Last Night of the Proms, Twiggy and Michael Palin in Venezuela: TV highlights

Last Night of the Proms (Saturday 13/09/25, BBC Two, 6.55pm & BBC One, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

With a breezy blast of oom-pah-pah, thundering ovations and a rousing carnival atmosphere, it’s time to say farewell to this year’s event.

The first-ever Proms concert took place on August 10, 1895, and was the idea of impresario Robert Newman, manager of the newly built Queen’s Hall in London. He had previously organised symphony orchestra events, but his aim was to pull in the punters with a more popular selection of music and by keeping ticket prices low.

In February of that year he offered the conductorship to Henry Wood, a 26-year-old trained musician who was already making a name for himself as an organist, accompanist, vocal coach and conductor of choirs, orchestras and amateur opera companies.

“I am going to run nightly concerts to train the public in easy stages,” explained Newman to Wood. “Popular at first, gradually raising the standard until I have created a public for classical and modern music.”

At first, the events were known as Mr Robert Newman’s Promenade Concerts, with each evening lasting a mammoth three hours. Wood managed to extend the range of music played as his boss had hoped, and also promoted the careers of young, promising performers. By 1920 he had introduced the public to many of the leading composers of the day, including Richard Strauss, Debussy, Rakhmaninov, Ravel and Vaughan Williams.

Unfortunately, by 1927, it was obvious the event was running at a loss, prompting the BBC to take over sponsorship, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra beginning their association with the Proms in 1930, the year it was formed.

The Beeb’s involvement also gained a wider audience for the event – and has just been to Bradford – but few people could have anticipated just how popular it would become.

These days, more than 80 concerts take place over eight weeks, attracting performers – and fans – from around the world. Adding more modern interpretations of works has also helped it reach a wider audience.

Sadly, it all draws to a close this evening with the Last Night spectacular. If you haven’t managed to get a ticket to the Royal Albert Hall, make sure you’ve got your flags ready so you can wave along at home.

The excitement begins to build on BBC Two, when conductor Elim Chan takes charge of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The playlist begins with Mussorgsky’s ever-popular A Night on the Bare Mountain, followed by Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto in E flat major. There’s a nod to the Proms’ celebration of Bernard Herrmann with a chance to hear Storm Cloud Cantata from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1957 version of The Man Who Knew too Much, for which Herrmann composed the score.

Other highlights include world premieres by Camille Pepin and Rachel Portman before the evening rounds off on BBC One in traditional fashion with rousing renditions of Rule, Britannia!, Pomp and Circumstance, Jerusalem, God Save the King and, last but not least, Auld Lang Syne.

Then there’s nothing more to do than raise a glass and wait for next year’s event – it’ll be here faster than you think.

Coldwater (Sunday 14/09/25, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

It’s Sunday night, it’s ITV1 and, yes, it’s another new crime drama.

Not that we’re complaining – we’ve been treated to some humdingers lately, including Karen Pirie, Ridley and I Fought the Law. Coldwater, however, promises to be a little bit different; it’s more of a dark, twisted thriller than anything else, with a hint of horror and even a few laughs thrown in for good measure.

The story takes place in the titular village, where urban couple John (Andrew Lincoln) and Fiona (Indira Varma), along with their two children, have resettled. Their hope is the move will help rejuvenate their failing marriage and give John some sort of focus. For years he’s been a frustrated stay-at-home father so, after a violent confrontation in the playground, the decision was made to move on.

The story came to acclaimed playwright David Ireland during lockdown, and he claims that “the main character John is a bit like me, although I don’t look like Andrew Lincoln!

“He’s middle aged and is at a point in his life where he’s examining everything. He’s dealing with a lot of personal issues. He’s drawn to violence and worried that he has a huge potential for violence, but ultimately he’s just an ordinary man trying to do what’s best for his family and trying to recover from the traumas of his past.

“I really like thrillers about urban men being put in situations in rural settings where they’re out of their depth, stuff like Straw Dogs and Eden Lake. I thought I’d really like to write a TV series that’s a really great thriller about a man who’s in a violent situation and out of his depth.”

The ‘violent situation’ comes some time after the family has moved to the village of Coldwater. John befriends Tommy (Ewan Bremner), a seemingly friendly chap and husband of the local vicar (Eve Myles). Fiona is immediately suspicious of him, and a variety of unsettling incidents make John wonder if she may be right to be wary.

The quality of the scripts persuaded Lincoln to return to the UK after years working in the US on The Walking Dead.

“They made be laugh in all the wrong places and squirm with recognition,” smiles Lincoln. “It constantly surprised me with the unpredictability of the characters; it made me scared as well.

