Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance and Play for Today: TV highlights

Words by Richard Jones

Honouring the service of and the sacrifices made by the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the iconic Royal Albert Hall is always a very special occasion.

Last year, the event celebrated the remarkable men and women who took part in D-Day and the Normandy campaign in 1944, as well as those who fought in Italy at Monte Cassino and Kohima, and Imphal in East Asia.

The Festival also marked a decade since UK forces ended combat operations in Afghanistan and we heard about the incredible work of the Royal Air Force in training their Ukrainian counterparts.

This year’s event promises to be just as notable and poignant as it commemorates the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945.

The theme is ‘Service Not Self’ and, throughout the night, we will honour the courage and sacrifice of those who fought and lost their lives.

In addition, personal stories will bring to light the experiences of those lost in more recent conflicts – connecting the past with the present.

Meanwhile, special focus will be given to the resilience and strength of military children who have faced bereavement.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the UK Government lifting the ban on gay, lesbian and bisexual personnel serving openly in the armed forces.

Before the ruling on January 12, 2000, gay men and women had served in many conflicts, even though being gay in the British military could have resulted in instant dismissal, being stripped of medals and even a possible jail term.

The Festival will reflect on past discriminations, hearing the personal stories of LGBT+ veterans, and celebrate the progress that had been made since 2000.

As usual, there is a star-studded line-up of artists scheduled to perform at the Royal Albert Hall.

They are led by Rod Stewart, who has appeared at the Festival multiple times and is fresh from his barnstorming Glastonbury ‘Legends’ slot in the summer.

Also scheduled to take to the stage are Nigerian-born American gospel and contemporary Christian music singer Blessing Offor, as well as Sam Ryder, who memorably represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with his track Space Man.

Tony-nominated Broadway actor and singer, Keala Settle, best known for playing bearded lady Lettie Lutz in the smash-hit musical film The Greatest Showman, also appears, as do bass singing folk group The Wellermen.

Throughout the night, viewers can expect big band swing and wartime tunes, including the classic We’ll Meet Again, from the line up of stars.

Military music will also take centre stage, and the night includes awe-inspiring displays from the Central Band of the RAF, the RAF Squadronaires, the King’s Colour Squadron and the Band of HM Royal Marines.

Senior members of the Royal Family, veterans and bereaved families will be attendance, and as the poppies fall during a two-minute silence, they and the rest of the nation will remember the sacrifices made.

Trespasses (Sunday 9/11/25, Channel 4, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

They say that love has no boundaries, but try telling that to the main protagonists of Trespasses.

The new four-part drama, which is being broadcast on consecutive evenings, is based on the debut novel of Louise Kennedy, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize on its publication in 2023.

It’s set in Belfast in 1975 at the height of the Troubles. At the heart of the story are Cushla and Michael; she’s a young Catholic schoolteacher who once had big dreams, but now feels worn out and frustrated by the daily grind, while he’s a handsome, older Protestant barrister well known for defending IRA suspects. They meet one evening while she’s doing a shift behind the bar at her family’s pub. Initially, Cushla despises Michael and his bohemian friends, but after attending a meeting with him, the pair realise they are irresistibly drawn to each other…

The duo’s passion soon ignites, but a relationship between two people with their very different backgrounds is dangerous, and puts both their lives on the line.

“I am genuinely excited for the world to meet Cushla and Michael on screen,” claims screenwriter Ailbhe Keogan, whose previous credits include Derry Girls. “The whole scripting process has been remarkably pain-free as the team was guided by their love of Louise’s stunning novel. It remained our creative lodestar throughout.

“We feel incredibly grateful to have been gifted the chance to bring the world within it to life, especially the unforgettable characters that populate Cushla and Michael’s Belfast.”

Also involved in the production is Gillian Anderson, who is no stranger to the location, having filmed acclaimed crime drama The Fall in Northern Ireland a decade or so ago. She’s among Trespasses’ executive producers and also plays Gina, Cushla’s mother, who is described as a ‘glorious wreck’.

“I fell in love with Louise’s stunning book when I read it in proof,” explains Anderson. “I was immediately drawn to the tragi-comic creation that is Gina and couldn’t resist when Louise asked me to play her.

“Reading Ailbhe’s brilliant scripts confirmed how vividly this story could translate to screen and with (director) Dawn Shadforth at the helm and Lola and Tom alongside, I’m delighted to be part of the Trespasses family.”

