BBC Proms 2023, A Spy Among Friends and A Murder in the Family: TV highlights this week

Champion (Saturday 08/07/23, BBC1, 9.15pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

It’s musical siblings night on the Beeb – while BBC2 dedicate an evening to the Bee Gees, BBC1 brings us the second episode of Champion, a drama about the rivalry between brother and sister performers.

If you missed the opening episode, then allow the show’s writer and creator Candice Carty-Williams to set the scene.

She says: “Champion is about a brother and a sister. Bosco Champion – a rapper who’s been in prison for the last two years – and Vita Champion, his sister. Vita is his long-suffering PA and has been doing everything for Bosco; running around after him, lying for him, covering up for him – everything a PA could do and more.

“When Bosco comes back from prison the world has changed, and the world of music has changed, so what should he do? Vita has been behind the scenes keeping everything going, ready for him to come back. She wants to step up to be his manager now, but Bosco wants her to just keep doing what she’s been doing.”

She adds: “Bosco also has a rival, a drill rapper called Bulla. Vita and her friend Honey sing with Bulla and he recognises Vita’s talent… and the show unravels from there.”

As we discover in this episode, it turns out that as well as being his PA, Vita may have also made a bigger contribution to her brother’s music than she has been given credit for.

His star certainly seems to be slipping without her as the bailiffs turn up at his house. It’s left to Dawn to break it to him that until he can deliver a new single and fulfil his tour obligations, he’s broke.

Meanwhile, Vita goes into the studio, but isn’t comfortable with the track that’s been selected for her. So, she ends up performing a song she wrote for Honey instead, but she’s worried this will be seen as a betrayal. However, it seems her manager Mark has been recording more than just Vita’s music…

The music remains at the core of the drama though, and Carty-Williams was keen for it to be as authentic as possible. She says: “I think this show is special in its own right but the music is very close to me. I’m obsessed with music and I always have to listen to something. What got me into this show was the prospect of being able to make music.

“I’m not a producer but I know the producers and artists that I love, we’ve brought some of those people together to make an amazing soundtrack. Drill, rap, R&B, soul, neo-soul, reggae – we have so many things covered. That in itself was a challenge.”

The writer adds: “I didn’t want it to be a musical in that someone breaks into song, I wanted you to see people making songs in their own right. While the song might not adhere to the situation at hand when we were briefing the songs we’d give the context of the storyline.”

So, we should probably expect at least one track about sibling rivalry and complicated families.

A Spy Among Friends (Sunday 09/07/23, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Scheenagh Harrington

Alex Carey, of Homeland fame, has taken Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book and turned it into this compelling, six-part drama, based on the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby: life-long friends who also happened to be British spies.

It is a tale of loyalty, trust and treachery with Philby, the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history, at its centre.

Guy Pearce plays Philby, who was recruited by Russian Intelligence to penetrate MI6 and did so successfully between 1933 and 1963, thanks in part to his very upper-crust English persona.

In the opener, set in the wake of Philby’s escape to Moscow, his closest friend in Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, Nicholas Elliott, is under investigation by Lily Thomas from the Security Service. Did he facilitate Philby’s escape because he’s also a traitor working for the Russians, or is it just that his judgement was clouded at a critical moment by their 23-year friendship?

Damian Lewis, who plays Elliott, says the drama wanted to comprehensively explore that aspect of Philby’s actions, saying: “we wanted to get in behind the curtain and see the intimate betrayal between two friends.

“Nick Elliot really represents every man, he is everyone. He just happens to be Philby’s best friend and from that intimate relationship, the close friendship and that betrayal, we wanted to extrapolate and show its wider effects.

“But it starts very much and returns to this friendship and the intimate nature of betrayal between two friends – two lovers if you like.”

Anna Maxwell Martin’s character Lily is a working-class debriefer for MI5. Although fictitious and an amalgam of different people, she is crucial to the truth about Philby coming out, but was also key to the adaptation of Ben’s book.

BAFTA-winning producer Patrick Spence explains: “Alex had met with Ben five years ago. He was challenged with adapting A Spy Among Friends and went away on his own as an intellectual exercise to write the script for his own benefit. No one paid him, no one commissioned him directly – he just wanted to know if it could be done.

“If he was here he’d say that his way into the story was through Anna’s character, she’s what made it make sense for him in adapting it for television.”

Author Ben is delighted that his book has been adapted for the small screen, and is eager to give credit where it is due for the inspiration. “John Le Carre, who was a friend of mine and who’s idea this really was. I said to him: ‘what’s the best untold story of the Cold War?’ and without a moment’s hesitation he said ‘the way to look at this is through the prism of this particular friendship’.

