdovers, Billions and BlackMirror.
Another massive name in the cast is Hollywood legend Julianne Moore whose work includes Boogie Nights, The Hours and Still Alice which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey, who also features in Grown-Ish and The Colour Purple, joins them along with Better Call Saul icon Patrick Fabian.
The musical comedy has been created by none other than Jesse Eisenberg who rose to fame in The Social Network, but has since gone on to star in the Now You See Me franchise.
He also wrote and starred in the 2024 film A Real Pain which won Kieran Culkin the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
However, everything changes at his mother’s masquerade ball when Benedict becomes captivated by a mysterious Lady in Silver. He enlists the help of his somewhat reluctant sister, Eloise (Claudia Jessie), to unmask the identity of this intriguing woman. In an unexpected twist, Sophie Baek is actually employed as a resourceful maid for Araminta Gun (Katie Leung). When Benedict and Sophie cross paths again, he remains oblivious that she is his elusive Lady in Silver.
He finds himself caught between his genuine feelings for the captivating maid and his fantasy of the masked lady. The official synopsis teases: “Will Benedict’s inability to see these women as one and the same derail the undeniable spark between him and Sophie? And can love truly conquer anything – even a cross-class connection forbidden by society?” The upcoming season draws inspiration from Julia Quinn’s novel, An Offer From a Gentleman, hailed as a unique take on the Cinderella tale.
Here’s everything you need to know about the fourth season, including its release date, episode count, and cast.
When is Bridgerton season 4 out?
Bridgerton’s fourth season has been divided into two parts, set to air on separate dates on Netflix. The first part will be released globally on January 29, with the second part following on February 26. This means that die-hard fans will have to endure a month-long wait between the two parts. Netflix typically releases new titles at midnight in the US and at 8am in the UK.
Netflix’s Tudum has announced a live stream event on January 14, which will include an early screening of the first episode and red carpet coverage of the global premiere in Paris.
How many episodes are in Bridgerton season 4?
Each part will consist of four episodes, making up a total of eight episodes for the fourth season. Based on previous seasons, each episode is expected to run for approximately an hour. The series is exclusively available on Netflix, meaning viewers won’t be able to catch the new episodes on any other platform.
Benedict actor Thompson teased: “The storyline is a bit of a twist on Cinderella. You remember being told those stories as a child — the magic and the romance of them. It’s really exciting to have that weaved into the world that we know of Bridgerton … It’s such a great story, but it’s also, I hope, really relatable.”
Who is in the cast of Bridgerton season 4?
Season four will introduce several new characters, including Lady Araminta Gun, portrayed by Katie Leung. Lady Gun is a twice-widowed mother of two daughters, who is eager to see at least one of them wed. Katie Leung, a 38 year old British actress, is best known for her role as Cho Chang, Harry Potter‘s first love interest, in the Harry Potter film series.
Rosamund Li is portrayed by Michelle Mao, with her character being Araminta’s eldest daughter and most treasured child. Michelle Mao is a 27 year old actress who has previously appeared in Surfside Girls and Morgan’s Secret. Posy Li is brought to life by Isabella Wei, whose character serves as Rosamund’s younger, more compassionate sister, described as talkative and excessively welcoming. Isabella Wei is a 21 year old actress and dancer from Hong Kong, recognised for her performances in the Netflix series 1899 and Black Doves.
The entire main cast will be reprising their roles, including Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, Simone Ashley as Kate Bridgerton and Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury. Two previous stars have also been promoted to series regulars – Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich and Hugh Sachs as Brimsley.
Finally, Yerin Ha joins as leading lady Sophie, and she opened up about her latest role, sharing: “What drew me to Sophie was that she immediately has obstacles — something that she constantly has to overcome. Whether it’s this battle around social status or trying to hide her feelings from Benedict.”
Is there a trailer for Bridgerton season 4?
The official trailer for season four dropped over Christmas, sparking criticism from fans as Anthony and Kate were “missing” from the preview.
One frustrated viewer posted on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Clearly we understand Kathony [Kate and Anthony] had their season… but it truly doesn’t make sense that the VISCOUNT and VISCOUNTESS Bridgerton, the literal HEADS of the household, are nowhere to be seen Imao.”
The fresh teaser unveils Penelope Featherington, played by Nicola Coughlan, teaming up with Queen Charlotte, portrayed by Golda Rosheuvel, following the revelation of her secret identity as Lady Whistledown. Concurrently, Sophie’s Cinderella-esque scene unfolds as she is compelled to make a hasty exit from the ball at midnight, leaving Benedict in the dark.
The trailer also spotlights the complex relationship between Benedict and his mother, showcasing his struggle between fulfilling her aspirations and pursuing his own dreams.
Bridgerton season 4, part 1 premieres on Netflix on January 29, followed by part 2 on February 26.
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**
‘This wants so bad to be Romancing the Stone, but it can’t even be Jewel of the Nile’
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A modern rom-com that harkens back to an 80s’ classic while featuring a pair of A-list stars is on British telly tonight (Sunday).
Starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, The Lost City was released in 2022 to generally positive reviews, earning back almost three times its budget.
Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a former archaeology researcher who writes romance-adventure novels. She reluctantly agrees to go on a book tour with a cover model for her fictitious hero, played by Tatum, but both find themselves embarking on an adventure, searching for a lost city that hides a priceless treasure.
The movie also features Brad Pitt in a rare supporting role, while Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe plays against type as an egotistical, eccentric billionaire who acts as the film’s ultimate baddie.
The Lost City has a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which says that while “The Lost City doesn’t sparkle quite as brightly as some classic treasure-hunting capers such as Romancing the Stone, its stars’ screwball chemistry makes this movie well worth romancing.”
One critic wrote: “The Lost City is every bit the romantic adventure we didn’t know we needed and then some. It’s fun and hilarious, and its on-the-nose praise of the romance genre is something we’ll never tire of exploring.”
Another was more circumspect, writing: “Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum get blindsided by a wonky and aimless script better suited for the balls-to-the-wall performances of its side characters.”
Movie fans were also divided on the film, which has some big supporters but more than a few who were left unimpressed. One wrote: “Enough laughs to make it enjoyable. All the actors did great in it. Sandra Bullock is really good at doing clumsy slapstick.”
A second stated: “It was such a funny treat. All the cast and crew were amazing. It had the whole theatre laughing. I’d definitely recommend watching this film.”
A third said: “Very enjoyable adventure-romance-comedy movie. I loved it. Highly recommend!”
However, some thought it paled in comparison to the classics: “This wants so bad to be Romancing the Stone, but it can’t even be Jewel of the Nile… It’s fun enough to be a passable time-waster, but it’s not compelling or unique enough to leave a lasting impression.”
Another wrote: “Clicked play immediately upon seeing the cast – found myself extremely disappointed that such great actors would partake in such an overplayed, cheesy plot. Paying attention was a chore.”
The Lost City airs on E4 tonight (Sunday, January 4) at 9pm.
Run Away on Netflix is based on author and executive producer Harlan Coben’s best-selling novel of the same name.
Netflix’s upcoming thriller Run Away is about to hit the screens and it features a star-studded cast that viewers will recognise.
For several years now, Netflix has been delivering Harlan Coben dramas, from The Stranger and Fool Me Once to this year’s 2025 Missing You and now, another one is on its way.
Run Away, based on Coben’s 2019 novel of the same name, tells the gripping tale of a desperate father searching for his drug-addicted daughter who has disappeared after severing ties with her family.
As with any Harlan Coben drama, Run Away is packed with familiar faces so here’s a rundown of the cast.
Run Away on Netflix cast
Simon Greene – James Nesbitt
Simon had an idyllic family life until his daughter Paige (portrayed by Ellie de Lange) ran away from home.
Six months later, he finally locates her, but this discovery triggers a series of other distressing events.
James Nesbitt, who plays Simon, first gained fame as Adam Williams in the comedy-drama Cold Feet. More recently, he’s known for his roles in The Hobbit franchise as Bofur and BBC drama Bloodlands as DCI Tom Brannick.
He has also appeared in other Harlan Coben dramas such as Stay Close and Missing You.
Elena Ravenscroft – Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones, famous for her role as the enigmatic yet endearing Nessa Jenkins in Gavin and Stacey, is another key member of the cast.
Her other notable roles include Stella, Hattie, Fat Friends, Little Britain, and Nighty Night.
Jones takes on the role of private investigator Elena Ravenscroft who becomes involved while investigating another case of a young person running away from home.
Isaac Fagbenle – Alfred Enoch
Detective Isaac Fagbenle, played by Alfred Enoch, is at the centre of a gripping investigation with Simon as the prime suspect.
Enoch is best known for his roles as Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter series and Wes Gibbins in the legal thriller How To Get Away With Murder.
Paige Greene – Ellie de Lange
Ellie de Lange, who has starred in acclaimed dramas such as Wolf Hall, The Serpent, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Arcadia, portrays Ellie, Simon’s daughter.
Her character takes a dark turn, running away and falling into homelessness and drug addiction.
Cornelius Faber – Lucian Msamati
While living in a dilapidated flat with her boyfriend, Ellie befriends Cornelius, their neighbour. He becomes instrumental in helping Simon locate his daughter, but can he truly be trusted?
Lucian Msamati, known for his roles as Salladhor Saan in HBO’s Game of Thrones, David Runihura in Black Earth Rising and Ed Dumani in Sky’s Gangs of London, brings Cornelius to life.
Jessica Kinberg – Tracy-Ann Oberman
Tracy-Ann Oberman, famous for her roles as the fiery Chrissie Watts in EastEnders and Auntie Val in the popular comedy Friday Night Dinner, plays Jessica Kinberg, Simon’s no-nonsense lawyer who goes to great lengths to keep him out of trouble.
Ingrid Greene – Minnie Driver
Ingrid, Simon’s wife, is desperate to bring her daughter back home safely. She is terrified for her daughter’s wellbeing and will stop at nothing to ensure her safe return.
The character is portrayed by actress Minnie Driver, who is widely recognised for her role as Skylar in Good Will Hunting alongside Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Robin Williams.
Driver’s other notable performances include The Riches, Speechless, The Serpent Queen, The Borderline and, most recently, she graced the fifth season of Netflix’s Emily in Paris as Princess Jane.