“I said to David, ‘is this a middle-aged Fight Club?’ And he went, ‘absolutely not.’ Then he came back the next day and said, ‘if Edward Norton and Helena Bonham-Carter had kids and then moved to the Highlands, it might be that’.”

“I didn’t think it would be possible to get him, so I didn’t have Andrew in mind, but he’s perfect for it,” adds Ireland, before saying of the rest of the cast: “It’s just a dream. They’re a terrific foursome.”

“We just got some of the best actors and actors I’ve always wanted to work with,” claims Lincoln, who’s also among the executive producers. “We felt very, very blessed – and that’s largely down to David’s writing.”

So, sit back and enjoy – but be prepared to feel a chill down your spine that isn’t necessarily linked to the nights drawing in…

Twiggy (Monday 15/09/2025, BBC Two, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

In 1966, 16-year-old Lesley Hornby had her hair coloured and cut short in preparation for a few photos to be hung in the Leonard of Mayfair salon in London.

Deirdre McSharry, a fashion journalist from the Daily Express, saw photographer Barry Lategan’s images and arranged to have more shots taken of the girl, before declaring her ‘The Face of ’66’.

The rest, as they say, is history. Lesley changed her name to Twiggy (a nickname given to her by her hairdresser boyfriend Nigel Davies, later Justin de Villeneuve), before going onto turning the modelling world upside down with her unique androgynous style, short, bobbed hairstyle and famed large, sparkling eyes

After becoming a defining figure of swinging 1960s London, Twiggy built a multifaceted career over the next six decades which included acting and TV judging and hosting roles, singing and various business enterprises.

Following her profile of designer Mary Quant, director Sadie Frost charts Twiggy’s upbringing, career and relationships, as well as her remarkable flair for reinvention and continued success.

Ahead of the feature-length documentary’s release in UK and Irish cinemas in March, Twiggy, who turns 76 this Friday, said it was “very emotional” to watch Frost’s documentary for the first time.

She said: “The first time I saw it, when they did the first cut, about three months ago, two months ago, it was very emotional.

“I’d seen lots of the clips before, over the years, but actually Sadie did find some that I’d never seen, (it was a) very emotional journey seeing my mum and dad, who are no longer with us, seeing myself.

“I couldn’t get over how young I was. I was (young), I was 16, but when you’re 16, you kind of feel grown up.

“When I looked at it, I realised how young I was.

“(It was) emotional going through some of the phases of my life that were sad, for myself and my daughter. Then lovely to see the happier moments, and all my loved ones.”

Reflecting on whether the modelling world has changed, she added: “I hope? I mean, I don’t know for a fact, because I’m not in the midst of that world, but I hope it’s changed. I think it has.

“And I know most of the big model agencies, you have to be a certain age, you have to have chaperones, quite rightly, because we now know that lots of things that shouldn’t have gone on, went on.

“That didn’t happen to me, I have to add, because my wise old dad from Lancashire said, ‘If you want to do this, you’ve always got to be chaperoned.’

“Either he came, my manager came, my mum came. So I was always very protected. So I was lucky.”

During her modelling career Twiggy appeared on the cover of the likes of Vogue and Tatler, and also had a career on stage and screen, with her role in The Boy Friend (1971) earning her two Golden Globe awards.

For her Broadway debut in My One And Only she received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical in 1983, before going on to host her own TV show, Twiggy’s People, which saw her interview celebrities.

Some of those, as well as other famous faces, including Brooke Shields, Dustin Hoffman, Joanna Lumley, Pattie Boyd, Paul McCartney, Sienna Miller and Stella McCartney, all contribute to the film which is a fitting tribute to the woman who was spotted in a hairdressers’ and went on to become a cultural icon.

Michael Palin in Venezuela (Tuesday 16/09/2025, Channel 5, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

He may have turned 82 earlier this year, but Britain’s best-loved travel writer and presenter insists he has no plans to move onto more sedate subject matters.

In a recent interview with the Daily Telegraph, Michael Palin said: “The danger lies in thinking: ‘Oh, I’ll take it easy now, I’ve done a lot in my life’.

“Actually, I do take it slightly easier now, I give myself more time to read and go walking, but you still have to keep pushing yourself and do things.

“And if a place is a bit difficult to get around, then that’s all the more important. I could never make a series about the greatest hotels of the world, or how to mix a nice gin and tonic.”

Having already focused on North Korea, Iraq and Nigeria, the Monty Python legend’s latest epic journey for 5 is to Venezuela, a huge and once oil rich country dubbed the most dangerous in South America.

Under authoritarian rule, financially in meltdown and facing massive social challenges, it is also one of the most beautiful places in the world.