“He knew Nicholas Elliot quite well, we had slightly different views about him, and I came to a slightly different conclusion overall.

“I love that, in a way, this story is born in the mind of a novelist, it then comes to a historian and non-fiction writer and then it goes to the screen. It’s a story that has these wonderful, different iterations and each time it gets richer.”

Long Lost Family (Monday 10/07/23, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

Ever since becoming the inaugural presenter of Big Brother in 2000, Davina McCall has been a stalwart of British TV screens.

The Wimbledon-born presenter, philanthropist and lifestyle guru, 55, has hosted shows across most major networks in the UK including Channel 4, ITV, Sky and the BBC.

In recent years, as well as showing off her impressive abdominal muscles and being a firm advocate for health and wellbeing, Davina has also been vocal in championing women’s issues, including contraception and the menopause, having produced documentaries on both subjects and a book on the latter.

In recognition of all this, in particular her services to broadcasting, she was recently made an MBE in the King’s birthday honours.

“I can’t believe it,” she said at the time. “It’s a great honour and it really means a great deal.”

Her latest project, announced in January, sees her front Your Mum, Your Dad, described as a “midlife Love Island”, which will aim to match up single parents on dates observed in secret by their grown-up children.

But before that inevitable hit kicks off, she is currently on our screens alongside Nicky Campbell presenting a new series of much-loved tear-jerker Long Lost Family.

Now in its 13th series, the programme sees a team working against the odds to help people to reunite with long-lost relatives. And Davina is acutely aware how popular and emotional it is.

“Programmes I present often polarise people, especially something like Big Brother, where people go ‘I loved it’ and others ‘I hated it,’” she explained in an interview with the Express a few years ago.

“But there’s nobody who doesn’t like Long Lost Family. We went to the Baftas and I can’t tell you the number of famous people who came up to me and said, ‘Oh my God, I love it.”

In tonight’s second edition, we follow the story of a woman who, having lost two precious members of her adoptive family in a single year, is desperate to find her birth family.

We also take on a birth mother’s search for the son she gave up against her will as a teenager in the 1960s.

Sara Hathaway had an idyllic childhood with her adoptive parents and siblings. The family remained close as Sara grew older and had a family of her own until, tragically, her mother and older brother both died in a single year.

Bereft that her family has become ‘smaller and smaller’, Sara turned to Long Lost Family to find her birth family.

What Sara learns out about her birth mother’s life shocks her, but she also discovers that her family is bigger than she ever knew.

Meanwhile, Diane Kerridge had a child nearly 60 years ago when she was just a teenager.

Powerless to keep her son in the face of her own mother’s shame, she has been desperate to find him ever since.

Davina, Nicky and the team work on Diane’s search, following leads to the west coast of America in the hope of bringing her years of longing to a close.

Heat (Tuesday 11/07/23, Channel 5, 9pm)

Words by Scheenagh Harrington

There’s rather a lot of Australian interest around at the moment, what with the Women’s and Men’s Ashes cricket hogging the back pages and news bulletins. Luckily, you don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy this intense four-part drama, set Down Under, and showing on consecutive nights.

It’s the latest collaboration between Channel 5, Network 10 and Fremantle Australia, and follows British expats and best mates Steve and Brad, who live in different parts of Australia with their wives and families.

Every year, they all get together for a summer holiday and this time around, Steve, Sarah and teenagers Mia and Tom are visiting Brad, Louise and son Kip at their gorgeous new home in the remote Victorian bush.

While the reunion is a warm one, various tensions bubble beneath the surface. Upon seeing the palatial property, Steve feels insecure. Tom is nursing an injury and Kip doesn’t believe his explanation for how it happened. Louise also senses Sarah is not quite herself. She’s right…

Behind closed doors, Mia thinks Steve is having an affair and Sarah is too weak to confront him. The two clans venture to the nearby river for a picnic, in celebration of Steve and Brad’s birthdays, and as the mercury rises, Brad recounts the story of how he and his bestie first met in their native UK.

However, later, Steve breaks down and tells his friend the true nature of his duplicitous behaviour. There is more tension to come after Mia’s estranged boyfriend, Jet, arrives. Ever the nice guy, Brad invites him to at least stay the night, and while Mia is grateful, Steve isn’t happy.

The next morning, Jet decides to drive back to Sydney, leaving the families in peace, but Sarah is anything but relaxed: she is wracked with guilt and clearly harbouring a secret.

However, when Jet makes a surprise return, he tells them the road is closed due to bushfires. While there is no immediate danger, nobody is able to leave, whether they want to or not.