The ensemble cast also features:
Lou – Annette Badland
Ash – Jon Pointing
Dee Dee – Maeve Courtier-Lilley
Yvonne – Ingrid Oliver
Wiley Corval – Joe McGann
Run Away is set to premiere on New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, on Netflix.
EastEnders newcomer Ronni Ancona famously impersonated characters on the BBC soap years before the news she would join the cast as Linda Carter’s old classmate Bea
07:30, 30 Dec 2025Updated 07:41, 30 Dec 2025
Comedian and actress Ronni Ancona has revealed all about joining the EastEnders cast(Image: PA)
Comedian and actress Ronni Ancona has revealed all about joining the EastEnders cast, teasing twists and turns ahead.
The star, who famously performed impressions of the soap’s characters and cast in the Big Impression show, will take on the role of Linda Carter’s old schoolfriend Bea. Viewers will see her debut at a school reunion where she and Linda come face-to-face for the first time in years.
We’re set to find out more about Linda’s time at school, as Bea is left gutted by their different perspectives. Teasing the scenes, Ronni shared: “Bea was in a more senior year at school than Linda, but that didn’t stop her being intimidated by her. They have both got very different perspectives on what happened at school, and initially she is very upset and slighted by that.
“There are lots of twists and turns and lots of unexpected developments. She’s a mercurial character who is witty, and charismatic, yet vulnerable as well.” Teasing what fans can expect from her character, Ronni shared: “Ben [Wadey, Executive Producer] loves comedy and wanted to bring in a character who was both tragic and funny.
“Bea is misunderstood, and there’s a touch of desperation about her. When she feels cornered, she can become rather dangerous. Deep down, she just wants to be loved and to fit in. She’s the sort of person who ‘window-shops’ other people’s lives, trying to reshape herself into whoever she thinks others want her to be.
“In her mind, that’s the only way to earn love and attention – which is, unfortunately, quite misguided. Bea is intelligent, but she’s never achieved what she hoped for, so there’s an underlying frustration that her life hasn’t lived up to her potential.
“She has shades of a Walter Mitty–type character; you’re never entirely sure how much of what she says is real. She’s complex, nuanced, and unusual – someone who has become convinced by her own narrative.” Ronni confessed it was “bizarre” to step onto the soap after years of impersonating its legendary characters. She revealed: “It all felt rather bizarre and completely surreal.
“We always made those sketches with real respect and affection for the show and its cast, so stepping onto the actual set for the first time was an especially strange experience. Although thinking about it I think they let us film our ‘EastEnders the Musical’ on the outside lot, which would have been the old set.
“My first scene was on the bench in the middle of Albert Square – exactly where Alastair [McGowan] and I had once filmed our sketch ‘The Bench of Tears.’ That moment was so surreal I immediately phoned him to say, ‘I’ve just done a scene on the bench of tears,’ and he practically shouted, ‘NO WAY!’
“To add to the oddness, several members of the crew had worked with me years ago on Big Impression and The Sketch Show with Lee Mack, so it felt like past and present were colliding. Filming in the Vic for the first time was unexpectedly emotional. I couldn’t help remembering my impression of Peggy Mitchell, played by the much-missed Barbara Windsor.
“I adored her, and I know she enjoyed the impression, so walking into her domain properly was a real moment. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about meeting some of the cast I’d impersonated, but they all have a brilliant sense of humour.
“Jessie Wallace even did my impression of her back at me, which was hysterical. I may now have to do my impression of her impression, it could become an endless loop.”
After the eye strain, the greatest occupational hazard of being a TV critic is people asking what’s good on television. It’s a question I typically find impossible to answer on the spur of the moment, as a show will run out of my head as soon as a review is filed in order to make room for the next one. (I buy time by responding, “What do you like?”) It is only at this reflective season of the year that I can stop, look back and list them.
Our picks for this year’s best in arts and entertainment.
Every year, television has its ups and downs, its ebb and flow, depending on a host of reasons I will only ever vaguely understand. I will take this opportunity to say that there are way too many psychological thrillers on way too many platforms nowadays, but there are always more than enough shows to praise — and as always, I include only series that are new this year. Some are here because they deliver real surprises — not just plot twists and sudden revelations, but new directions and original formats. Others are here by dint of good old-fashioned storytelling, memorable characters and terrific performances — or just because they made me laugh.
Here they are, in no special order.
‘Hal & Harper’ (Mubi)
Lili Reinhart and Cooper Raiff in Mubi’s “Hal & Harper.”
(Mubi)
Writer-director Cooper Raiff’s delicate drama looks at a brother and a sister — played by Raiff and Lili Reinhart both as adults and children, with no sacrifice of reality — made close by the early loss of their mother and the grief of their father (Mark Ruffalo, identified only as Dad). The sale of their old house and the prospect of a new sibling — Dad’s girlfriend (Betty Gilpin, going from strength to strength) — sets things in motion. The dialogue avoids exposition, the silences say much. (Read the review.)
‘The Lowdown’ (FX)
Ethan Hawke and Ryan Kiera Armstrong in FX’s “The Lowdown.”