When Michael arrives, Venezuela is still reeling from the controversial re-election of Nicolás Maduro as President, a man whose style is often more showbiz or self-styled superhero than presidential.

In Caracas, which has been called the deadliest city in the world, Michael meets investigative reporter Ana Vanessa Herrero to hear first-hand about the country’s slide into totalitarian rule.

Despite security concerns, the host then visits Petare, the biggest and arguably the most dangerous slum in South America.

In a tenement, Michael meets a woman who is looking after her three-year-old nephew – a boy who has not seen his mother in years.

But he also discovers there is a still a wealthy elite in Caracas when he visits the opulent mountain-top Humboldt Hotel, before a Valentine’s night dinner with Valentina Quintero – one of the country’s most celebrated entertainers and writers.

Michael then flies to the Amazon rainforest, and on board the plane finds a baffling superhero comic featuring President Maduro himself – in his cartoon guise as ‘Super Bigote’ (Super Moustache).

On arriving at Canaima lagoon and its amazing waterfalls, Michael decides to walk inside the deluge and behind the waterfall itself.

Having lunch with a family from the indigenous Pemon people, including a crunchy palm tree worm, he discovers how illegal gold mining is becoming a huge environmental problem in Venezuela.

Finally, Michael travels by helicopter to see the ancient Tepuis rock formations and the world’s tallest waterfall, Angel Falls.

Landing in the middle of falls on a tiny precipice, Michael gets a unique view of this one-kilometre-high huge column of water falling above him.

While Venezuela is a beautiful country, there is a darker side. And as he looks ahead to the next stage of his journey, Michael feels uneasy.

But obviously not so much to put him off exploring this fascinating country further.

The Donald Trump Show ( Wednesday 17/09/2025 Channel 4, 9pm)

Words by Damon Smith

Everyone has an opinion about Donald Trump, including Donald Trump.

It’s hard to think of another resident of the White House in living memory, who has generated more news headlines, sparked fiercer online debate and provided greater fodder for late-night talk show hosts to chew on and spit out than the 47th president of the United States.

Trump began to polish his divisive larger-than-life persona as the eponymous star of long-running reality series The Apprentice, which challenged entrepreneurs and businesspeople to complete against each other in themed individual and team tasks to impress the host and avoid being dismissed with his trademark farewell, “You’re fired!”

He captained the ship for 14 series until 2015, when he moved from the boardroom to the ballot boxes to face off against Hilary Clinton.

Self-referential cameos have proliferated in decades of popular culture, including Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Zoolander and even in the world of WWE.

Most recently, Sebastian Stan earned an Oscar nomination as Best Leading Actor for his embodiment of Trump during his formative business years, flanked by Ivana in a cautionary biographical drama also entitled The Apprentice.

Trump was centre stage in the news agenda as the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, including remarkable scenes at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania where he narrowly avoided a gunman’s bullet.

Since his win with voters, trade tariffs and a controversial deportation policy have kept him squarely in the media eye and when his administration’s policies don’t warrant breaking news, there’s always the possibility he will conjure his own media storm thanks to his prodigious late-night use of social media.

The Donald Trump Show re-edits this deluge of archive news clips to dramatise the US leader’s second term in office and his ambitious agenda to transform America.

The series began by delving into the tumultuous and fascinating relationship between Trump and businessman Elon Musk, the figurehead behind Space X, Tesla and X (formerly Twitter).

Harmony on the election campaign trail led to Elon accepting a coveted position as a Senior Adviser to the President but fraternal bonds frayed in full glare of the public with an explosive and public falling-out about Trump’s policies and the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The second episode considers what lessons Trump might have learned from his first term in office and the changes to his messaging following his victory over incumbent US vice president Kamala Harris in November 2024 to become a returning tenant of the White House.

Cleverly spliced footage depicts the administration breaking with democratic norms and waging war against the media, press and universities.

Under the fluttering flag of national security, Trump promises to keep America’s borders secure and dispatches the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington DC to underline his assertion that he is a statesman of actions as well as forceful words.

The Donald Trump Show recites them back verbatim.

Taskmaster (Thursday 18/09/25 Channel 4, 9pm)

Words by Damon Smith

The devil is always in the details of the Bafta-winning comedy panel show created by ‘Little’ Alex Horne.

As Taskmaster celebrates its 10th anniversary on our screens, contestants have realised by now that it’s vital to slowly read the fiendish challenge contained within each wax-sealed envelope to spot the hack (or clue hidden in plain sight).

If they do, it can propel them a step closer to getting their hands on the life-size gold replica of host Greg Davies’ head and claim the coveted title of series champion.