The top-drawer cast includes Darren McMullen, Jane Allsop, Pia Miranda, Olympia Valance and Richie Morris, and is headed by the one and only Danny Dyer as Steve.

He famously described working on the drama, his first acting job since leaving EastEnders after almost a decade of playing Mick Carter, as part of the “grieving process” and dubbed it an “amazing piece of work”.

He told BBC Radio 2: “I felt I needed to throw myself into it, nine years into a job is a long time. It was an emotional thing for me so I just threw myself into something else”.

The star went on to joke about how he accepted the role of Steve for two reasons: the great script and the prospect of working in the Australian summer but, he explained, “it rained every single day”.

The weather may not have gone his way, but this drama is another chance for Dyer, who has wowed audiences on the London and New York stages, to prove there’s a lot more to him than hard men and thugs.

As Dyer himself says: “Let’s have it!”

Murder on the Blackpool Express (Wednesday 12/07/23, BBC2, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

The channel GOLD doesn’t just show sitcom repeats – it’s also produced some original comedies of its own, including the feature-length mystery Murder on the Blackpool Express.

Viewers clearly thought it held its own among the classics as GOLD subsequently brought stars Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson, who play Terry and Gemma, back for two more films (Death on the Tyne and Dial M for Middlesbrough), followed by two series of a spin-off, Murder, They Hope.

The duo will be back again at Christmas in the feature-length festive special, Blood Actually, with another Murder, They Hope special following in 2024.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you that the format is a success, BBC2 is now getting on the action by bringing us the show that started it all.

So what made Murder on the Blackpool Express strike such a chord with viewers?

Johnny Vegas has a theory: “It has what I call the ‘Bingo Factor’. If it’s discussed at the bingo by your mum and her friends, it’s a success. You also know it’s a hit when people from all generations stop you in the street to say, ‘I did like that thing you did’.”

He also gives some of the credit to his co-star: “Sian is an absolutely brilliant actress – she has impeccable comic timing. Also, we get on so well off-camera, and that plays into what we do on-camera. We are playing it as straight as we can – Terry and Gemma are two normal people in ludicrous situations. We have perfected the bemused look to each other.”

Newcomers can see the beginnings of that partnership tonight, as famous murder mystery writer David Van Der Clane (Griff Rhys Jones) decides to team up with coach-tour operator Gemma Draper (Gibson).

The plan is to take his fans on a tour of some of the locations in his books, but the trip turns out to be a little to realistic when the crime enthusiasts start dying off.

Is it just a coincidence, or has a killer bought a ticket? The police don’t seem particularly interested in finding out, so the job of playing detective falls to the morose coach driver, Terry (Johnny Vegas.)

He’s motivated by more than just a desire to play Poirot. He’s carrying a secret torch for Gemma, and hopes that by finding the murderer, he can save her business and maybe win her heart.

But given that every passenger is a potential suspect (and victim) can they keep the group together long enough to make it to Blackpool and solve the mystery?

The impressive supporting cast includes Nigel Havers, Nina Wadia, Sheila Reid, Kevin Eldon, Mark Heap and, in one of her last roles, Una Stubbs, who made a big impression on Johnny.

Speaking after her death, he said: “On paper I wouldn’t have expected us to be pals on set, but she had time for everyone, she loved everyone, she was an absolute joy.

“She had a massive impact in such a short space of time and was just the loveliest actor to work with.”

A Murder in the Family (Thursday 13/07/23, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

In January 2018, dental surgery manager Cheryl Hooper was shot dead outside her Shropshire family home in front of her 14-year-old daughter.

The shooter was her abusive partner Andrew, who pulled the trigger after her daughter tried to calm him down during a chilling recorded phone call.

The first part of this series reliving three shocking murders where the victim and perpetrator are family members, begins with a look at how, after enduring years of abuse, Cheryl, became the victim of a shocking tragedy.

Six weeks earlier, she had split from Andrew after suffering years of abuse. Georgia, Cheryl’s daughter, said: “I used to say to my mum, our family is different. My mum would say ‘You need to put on a show for other people.’ and we did.”

Andrew stalked Cheryl and Georgia for six weeks, having stolen Cheryl’s car and attached a tracker.

Following his wife to her friends’ houses, he would sit outside her work and her family’s home.

Cheryl sent text messages and made phone calls to various members of her family, saying things like: “Fearing your loved one is not right,” or “I feel fear when I go in the farmhouse. It was my home and now I feel scared of it.”

Andrew suspected his wife had been having an affair and tracked her to a pub where she was having drinks with friends and her ‘suspected lover’.