(Shane Brown / FX)
In Sterlin Harjo’s shaggy dog follow-up to “Reservation Dogs,” the ever-evolving Ethan Hawke plays Lee Raybon, a raggedy Tulsa “truthstorian,” citizen journalist and used-book dealer, looking into the apparent suicide of the oddball member of a powerful family. The series pays homage to noir film and fiction, even as it’s too bright, mischievous and full of love to qualify as noir itself (though Lee does get beat up a lot). Politicians, land developers, white supremacists and Natives collide. The cast also includes Kyle MacLachlan, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Peter Dinklage, Keith David, Kaniehtiio Horn (the Deer Lady in “Reservation Dogs”) as Ray’s ex-wife and the marvelous Ryan Kiera Armstrong as his teenage daughter and eager accomplice. Look for X’s John Doe as a purveyor of bootleg caviar. (Read the review.)
‘Women Wearing Shoulder Pads’ (Adult Swim), ‘Common Side Effects’ (Adult Swim), ‘Oh My God … Yes!’ (Adult Swim), ‘Long Story Short’ (Netflix)
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1.“Women Wearing Shoulder Pads” on Adult Swim.(Warner Bros)2.“Common Side Effects” on Adult Swim.(Adult Swim)3.“Oh My God … Yes!” on Adult Swim.(Warner Bros. Discovery)4.“Long Story Short” on Netflix.(Netflix)
Animation! “Women Wearing Shoulder Pads” is a queer Spanish-language stop-motion comedy melodrama, set in the aesthetic world of a 1980s Pedro Almodóvar film, involving the fate of the cuy, a South American guinea pig (pets? food?), and a struggle between two powerful women. (Read the review.)
“Common Side Effects” is a semicomical thriller with heart, centered on a mushroom with curative properties and pitting its discoverer against the pharmaceutical-industrial complex; Martha Kelly fans will be happy to find her here as a DEA agent. (Read the review.)
“Oh My God … Yes!” is an Afro-futurist, surrealist, girlfriends-in-the-city superhero comedy — like the Powerpuff Girls, grown up, earthy and Black — featuring humanoid robots, anthropomorphic animals and gayliens (the preferred term for gay aliens). (Read the review.)
And “Long Story Short,” from “Bojack Horseman” creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg is the sweet, melancholy, satirical, silly, poignant, hopeful, sometimes slapstick cartoon tale of a normal middle-class Jewish family; the world it portrays is (mostly) ordinary, but the drawings make it extra-special. (Read the review.)
‘Demascus’ (Tubi)
Okieriete Onaodowan in Tubi’s “Demascus.”
(Jace Downs / AMC Networks)
In this Black science-fiction comedy about the search for identity and purpose, Okieriete Onaodowan plays the title character, propelled into alternative visions of his life and self by an experimental virtual reality gizmo that “follows the path of your conscious and subconscious impulses.” The settings change along with him — into a relationship reality show, a “sad Thanksgiving” domestic comedy, a setting out of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” — as supporting actors (Martin Lawrence among them) become different people around him. (Read the review.)
‘Pluribus’ (Apple TV)
Rhea Seehorn in Apple TV’s “Pluribus.”
(Anna Kooris / Apple TV)
I find Vince Gilligan’s take on “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” in which a virus from outer space turns nearly all of humanity into one giant, contented, cultish hive mind, more interesting than compelling, but it’s interesting enough, and comes with a great performance by Rhea Seehorn as one of a dozen earthlings immune to the bug — jealous of her discontent, standing up for her right to be angry. This is a slow series, yet never a boring one, and Seehorn, in a kind of one-woman-versus-everyone show, is electric even when nothing much is happening. (Read the review.)
‘The Studio’ (Apple TV)
Clockwise from left: Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Seth Rogen in Apple TV’s “The Studio.”
(Apple TV+)
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s breakneck farcical ode to the motion picture business (in which they do very well). Rogen stars as a new studio head, promoted from below, dealing with bad ideas (a Kool-Aid movie), big egos, and his own insecurities and need to feel appreciated. Episodes take place at the Golden Globes, a fundraising dinner and a Las Vegas trade show, with Ike Barinholtz and Kathryn Hahn on his team, Bryan Cranston as his boss — reminding you he was on “Seinfeld” and “Malcolm in the Middle” before he became Walter White — and Catherine O’Hara (brilliant, naturally) as the woman Rogen replaced. (Read the review.)
‘North of North’ (Netflix)
Anna Lambe in Netflix’s “North of North.”
(Netflix)
A sweet small-town romantic comedy, set (and filmed) in Canada’s northernmost territory among the Indigenous Inuit people. A luminous Anna Lambe stars as the 26-year-old mother of a rambunctious 7-year-old, tied to a narcissistic husband and resentful of her mother, a reformed alcoholic and former bad girl; she dreams of something more, even if it just means hauling large items to the dump. Mary Lynn Rajskub plays the cheerful, credit-grabbing town manager whose assistant she becomes. Love and a family secret will arrive from the south. The beaded parkas are gorgeous. (Read the review.)