Blue Lights’ Martin McCann, Oisín Thompson from My Left Nut and Bloodlands’ Lorcan Cranitch are also among the impressive cast.

“Trespasses is a beautifully observed, tense and deeply romantic love story that we were all captivated by,” reveals Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Head of Channel 4 Drama. “Lola is an amazing new talent, accompanied by the peerless Gillian Anderson and Tom Cullen, and we can’t wait to bring this adaptation of Louise Kennedy’s excellent novel to Channel 4.”

But if you still need to be convinced to tune in, perhaps Keogan’s final words on the matter will sway you: “This show will be political, cinematic, sensual, loving and, despite the heartbreak, ultimately hopeful.”

In short, it’s the perfect tale to warm our hearts as the nights grow longer and the days grow dark…

Trigger Point (Monday 10/11/25, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

Jed Mercurio has been involved in some of the biggest TV shows of the last 20 years, including Line of Duty and Bodyguard, but that doesn’t mean he takes their success for granted.

When Trigger Point, on which he serves as an executive producer, returned for a third series earlier last month, he said: “It’s always a great feeling to be working on a show where the fans are watching it and they want more.

“I’ve been making television for a long time, and I’ve made plenty of shows that hardly anyone watched, so I always feel very fortunate and privileged when we have a hit – it’s just as much work to make a show that doesn’t connect with people for whatever reason, and it’s all down to the democracy of the audience.”

He added: “I’m really thrilled that so many people are watching Trigger Point but that doesn’t mean that we take anything for granted – we have to offer them the best version of the show otherwise they’ll just watch something else.”

Delivering the best version of the show can mean making some difficult decisions. One reason that Trigger Point has been a hit is because it’s so tense – as you’d expect from a show about bomb disposal experts.

However, as lead actress Vicky McClure, who plays Lana Washington, points out, it’s about more than just blasts. She says: “I’m always driven by character – we love the explosions and the detail of the action scenes, but it would be quite a dry show without the characters. There’s only so much people want to see me snipping wires to defuse a device. So, it’s all about trying to build on character.”

As Jed acknowledges, that means that while the sense of jeopardy keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, they also grow attached to the characters who are putting their lives on the line.

He says: “One of the things that’s happened in TV in recent years is that shows have been prepared to cross that line and to kill off regular characters. The audience is probably mixed in their response to that.

“I’ll be honest with you – some sections of the audience really relish watching a show where they don’t know what’s going to happen next and a regular character could be dispatched. But people have a real relationship with characters they love, so we do understand that there’s a negative side… So it’s always a very delicate discussion when we get into those decisions.”

As we reach the concluding episode tonight, many fans will be rooting for everyone to make it. In the wake of the last attack, the counter-terrorism police have made a breakthrough and are close to finding the bomber. Meanwhile, Lana (Vicky McClure) gets to the truth behind the bombing campaign as the confession she has been fighting to get finally comes – but is she ready for the impact it will make? And where will it leave her?

Murder Before Evensong (Tuesday 11/11/25, Channel 5, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

Fans of the novel Murder Before Evensong could have been forgiven for being slightly worried about it being brought to the screen. Hopefully though, it reassured them to know the six part series, which concludes tonight, had been given the blessing of the author, the Reverend Richard Coles.

In fact, he was only too happy to entrust his book to Nick Hicks-Beach. Richard says: “He sent the adaptation to me, and I immediately wrote back and said, ‘Maestro. You’ve done a much better job of it than I did.’ He has created space around these characters so they resonate and that’s a very clever approach when you’re writing for TV.

“Novels work in a different way from TV, which is why I’m very happy for TV people to do their thing. I know what I’m doing with a novel, for better or for worse, but I wouldn’t have a clue how to write for television.”

That’s not to say that Richard hasn’t been involved in the 1980s-set series, which stars Matthew Lewis as Canon Daniel Clement, who unexpectedly gets caught up in a murder investigation when he finds a body at his church.

He was certainly happy to chat to the cast, which also includes Amit Shah as DS Neil Vanloo and Amanda Redman as Daniel’s mother Audrey, about their characters if they wanted any pointers.

Richard says: “I talked mostly to Amit and especially Matt, because he needed about the kind of grain of a priest’s life. Amit was very curious about the relationship between Neil and Daniel.”

He also paid a visit to the set, where he was given the VIP treatment. “I felt slightly like I was Queen Elizabeth on a visit. Everyone was very nice to me, I was given bacon sandwiches, and I had my own caravan to sit in, but I didn’t want to sit in the caravan, I wanted to watch what was happening and talk to people.