CCTV captured outside of the pub shows Cheryl and Andrew talking to one another on the night of her death, after he followed her there.

She messaged after he left the pub, telling him she was not having an affair. In response, Andrew warned Cheryl that he would burn her belongings.

After leaving the pub, Andrew got into his car and headed 15 miles back along the A41 to their farmhouse where security camera footage shows him arriving and quickly leaving with an object, believed to be the 12 bore double-barrelled side by side shotgun, hidden under some cloth.

Once home, he shot Cheryl in front of Georgia.

Andrew fled the scene, returning to his farm where he turned the shotgun on himself, in a failed attempt to commit suicide. He was later found by police next to a suicide note.

He now has severe facial injuries that mean he has lost the ability to speak. He was allowed to type his answers during the trial.

“I live every day knowing I am responsible for her death. It is not a good feeling. I am not guilty of murder though.”

After being found guilty by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court, Andrew was ordered to serve a minimum of 31 years – a whole life sentence.

Following the verdict, it emerged that Hooper was given a suspended sentence in 2004 after breaking into his first wife’s home and threatening to kill her.

It also transpired that Andrew had been controlling Cheryl’s social life – deciding when and if she could socialise with friends, and dictating when Cheryl could spend money.

He also had a ‘temper’ – smashing objects in their home and becoming increasingly aggressive.

Using CCTV, family archive, text messages, police body cam footage and intimate interviews with friends and family, this film tells the story of one family’s descent from a happy life on a farm to a horrific murder.

BBC Proms 2023 (Friday 14/07/23, BBC Two, 7pm)

Words by Scheenagh Harrington

As ever, the BBC’s annual musical extravaganza is all set to start in fine style with an evening of amazing music at the Royal Albert Hall.

Clive Myrie hosts the proceedings; keeping him company are much-loved broadcaster Sandi Toksvig and TikTok organ phenomenon Anna Lapwood. They – and the thousands lucky enough to have bagged a ticket – will be listening to Sibelius’s ever popular Finladia, Grieg’s dramatic Piano Concerto (performed by classical superstar Paul Lewis), and Britten’s evergreen Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

Sibelius fans are in for a double treat too because his rarely-performed Snofrid, is making its Proms debut. Plus, there’s a chance to hear a world premiere from Ukrainian composer Bohdana Frolyak.

As first nights go, it’s a feast for the senses, but it’s merely an amuse-bouche to a packed and hugely varied eight-week schedule.

David Pickard, Director, BBC Proms, explains: “There is no other classical music festival in the world to match the range and breadth of the BBC Proms.

“It is the place where so many discover orchestral music for the first time – whether through a cornerstone of the classical repertoire, ground-breaking new work or collaborations with some of today’s most exciting artists.

“Our musical range in 2023 extends from Bach to Bollywood and geographically from Gateshead to Great Yarmouth, as we continue to build on Henry Wood’s vision of ‘the best of classical music for the widest possible audience’.”

He’s not kidding: there really is something for everyone.

The opening weekend features Keep the Faith: Northern Soul, a stomping celebration of the underground British club phenomenon of the 1960s and 1970s, while the aforementioned Lapwood makes her Proms solo recital debut with a programme of evocative music.

The Proms also marks several musical milestones, including 150 years since Sergey Rachmaninov’s birth, as well as 100 years since the birth of Gyorgy Ligeti, and the death of Croatian composer Dora Pejacevic, setting them cheek-by-jowl against various world premieres.

The 2023 season also features a wealth of opera and oratorio, with a complete performance of Berlioz’s five-act grand opera The Trojans, and the highly anticipated UK premiere of Gyorgy Kurtag’s first opera, Endgame.

Younger viewers aren’t forgotten by the Prom schedulers either, with Horrible Histories present ’Orrible Opera, an irreverent introduction to the genre featuring the Orchestra and Chorus of English National Opera, while film fans and gamers shouldn’t miss Fantasy, Myths and Legends, in which Anna-Maria Helsing conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra.

The ‘Proms at’ chamber concerts are on hand to take the experience beyond the confines of London, with events at Aberystwyth, Derry, Dewsbury, Perth and Truro. Plus, the BBC Concert Orchestra will be at the Hippodrome in Great Yarmouth as part of their ongoing residency.

The season ends, as always, with the traditional pomp and circumstance of the Last Night of the Proms, featuring the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and BBC Singers.

This year’s festival finale is led by Marin Alsop, who is joined by Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Lise Davidsen, and features the world premiere of 1922, a celebration of the BBC’s centenary from British composer James B Wilson.

How’s that for going out with a bang?