‘The Pitt’ (HBO Max), ‘Adolescence’ (Netflix)
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1.Noah Wyle and Tracy Ifeachor in HBO Max’s “The Pitt.”(John Johnson/HBO)2.Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham in Netflix’s “Adolescence.”(Netflix)
These two series do their work in real time, making space for naturalistic acting and a special kind of pressure. “The Pitt,” whose 15 episodes are set in a hectic Pittsburgh ER over a 15-hour shift puts Noah Wyle back in scrubs, herding (with Tracy Ifeachor) a large cast of doctors, nurses and student doctors. Cases include electrocution, drowning, overdose, scurvy, sickle cell anemia, a nail in the chest, a fastball in the eye and gallstones, with all the personal drama one expects from a hospital show. (Read the review.)
The tightly focused, brutally intimate “Adolescence,” surrounding the arrest of a 13-year-old boy (Owen Cooper) for murder, unveils its unconventional mystery in four discrete episodes, each executed in a single tracking shot. A field day for actors, it earned Emmys for Cooper, co-creator Stephen Graham as his father and Erin Doherty as a child psychologist. (Read the review.)
‘Dope Thief’ (Apple TV), ‘Deli Boys’ (Hulu)
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1.Brian Tyree Henry, left, and Wagner Moura in Apple TV’s “Dope Thief.”(Apple)2.Saagar Shaikh, left, and Asif Ali in Hulu’s “Deli Boys.”(James Washington/Disney)
Drugs are bad, but they fuel a lot of television. (I mean the plots; I wouldn’t know about the productions.) These two very different series feature heroes in over their heads, caught between cops and a cartel. “Dope Thief” gives Brian Tyree Henry (Paper Boi on “Atlanta”), as a man robbing low-level drug dealers dressed as a DEA agent, his first starring role, which would be sufficient for me to recommend it sight unseen — but it is excellent, seen. (Read the review.)
In “Deli Boys,” an old-fashioned comedy of Idiots in Danger, Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh play temperamentally opposite Pakistani American brothers who inherit what they believed to be a chain of convenience stores but turn out to be the front for their father’s cocaine empire. Poorna Jagannathan is marvelous as their beloved, fearsome Lucky Auntie, who knows the score. (Read the review.)
‘Ludwig’ (Britbox)
David Mitchell in Britbox’s “Ludwig.”
(Colin Hutton)
In this Cambridge-set dramatic comedy-mystery, irascible David Mitchell, of “Peep Show,” “Upstart Crow” and “Would I Lie to You?” fame, plays an awkward, isolated genius with little practical experience of the world, drawn right into it when he winds up impersonating his missing twin brother, a police detective. A professional puzzle-maker, he’ll turn out to be good at the job, though he calls a medical examiner’s report a “how-did-they-die test,” and, moving in with his sister-in-law, he’ll learn something about the benefits of family. Properly moving, and very funny. (Read the review.)
Red Eye season 2 premieres on 1st January 2026, with Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp returning alongside new lead Martin Compston for the gripping thriller
Martin Compston as RSO Brody in Red Eye series two(Image: ITV)
ITV is starting the year with a bang, bringing back its popular original thriller Red Eye. Creator Peter A Dowling and director Kieron Moore are teaming up again for a fresh story that once more puts DC Hana Li (Jing Lusi) and MI5 director-general Madeline Delaney (Lesley Sharp) in serious jeopardy.
The first series centred on the spine-chilling events on an extradition flight to China, where an alleged murderer was embroiled in a complicated international conspiracy.
This latest chapter builds on those global political tensions, splitting time between a besieged US Embassy in London and a rigged flight back to the English capital.
If you’re excited to tune into Red Eye season 2 on ITV1 and ITVX, read on for everything you need to know about the show’s return.
Red Eye season 2 release date
Red Eye season 2 is set to premiere on ITV1 at 9pm on Thursday, 1st January 2026 (New Year’s Day). All six episodes will also be available on ITVX from that date, allowing fans to binge-watch ahead.
Red Eye season 2 cast: New and returning
Red Eye season 2 welcomes back Jing Lusi as DC Hana Li, who spent the first series untangling a complex conspiracy on a dangerous flight to China.
Lesley Sharp is back in action as Madeline Delaney, now the director general of MI5, who finds herself in a precarious situation on an overseas flight in season 2, mirroring Hana’s ordeal from the first series.
Other familiar faces include Jemma Moore (Lockwood & Co.) reprising her role as Hana’s sister Jess, a fearless journalist, and Robert Gilbert (Bergerac) returning as her boss, Superintendent Simon O’Brian. Notably missing is Richard Armitage as Dr Matthew Nolan, with Line of Duty’s Martin Compston stepping in to fill his shoes as Lusi’s male co-lead, playing US Embassy security chief Clay Brody.
In summary, here’s an overview of the Red Eye season 2 cast:
Jing Lusi as Detective Hana Li
Lesley Sharp as Madeline Delaney
Martin Compston as Clay Brody
Jemma Moore as Jess Li
Robert Gilbert as Supt. Simon O’Brien
Cash Holland as Ruth Banks
Jonathan Aris as John Tennant
Steph Lacey as Megan Campbell
Nicholas Rowe as DSEC Alex Peterson
Trevor White as US Ambassador Ronald Tillman
Isaura Barbe-Brown as DCM Cece Redding
Danusia Samal as Captain Sarah Wright
Guy Williams as Air Marshal John Johnson
Red Eye season 2 plot: What is it about?
