All posts tagged: unflinching

Believe Me review: Jeff Pope delivers another powerful, unflinching drama

Believe Me review: Jeff Pope delivers another powerful, unflinching drama

A star rating of 4 out of 5. It’s the early hours of the morning. A young woman takes a black cab home after a night out in London. The seemingly friendly driver tells her he’s had a win at the casino and invites her to celebrate with him. Insisting she has a drink, which he provides, the female passenger accepts it out of politeness. Unbeknown to her she has been drugged, and she slips into unconsciousness. The following morning, horrifying details of how the driver sexually assaulted her start to come back. This was the ordeal endured by the numerous victims of prolific sex attacker John Worboys, who is played with nuanced menace by Daniel Mays in Believe Me – ITV’s unflinching four-part true-crime dramatisation of the case. Dubbed “the black cab rapist”, Worboys preyed on vulnerable women for years using the same twisted modus operandi. But his crimes went undetected for far too long. Writer Jeff Pope’s shocking articulation of the story tells how the system drastically failed Worboys’s victims, who felt the …

Huw Edwards breaks silence over Channel 5’s ‘unflinching’ new drama about his downfall

Huw Edwards breaks silence over Channel 5’s ‘unflinching’ new drama about his downfall

Huw Edwards has spoken out about Channel 5’s upcoming drama series, Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards, which explores the story of “how a vulnerable 17-year-old was groomed by one of the most powerful figures in television,” according to the synopsis.  In a new interview, the 64-year-old presenter said there was “no attempt” to check the truth of the narrative before the show was made.  © Aaron Chown – PA ImagesHuw Edwards has spoken out about Channel 5’s new drama “[They] made no attempt to check with me the truth of any aspect of their narrative before going ahead with the production,” Huw said of Wonderhood Studios, the production company behind the two-part drama.  © Shane Anthony Sinclair/BAFTAHuw pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children in 2024 “They belatedly asked for a response after the drama had been made, while reserving the right to edit any such response,” the presenter told the Daily Mail, adding that they also refused to reveal whether those making allegations had been paid for their contributions.  WATCH: The trailer …

‘Unflinching’ new thriller The Good Daughter will be your next crime drama obsession

‘Unflinching’ new thriller The Good Daughter will be your next crime drama obsession

A suspenseful new thriller, The Good Daughter, is coming to our screens this year thanks to Sky, and it’s definitely going on my watchlist.  Based on the bestselling novel by Karin Slaughter (Pieces of Her, Will Trent), who writes and executive produces the series, it follows two estranged sisters, played by Meghann Fahy and Rose Byrne, trying to piece their lives back together after a traumatic event.  HELLO! saw a preview of the thriller at Sky’s UP NEXT Showcase in London this week, which unveiled the broadcaster’s epic line-up of new shows for 2026.  © WireImageMeghann Fahy will play Charlotte in The Good Daughter The short clip introduced Meghan’s character Charlie, who has been estranged from her sister for the last twenty years and is trying to rebuild her life. When a tragic event takes place in their hometown, the sisters are reunited.   WATCH: Meghann Fahy starred in The White Lotus season 2 – have you seen it? It’s safe to say viewers are in for a compelling, fast-paced thriller that will no doubt keep …

Maria Bamford review – an unflinching comedian in complete command of every joke and every step | Stage

Maria Bamford review – an unflinching comedian in complete command of every joke and every step | Stage

‘Why did Americans decide to elect a dictator for a second time?” a freshly post-somersaulted Maria Bamford asks her audience. One word: money. In her new show, soon to embark on a tour around North America, she digs into the seductions, benefits and complications of cash for herself, her friends and the anxious culture that surrounds them. Despite inheriting what she calls “generational wealth” after the early deaths of both her parents, longtime presences in her act, Bamford still approaches the world with a fundamentally economic mindset. That’s the idea on paper. In practice, Bamford has never been one for clean narrative arcs. Instead, she draws us in with bursts of manic physical expression: she runs in tiptoed circles before dropping fully outstretched to the floor, all while holding the mic. Bamford is a comedian in complete command of every joke, every step. As ever, mental health threads through the set. Her slight tremor is referenced early on: “Thank God you’re addressing it,” she roars, self-deprecatingly. When healthcare isn’t an option, she suggests turning to …

Industry season four review – This is unflinching, merciless five-star television

Industry season four review – This is unflinching, merciless five-star television

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter I am routinely asked, by friends and family, for television recommendations. It’s my job, after all. And there are plenty of shows I love recommending – Mad Men, Gilmore Girls, M*A*S*H – and feel confident won’t reflect badly on either party. And then there’s Square Mile drama Industry, a show that is so good that it deserves to be recommended but so icky that watching it makes me feel like an unbathed incel. The fact that it returns on BBC One this week, for its fourth season, with more hype than ever, is a sign that its vicious satire is hitting the mark. Tender – a payments processor for seedy porn and gambling sites – is trying to go legit. Its founders, Whitney (Max Minghella) and Jonah (Kal Penn), are applying for a banking licence, a task that requires the involvement …