BERGERAC: SEASON TWO (2026, UK, 6 x 48m) ***½ d. Joss Agnew, Nicole Volavka; w. Toby Whithouse, Ashley Sanders, Emilie Robson, Brian Fillis; pr. Mike O’Regan; exec pr. Ben Bickerton, Philip Trethowan, Toby Whithouse, Brian Constantine, James Ahier, Helen Perry; ph. Annemarie Lean-Vercoe; m. Adiescar Chase; theme m. George Fenton; cast. Damien Molony, Robert Gilbert, Zoë Wanamaker, Adrian Edmondson, Lesley Sharp, Camilla Beeput, Sasha Behar, Celine Arden, Luke Nunn, Chloe Sweetlove, Turlough Convery, Georgina Rich, Charles Dale, Jonathan Aris. The second series of Toby Whithouse’s re-imagining of the 1980s classic BBC detective series is an improvement over the first. When a groom is murdered at a Jersey wedding, Bergerac (Molony) digs into the family history and unearths secrets the family desired to remain hidden. Molony is more settled in the lead role, and the mystery is involving, if over-extended at six episodes. A strong supporting cast includes Edmondson as a new paramour for Wanamaker’s Charlie Hungerford and Lesley Sharp as the murdered groom’s widow. Jersey landscape is colourfully captured by Lean-Vercoe’s camera. (U&Drama)
BELIEVE ME (2025, UK, 4 x 48m) **** d. Julia Ford; w. Jeff Pope; pr. Catrin Lewis Defis; exec pr. Saurabh Kakkar, Jeff Pope; ph. Bryan Gavigan; m. Carly Paradis; cast. Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Daniel Mays, Miriam Petche, Alex Price, Aasiya Shah, Laurie Kynaston, Jordan Bolger, Alexa Davies, Philippa Dunne, Rachael Stirling, David Fynn, Liam Garrigan, Alex Price, Kae Alexander, David Elliot. Harrowing account of the true story of the victims of sexual attacks by London cab driver John Warboys and their legal battle to bring him to justice. Expertly written by Pope and performed by a capable cast. Script highlights the mistakes made during the police investigation and the attempts to cover up but the focus on the impact on the victims’ lives (as portrayed largely through Edwards, Petche and Shah carries the dramatic heft. Mays is creepily effective as Warboys. (ITV)
PRISONER 951 (2025. UK 4 x 57m) ***½ d. Philippa Lowthorpe; w. Stephen Butchard (based on the book ‘A Yard of Sky’ by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe); pr. Jenny Frayn; exec pr. Laurence Bowen, Stephen Butchard, Chris Carey, Philippa Lowthorpe; ph. Ole Bratt Birkeland; m. Dickon Hinchliffe; cast. Narges Rashidi, Joseph Fiennes, Bijan Daneshmand, Behi Djanati Atai, Nicholas Farrell, Marion Bailey, Farzana Dua Elahe, Sam Troughton, Catherine Bailey, Kavé Niku, Astrid Whettnall, Claudia Harrison, Ash Goldeh, Alastair Mackenzie, Christopher Colquhoun, Vivienne Gibbs, Armin Karima, Ella Varavipour, Mana Sayyah, Ava Rose. Brilliantly acted but drawn-out account of the true story of the detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe by the Iranian government on accusations of spying with an underlying goal of obtaining repayment from the UK government for undelivered tanks. Rashidi and Fiennes give perfectly nuanced performances and capture the six-year ordeal of the family. Where the adaptation stumbles is in failing to dig beneath the surface of the political wrangles that took place behind the scenes. We therefore see the story merely from the perspectives of the impacted couple and their immediate family. As such, it is an involving impact drama, but, reflecting the real-life case, it still leaves many questions unanswered. (BBC)