Red Eye season 2 once again divides its attention between another endangered flight and events unfolding on the ground, but this time around, Hana Li is grounded while Madeline Delaney is trapped thousands of feet in the air.
The synopsis reads: “Inside the US Embassy, the celebrations for a newly appointed US Ambassador to London are shattered when a call, threatening to blow a British plane out of the sky if anyone leaves, triggers an immediate embassy lockdown, trapping guests and staff inside.
“And that’s when the murders begin, landing Hana Li, as a British cop, in a political and jurisdictional nightmare. Compelled to join forces with the Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody, played by Martin Compston, a former colleague who once screwed her over, Hana has to see her way past her distrust of him and focus on the investigation.
“Because this time it’s personal: The plane that will be blown up is a government jet, and Director General Madeline Delaney is onboard.”
Red Eye season 1 is available to stream on ITVX. Season 2 premieres on New Year’s Day 2026.
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Death in Paradise returns for a festive special episode tonight, with a guest cast set to join DI Mervin Wilson
Death in Paradise returns for a festive special(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)
Death in Paradise is gearing up for another festive special episode, ahead of welcoming a fresh series in 2026. The BBC programme has proved a massive success since it first hit our screens in 2011, with Ben Miller originally taking the lead detective role.
Don Gilet has stepped into Death in Paradise as the newest lead detective, DI Mervin Wilson, making his debut in the 2024 Christmas Special before headlining the complete Series 14 in early 2025, replacing Ralf Little.
Discussing his return to the role of Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson, Don Gilet shared with the BBC: “It felt good. Slightly daunting, but in a positive sense because you want to do the same again, if not better.
“I jokingly describe it as the second album. The first album went really well, but you can’t rest on your laurels and be complacent, there’s still more audience out there to win over. So, I went out to Guadeloupe with a renewed appetite. It was great to come back and reconnect with the characters and the actors,” reports the Express.
The BBC has now revealed what audiences can anticipate from the Christmas special, scheduled to broadcast tonight (December 28) on BBC One, featuring a new guest lineup appearing in this year’s standalone episode.
Death in Paradise Christmas special 2025 cast
DI Mervin Wilson- Don Gilet
Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas- Shantol Jackson
Officer Sebastian Rose- Shaquille Ali-Yebuah
Catherine Bordey- Elizabeth Bourgine
Officer Darlene Curtis- Ginny Holder
Guest cast
Josie Lawrence (Outside Edge)
Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead)
Pearl Mackie (Doctor Who)
James Baxter (Waterloo Road
Billy Harris (Ted Lasso)
Oriana Charles
Alix Serman
Death in Paradise Christmas special 2025 plot
The BBC has revealed a thrilling plot for the upcoming Christmas special of Death in Paradise. The office Christmas do takes a sinister twist when four colleagues wake up with pounding heads, only to find an unknown man shot dead in their villa’s pool.
DI Mervin Wilson and his squad manage to locate the murder weapon, but they’re left scratching their heads when they realise it was locked away in a drawer at the time of the shooting… and that drawer was thousands of miles from the crime scene, all the way back in Swindon. All the suspects insist they’ve never crossed paths with the deceased before.
As the team delves deeper into a tangled web of secrets and criminal activity, it becomes apparent they’ll need all the assistance they can muster to crack this perplexing case. Maybe a familiar face spending the festive season back in the UK could be persuaded to chip in.
Meanwhile, the Yuletide celebrations on Saint Marie are in full swing. The annual nativity is underway, and Mervin has a role to fill. But the DI has other matters preoccupying him.
A few months ago, he reached out to a brother he’d only recently discovered, but he’s yet to hear back. Can Mervin sort out his family issues and embrace the holiday cheer for the sake of his team and the island?
The Death in Paradise Christmas special airs Sunday, December 28 at 8:30pm on BBC One
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The film, based on a true story, is based on a daring mission to the moon
The film was directed by Ron Howard
We all know the story of the first moon landing when Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on its surface but almost as dramatic is the story of three astronauts who almost lost their lives on the USA’s third attempt to stand on the surface.
The Apollo 13 mission in 1969 saw Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise take off from earth on course for the moon. However, the mission almost ended in disaster and this 1995 blockbuster directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks and Lovell, Kevin Bacon as Swigert and Bill Paxton as Haise is being shown on ITV tonight.
After an unexpected explosion in space, NASA is running out of time to find a way to bring the three astronauts back to earth safely. The film was a huge commercial success when it was released, going on to become the third most successful film of 1995, behind Die Hard With A Vengance and Toy Story, which also starred Hanks.
Apollo 13 also went on to be nominated for nine Academy Awards and picked up two Oscars for Best Sound and Best Film Editing. It was also five BAFTAs and four Golden Globes.
It won over critics with an impressive 94 percent approval rating on the movie review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes. One critic described to film as Ron Howard’s “finest work”. They added: “In his finest directorial work, Ron Howard embraces everything that the astronauts of Apollo 13 aspired to be and ended up as. Unforgettable.”
Another said: “Director Ron Howard, who has built a career on easygoing, reassuring movies from Night Shift to The Paper, finally achieves true drama.” A third added: “For Apollo 13, the 1970 space mission, everything went wrong. But for Apollo 13, the movie, everything goes right. Director Ron Howard, who has a history of blowing hot and cold, is so far into his hot mode in this movie that he’s dang near on fire.”