Rhod Gilbert was constantly looking for loopholes in series seven of the show and he struck gold when he was challenged, alongside rivals James Acaster, Kerry Godliman, Jessica Knappett and Phil Wang, to tie himself up as securely as possible to maximise the amount of time it would take Alex to release him.

The Welsh comedian cleverly spent the allotted 10 minutes binding Alex securely to a chair instead so the Taskmaster’s trusty assistant was fully restrained.

Rhod scored the maximum five points for his twisted ingenuity.

The sweetly sadistic Schadenfreude of secret individual tasks has been another key ingredient of the show’s enduring success.

Who can forget Josh Widdicombe in the first series diligently counting, by hand, the number of haricots in a tin of baked beans (406 apparently) and the individual pasta rings in a can of spaghetti hoops (433)?

“Am I not getting any points for that?!” he shrieked to hoots of laughter from the live studio audience.

“That’s correct,” grinned Greg, unable to contain his delight at Josh’s tomato sauce-soaked humiliation.

In the fourth series, Mel Giedroyc unknowingly took on additional feats (for no bonus points) by inflating a giant ball, hiding the colourful monstrosity from Alex at a football ground then deflating the ball to successfully remove it from the Taskmaster house.

Meanwhile, Joe Lycett’s hilarious attempt to paint Greg without touching the red mat that surrounded the paint easel was secretly complicated by having to smile into the camera every 30 seconds with increasing degrees of enthusiasm.

Thankfully, he scored a useful four points for his combined artistic excellence and impromptu gurning.

The landmark 20th series has assembled a motley crew of valiant competitors including comedians Maisie Adam, Phil Ellis and Ania Magliano, Goodness Gracious Me star Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE and Inside No 9 co-creator Reece Shearsmith.

In last week’s hilarious series opener, the gung-ho quintet tested their daring, dexterity and dignity under pressure with challenges involving codes, gym balls and disgusting noises.

Tonight’s war of attrition is teasingly subtitled Cows Are Made Of Milk.

Phil discovers a little surprise inside a fake fish, Ania makes a startling revelation and Sanjeev gets in a spin around a hill of flour.

Meanwhile, Reece gets rather hands on from inside a bag, and Maisie defiles the Taskmaster’s nose.

It’s a daring move – and not to be sniffed at.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Friday 19/09/2025, Channel 5, 8pm)

Words by Damon Smith

Many of us have fond childhood memories of carefree summer holidays spent with family and friends.

Perhaps your nostalgia is pricked by sun-kissed days in Weymouth, ricocheting between performances of Punch & Judy and marvelling at the latest sculptures of the resident sand artist.

Or maybe you revelled in the bountiful activities of a Pontins holiday park where kids club hosts doled out coveted certificates to the neatest handwriting and the child who crammed the most objects into a matchbox.

Susan Calman cherishes rose-tinted memories of her holidays spent in the family campervan and that love of a simple life on four wheels thrums silently in the background of this light-hearted travel series, which follows the Scottish comedian around the nooks and crannies of the British Isles to unearth some of the hidden gems on our doorstep.

She is accompanied every spluttering step of the way by her beloved white and orange camper van embellished with swathes of colourful flowers, which Susan describes as “the perfect travelling companion”.

The endearingly unpretentious vehicle is named Helen Mirren in honour of one of Susan’s favourite people and has become a popular supporting character during the previous eight series of the show.

Helen features prominently in the opening episode of series nine of Grand Days Out, which heads for the beating heart of England to sample some of the delights of Worcestershire, The Malvern Hills and the Midlands.

The campervan is put through her paces when Susan visits Shelsley Walsh, the world’s oldest motorsport venue still running on its original track.

The venue is famous for its hill climb dating back to the turn of the 20th century.

Susan and Helen have the chance to set a new speed record and challenge the current course record of 22.37 seconds set by Sean Gould in August 2021.

The gregarious host isn’t brimming with confidence but she’s determined to put her pedal to the metal and propel her trusty four-wheeled companion to glory.

The surprises don’t stop there. Susan travels through time to experience a British town through history from the industrial revolution to the 1960s via a classic 1940s high street.

A vintage vehicle catches Susan’s eye – but for once, it isn’t Helen.

Hopefully, the campervan doesn’t get jealous easily or it will be a bumpy ride home.

A place billed as the world’s smallest theatre provides the next welcome pit stop before a canal journey into a subterranean realm filled with incredible history and spectacle.

A bespoke car-maker, with an impressive heritage dating back to the earliest days of motoring, brings a touch of luxury to the odyssey and inspires Susan to take Helen for a spin around the picturesque Malvern countryside.

A grand country house that seemed to be a puzzle box on the inside leads to Kidderminster, where Susan learns about the town’s proud claim as the former carpet capital of the country.