“If you’re important, like being an executive producer, you’re given headphones on set, which are like the equivalent of gold braid on a general’s shoulder. The sets were amazing and it was fascinating to see how the team recreated a rectory in 1988.”

The author is convinced his readers will be equally impressed, saying: “Anyone who knows the book will really enjoy the series because it’ll be a world they know, but an altered one full of interesting changes. The series will entertain people and also move them, as it unexpectedly takes the audience to face quite challenging questions about who we are and how we live.”

In the final episode, Daniel decides to keep his latest gruesome discovery a secret from Neil and instead lays a trap for the killer himself. The sleuthing cleric is aiming to get a confession, but it seems he may have underestimated just how manipulative the murderer can be.

Audrey is worried when she realises Daniel hasn’t been home all night, and Neil and Corrine face a race against time to save him.

Richard Burton: Wild Genius (Wednesday 12/11/25, BBC Two & BBC One Wales, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

There must be something in the air in Port Talbot.

The town and its environs have spawned a number of actors over the years, including Rob Brydon, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen. But arguably the most notable local boy of all is Richard Burton.

He was born in nearby Pontrhydyfen on November 10, 1925; the sharp-eyed among you will have noticed that this week marks the centenary of his birth. To celebrate it, the BBC is devoting screen time to various films and programmes involving the thespian who received seven Oscar nominations, but missed out on winning the golden statuette each time.

Perhaps the key entry in the short season in Burton’s honour is Wild Genius, a newly commissioned documentary exploring the real man behind the public image.

Burton was the 12th of Edith and Richard Jenkins Sr’s 13 children; his mother died when he was still a toddler, six days after his brother Graham’s birth. As Richard Sr, known more widely as Dic, was a heavy drinker seemingly incapable of raising his youngest children, Richard Jr lived with his grown-up sister Cis and her husband Elfed.

However, the most important male force in his life turned out to be Port Talbot-based teacher Philip Burton, who spotted the boy’s potential and set about nurturing it. Eventually, Richard moved into his home, became Philip’s legal ward and even swapped his surname of Jenkins for Burton.

These events will be charted in Wild Genius, as well as his rise to fame, during which he was hailed as the natural successor to Laurence Olivier as Shakespeare’s greatest living exponent. However, it was his private life, including two marriages to Elizabeth Taylor and his heavy drinking, that overshadowed his career. Think of Burton now, and both are more likely to spring to mind than his acting CV.

Various biographers have mentioned his dissatisfaction with life, with Burton himself once declaring he drank “to burn up the flatness, the stale, empty, dull deadness that one feels when one goes offstage.”

Perhaps the truth will come out during the programme. After all, it features interviews with two of the people who knew him best – his widow, Sally, and eldest daughter, Kate.

“This powerful documentary is a new lens on a Welsh legend,” claims executive producer Sian Price. “The insight from those who actually knew him – from family through to fellow actors – paints a fascinating portrait of a man who, despite his demons, was an actor whose talent may never be matched. We also explore how and why Burton’s Welshness was what made him unique and how he remains woven into the cultural fabric of our nation today.”

Sadly, it’s unlikely to include a mention of Burton’s little-known acting dream, although his tongue may have been firmly in his cheek when he declared: “I’ve played the lot: a homosexual, a sadistic gangster, kings, princes, a saint, the lot. All that’s left is a Carry On film. My last ambition.”

Oscar may not have come calling for that particular performance, but perhaps the great man would have enjoyed the experience more than any other, while also delighting the crowds in his beloved home town.

Play for Today: Never Too Late (Thursday 13/11/25, Channel 5, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

The original Play for Today strand ran on the BBC from 1970 (or 1960 if you count its predecessor, the Wednesday Play – the name changed due to a schedule move).

It provided a showcase for emerging acting, writing and directing talents, and some of the most famous offerings included Abigail’s Party, Blue Remembered Hills and Rumpole of the Bailey.

It also inspired a new generation of aspiring actors, including future EastEnders legend Anita Dobson. She says: “It was part of my growing up! I loved it because those plays represented bits of life, and explored what could be possible and how people dealt with things that came their way.

“Play for Today made me realise I wanted to act – I wanted to tell stories, to reach out and touch people in the same way, to make them laugh and cry.”