Fans also couldn’t get enough of the movie. One wrote: “A phenomenal epic odyssey of the daring odds of the Apollo 13 crew trying to return back home against all odds after their space shuttle malfunctions. The cast is great, with Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Ed Harris all giving great performances.”
Another added: “Brilliant masterpiece!! It’s very gripping from start to finish!” While a third said: “All-time classic. An American masterpiece.”
Apollo 13 is on ITV4 at 6.35pm on Boxing Day, December 26.
‘For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website‘.
BBC thriller The Night Manager is set to return to screens after its successful debut back in 2016
BBC thriller The Night Manager is set to return to screens for its second season.
Based on the characters created by John le Carré, the series followed Jonathan Pine, a night manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo and a former British soldier, who was recruited by the manager of a Foreign Office task force to infiltrate the inner circle of a dangerous arms dealer.
The show won multiple BAFTAs, Emmy Awards, and Golden Globes, including Best Actor for Tom Hiddleston as Pine.
Almost ten years after its explosive finale captivated over ten million viewers, the hit BBC spy thriller is now back with a bang as Pine takes on an explosive new case.
The official synopsis teases: “Jonathan Pine thought he’d buried his past. Now living as Alex Goodwin – a low-level MI6 officer running a quiet surveillance unit in London – his life is comfortingly uneventful.
“Then one night, a chance sighting of an old Roper mercenary prompts a call to action and leads Pine to a violent encounter with a new player: Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos.
“On this perilous new journey, Pine meets Roxana Bolaños, a businesswoman who reluctantly helps him infiltrate Teddy’s Colombian arms operation. Once in Colombia, Pine is plunged deep into a deadly plot involving arms and training of a guerrilla army.”
The logline concludes: “As allegiances splinter, Pine races to expose a conspiracy designed to destabilise a nation. And with betrayal at every turn, he must decide whose trust he needs to earn and how far he’s willing to go before it’s too late.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the BBC thriller’s return, including release date, cast, and episode details.
When will The Night Manager be released?
The first episode of season two is set to premiere on BBC One on Thursday, January 1 at 9pm. The new series will then be available to stream on Prime Video from January 11.
Who is in the cast of The Night Manager?
Tom Hiddleston returns as former British intelligence operative, Jonathan Pine, with Diego Calva as Teddy, and Camila Morrone as Roxana. They are joined by Indira Varma as Mayra, Paul Chahidi as Basil, and Hayley Squires as Sally.
Olivia Colman reprises her role as Angela Burr, alongside returning cast members Alistair Petrie as Sandy Langbourne, Douglas Hodge as Rex Mayhew, Michael Nardone as Frisky, and Noah Jupe as Daniel Roper.
The cast and creatives have promised “danger, espionage, betrayal, love, heartbreak, drama, and suspense” in the next chapter of Pine’s story.
How many episodes are in The Night Manager?
The Night Manager season two consists of six hour-long episodes. After the first episode premieres on New Year’s Day, the drama will continue three days later on Sunday, January 4 at 9pm on BBC One.
The following four episodes will air every Sunday at 9pm, with the explosive finale expected to air on February 1.
For international viewers, the first three episodes will drop on Prime Video on Sunday, January 11, with subsequent instalments premiering every Sunday through to February 1.
The Night Manager season 2 premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Thursday, January 1
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To celebrate her last show with Strictly Come Dancing, the cast surprised host Claudia Winkleman with a touching tribute that left her screaming as she struggled to open the final vote
21:20, 20 Dec 2025Updated 21:20, 20 Dec 2025
Claudia Winkleman left screaming after Strictly cast surprise her with tribute(Image: BBC)
Claudia Winkleman was left screaming after she was surprised with a touching tribute from the Strictly Come Dancing cast. As she informed audiences that the final vote of the season was open, she was shocked to see several dancers had donned replicas of the blazer she was wearing and wigs that looked exactly like her hair.
The host, who announced in September that she would be leaving the show after over a decade, screamed “No way!” when she noticed that not only had the dancers dressed up like her, but notoriously grumpy judge Craig Revel Horwood had as well. He remained stony faced as he stared at the camera from behind the fringe, but Claudia still reacted with utter joy.
Claudia kept covering her mouth, laughing and screaming as she realised what was going on. It was the most emotional she had been about her exit so far, as Claudia and Tess Daly, who is also leaving the show, both seemed to choose not to address their exit at the start of the show and instead focus on the dancers.
But this did not stop Claudia from making a statement with her final show. She herself had made a tribute to prior host of the show during the series by wearing a blazer with the words “Keep dancing” written on the back.
The words were the catchphrase of original host Bruce Forsyth. Claudia took over as a primary host for Bruce in 2014, co-hosting with Tess when he stepped down.
Elsewhere in the show, Claudia pretended she and Tess had decided to do a showdance. Though this was not an explicit joke about them leaving, when Tess turned down the opportunity to dance, Claudia jokingly said to the male dancers that had accompanied her to the dancefloor: “Apparently tonight is all about the finalists.”
It came as a surprise to many when Tess and Claudia announced that they would be stepping down from the show after over ten years on it. The pair made the announcement via Instagram.
In a joint statement, they said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.
“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.”
Taking to Instagram again, Tess and Claudia made a low-key goodbye to the show via another post. In this one, they shared a series of images from backstage, including one that showed off Claudia’s blazer. They captioned the post: “You better believe we’re gonna keep dancing.”
The singer of the band lights up a cigarette and smoke drifts into the theater. Ditto for the pungent aroma of marijuana when a few band members share a joint. “Stereophonic,” which is playing at the Hollywood Pantages through Jan. 2, isn’t biographical, but it sure feels close.
The authenticity springs in part from the quality of the songs being recorded by the fictional band on stage, which were written by Will Butler, a multi-instrumentalist and former member of the Grammy Award-winning band Arcade Fire.
“Stereophonic,” which holds the record for the most Tony nominations of all time for a play, unfolds over the course of a single year as a rock band on the cusp of megastardom struggles to record its second album as the first reaches No. 1 on the charts. While the pressure to produce a hit builds, the band falls apart. For proof of the formula’s resilience, look no further than the success of VH1’s “Behind the Music” series, which plumbed the depths of dozens of rock ’n’ roll train wrecks.
“We really tried to just make something real,” Butler said during an interview in the small, cluttered green room at Amoeba Music before he joined the cast of the show for a brief in-store performance. “This is three hours of what it’s like to make a record.”
Is it ever. There is something inherently combustible about being in a band. (Full disclosure: I played in a semi-popular indie band for a decade, which imploded with huge amounts of drama right on cue. I know at least a dozen other groups that have unraveled in similar fashion.) Despite, or rather because of, Arcade Fire’s massive popularity, Butler knows the crash-and-burn nature of being in a band. He joined Arcade Fire after one of its original members quit in the middle of an encore following a fight with the lead singer — Butler’s older brother, Win Butler.
Will Butler left Arcade Fire at the end of 2021, saying at the time that the decision came about organically. “There was no acute reason beyond that I’ve changed — and the band has changed — over the last almost 20 years. Time for new things,” he wrote on social media.
Will Butler performs at Amoeba Music with Claire DeJean and the stars of the Broadway tour of “Stereophonic,” which follows the rise of a struggling 1970s rock band.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“Stereophonic” was one of those new things, and Butler has brought his understanding of volatile band dynamics to bear in his work on the show, as well as his thoughts on the fragile, ephemeral nature of recording in a studio.
“There’s a little booth, and you go into the booth and you lose your mind,” Butler said of the experience of laying down a track. “And you exit the booth and you’re just a boring human.”
The boring — and boorish — parts of that humanity are on display in “Stereophonic,” where there is more control room conflict than actual music making. This also feels true to form. Romances blossom and bottom out in spectacular fashion. Drugs are consumed in copious amounts — particularly cocaine. This is 1976, after all. The long-suffering recording engineer reaches his breaking point after becoming totally fed up with the band’s self-absorbed, self-destructive behavior.
Human beings weren’t meant to create art in this particular kind of pressure cooker. Until they do. There is a moment in the making of every great song when each musician becomes part of the whole during the act of recording, and the band’s genius is temporarily realized. The song can’t be made by any one member — it can only come from the spontaneous transcendence of the group.
This moment happens in “Stereophonic” after a truly frustrating number of stops and starts, when the group plays a song so beautifully that the theater erupts in effusive applause. This is why the band stays together despite its constant feuding — and why the audience has come.
“We really tried to just make something real,” Will Butler said of “Stereophonic.” “This is three hours of what it’s like to make a record.”
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“The music in this show has to crack open the world because it’s so much talking and it’s so much sitting around,” Butler said. “And then when they play music, you have to instantly realize why they’re together.”
Butler first met playwright David Adjmi and heard his idea for the show in 2014. Butler was intrigued, but had to wait for the script before he could work on the music in earnest. The songs needed to fit into the script like puzzle pieces, Butler said. Sometimes he needed to write a whole song and other times he needed to focus on composing the first 30 seconds of a song — which would be heard on repeat.
“And then we cast it, and now the music exists in a different way,” Butler said, noting that the music changes with every new cast. A cast — like a band — has its own particular strengths and weaknesses. No rhythm section is ever the same. You know John Bonham’s tom fills when you hear them, just as you can immediately recognize the sound of Ringo Starr’s hi-hats.
None of the actors in the national tour cast of “Stereophonic” — except for the drummer — are trained musicians.
(Julieta Cervantes)
The whole process of constructing “Stereophonic” as a play is very meta — with Butler producing the band that is in turn producing itself onstage in the studio. During the course of the show, one of the songs is actually recorded live and played back from the control room. It is slightly different each time, in ways both meaningful and incidental. Just like in real life.
The in-store performance at Amoeba, however, is wildly different from what happens onstage at the Pantages. The cast members are not — with the exception of the drummer — trained musicians, and stripped of the confidence that comes with costumes and a set, they appear somewhat vulnerable in the process.
This is in stark contrast to Butler, who displays all the verve and conviction of a bona fide rock star. The cast will do the same across the street later that night. For the moment, however, Butler is showing them just how it’s done.