So, she jumped at the chance to take part in 5’s new version of the strand, especially as the series of one-off dramas are also offering opportunities to people from lower-income backgrounds.

Anita explains: “I am very gung-ho for this kind of thing because I am working-class myself. I had a loving family but I came from a very poor background and it’s hard to get anywhere.

“It was hard for me getting into this business, it took a while and you get to a point where you think it’s not going to happen. You have to keep banging at the door and working hard, but you also need a break.”

If that wasn’t enough of an incentive, Anita also has a great character to play. Never Too Late focuses on Cynthia, who we first meet at her best friend Marjorie’s funeral. Much to her daughter Amanda’s (fellow Walford veteran Tracy-Ann Oberman) shock, Cynthia refuses to play the frail widow – she’s still bold and stylish in her mid-70s.

However, when Cynthia collapses, Amanda insists her mum moves into a retirement village, where she is unexpectedly reunited with an old flame (Nigel Havers).

Anita believes a lot of viewers will be able to relate to Cynthia. She says: “In my mother’s day, old people had to wear low shoes, do their hair in tiny, tight curls, and wear comfortable clothing, but Cynthia doesn’t want to play that game. She will still look the best she can, and she’ll wear the heels even if she can’t walk in them – I love that!

“This is a story about a woman in the early winter of her life, but it’s relevant to young people too, because it’s about your attitude when things go wrong.”

Far from being in the ‘winter of her life’, it seems like Anita is enjoying something of a purple patch – she even made a surprise return to Walford for EastEnders 40th anniversary.

The actress says: “Jobs always feel like presents to me – Doctor Who was a really big present recently, and I’m so glad I did the EastEnders anniversary, it was like closure for me, and it was closure for Angie Watts as well. Never Too Late was another present and you have to grab those moments. It was hard work but well worth it, it was a really lovely job to do.

Children in Need 2025 (Friday 14/11/2025, BBC One, 7pm)

Words by Richard Jones

From sponsored walks and silences to bake sales and baths in baked beans, there are no end of unsung heroes up and down the country raising money for BBC Children in Need each year.

However, the undoubted star of last year’s show was surely Paddy McGuinness.

Travelling across three nations and eight counties on his specially modified Chopper Patch, the Boltonian comedian and TV presenter completed a gruelling 300-mile ultra-endurance cycle challenge and ended up raising in excess of £10million for the charity.

After taking a well-earned break from hosting the main show last year, Paddy is back to front this year’s charity extravaganza. He explains why the charity is so special to him.

“Being a dad makes me very aware of how precious children are,” the 52-year-old says.

“Childhood should be a time of innocence and fun. If there’s any way I can help to give them that, then I will. BBC Children in Need brings us all together with one common goal: making a child’s life better.”

Reflecting on his challenge last year, he adds: “It’s hard to put into words – it almost feels like someone else went through it. Maybe one day it’ll really sink in.

“The significance of the show is massive. The Appeal night is the night we get to meet all the children and young people that BBC Children in Need supports.”

Paddy will be joined at MediaCity UK in Salford by co-hosts Mel Giedroyc, Rochelle Humes, Vernon Kay, Lenny Rush and Big Zuu, as they take it in turns introducing sketches, performances and special moments, with the sole aim of raising life-changing funds for children and young people across the UK.

Among the highlights is an Apprentice rarity, when the tables are turned on Lord Sugar as he faces a boardroom grilling from a tough new set of junior apprentices.

Viewers will also get an exclusive taster of the highly anticipated festive episodes of The Celebrity Apprentice, in which 12 famous candidates create festive biscuits for Children in Need.

And contenders get ready for a new class of Gladiators. The family favourite show is turned on its head when some mini (but powerful) athletes enter the arena for an epic showdown.

The One Show Challenge Squad will fulfil their personal challenges in front of a studio audience, with Kat performing a special duet with Sam Ryder, and Eloise throwing herself in to a musical theatre challenge – on skates – with the cast of Starlight Express.

There will also be a special music performance from Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi.

Plus, the BBC Children in Need Choir, featuring 16 children from across the country, will perform a wonderful arrangement of Coldplay’s Yellow – Pudsey’s favourite colour.

And finally, assuming all has gone well, Radio 2’s Sara Cox will arrive in Salford, having completed her own gruelling 135-mile challenge, and ready to find out how much she’s raised.

Although Paddy is rightly proud of his own achievement last year, even he will be hoping that Sara gets somewhere near, or even surpasses, his mammoth total.