Simon Wardell

A weekly selection of seven films available on UK television and streaming services. The recommendations include the grief drama H Is for Hawk, the wartime thriller We Dive at Dawn, Marvel’s psychedelic superhero film Doctor Strange, the period drama Howards End, the media-satire thriller Nightcrawler, the fact-based adventure Arthur the King and Chris Morris’s dark satire The Day Shall Come.

The Guardian’s television guide recommends You’re Killing Me, starring Brooke Shields as a menopausal-mystery novelist who teams up with a young true-crime podcaster after a murder. Other picks include a Miles Davis celebration at the Proms, the season finale of Bergerac, the concluding episodes of Station Eleven and the emotional sitcom finale of Ann Droid. Grimsburg receives a mixed assessment, while Georges Franju’s horror classic Les Yeux Sans Visage is highlighted as the film choice, alongside live coverage of Arsenal v Coventry in the Premier League.

The Guardian’s television picks include the return of David Mitchell’s cosy-crime drama Ludwig, now complicated by the revelation of John Taylor’s identity, alongside Dragons’ Den, The Yorkshire Vet, A House Through Time, Better Date Than Never and the slavery-focused thriller Possession. The film recommendation is Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter, a documentary examining the tennis champion’s difficult public image, family life and career choices against the backdrop of the 2025 Australian Open.

The Guardian’s evening television guide highlights the documentary series I Love You to Death, which examines Lisa Hayden-Johnson’s fabricated claims that her son Matthew was severely disabled, alongside testimony from both of them. Other recommendations include the concluding episode of the Welsh choir series Voices of the Valleys, new episodes of Professor T, Guy Montgomery’s comedy spelling bee and the true-crime series Outback Murder Highway about disappearances along Australia’s Flinders Highway. Film picks include Bertrand Bonello’s science-fiction romance The Beast and Dev Patel’s violent revenge thriller Monkey Man. The listings also cover Couples Therapy and live cricket, cycling and football.

The Guardian’s evening television guide highlights Buried With Michael Sheen, a two-part BBC investigation into alleged PCB contamination in parts of Wales and a related pollution scandal in Anniston, Alabama. Other recommendations include crime dramas, emotionally driven documentary television, Celebrity Hunted for Stand Up to Cancer, reality series Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives, French crime drama Everybody Lies and the romantic comedy The Wedding Singer.

A television guide highlights Kabul, a thriller about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover, emphasizing its impact on the Nazany family and vulnerable Afghans. Other recommendations include a Paul Simon Graceland concert at the Proms, Bettany Hughes’s exploration of Neolithic Anatolia, Ghosts US, a documentary on the Concorde crash, The Staircase, the science-fiction film Signal One, The Batman, and live athletics and football.

Seven films and one tennis documentary are recommended for television and streaming during the week. Highlights include Bertrand Bonello’s time-spanning science-fiction romance The Beast, the extraterrestrial-contact mystery Signal One, Matt Reeves’s dark superhero film The Batman, the nostalgic romantic comedy The Wedding Singer, Dev Patel’s violent revenge thriller Monkey Man, and Georges Franju’s unsettling horror classic Les Yeux Sans Visage. The documentary Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter offers a more intimate and sympathetic portrait of the Serbian tennis champion, focusing on his intensity, family life and complicated public image.

The Guardian’s television guide highlights He Had It Coming, an Australian university murder dramedy starring Lydia West, alongside programmes including Beethoven at the Proms, the Bergerac reboot, Frank Skinner’s standup special, Grimsburg and Ann Droid. The film recommendations praise Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, particularly Jessie Buckley’s performance, and Laura Carreira’s socially realist On Falling. The listing also notes live Championship football between Wolves and Blackburn.

The Guardian’s television guide highlights a Channel 4 documentary about Rhianan Rudd, the youngest girl charged with UK terror offences, focusing on her mental-health difficulties, vulnerable background and online grooming before her death by suicide. Other recommendations include Steph McGovern’s art-world reality show, David Olusoga’s historical series A House Through Time, the dating programme Better Date Than Never, a documentary about Joel and Ethan Coen, and the supernatural thriller Possession. The film choice is Maite Alberdi’s Netflix documentary A Child of My Own, which follows a secret adoption arrangement that develops into an uncertain and unsettling account of truth.

The Guardian’s television guide recommends a Channel 4 documentary about Russian spy Anna Chapman, examining her social ascent in London and New York, her surveillance and eventual exposure, and the broader context of Russia-West relations. Other recommendations include documentaries on the origins of democracy in Athens, ambitious home renovations, a Scottish murder trial, emergency-room cases, and a camp Australian spelling quiz. The film choice is Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II on Netflix, while the sports listings feature Manchester United versus Leeds and the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.

The Guardian’s television picks include Savage Mountain, a documentary about Kristin Harila and Tenjen “Lama” Sherpa’s record-setting ascent of 14 peaks in 92 days, which addresses allegations that their team abandoned porter Mohammad Hassan. Other recommendations include a forensic examination of the Damilola Taylor murder, a sports-themed episode of The Great British Sewing Bee, the introduction of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestants, a Fawlty Towers-themed sitcom tour, and a dramatic episode of The Vampire Lestat: Interview With the Vampire. The film choice is Missing, a claustrophobic digital-screen thriller about a teenager investigating her mother’s disappearance in Colombia.

The evening’s television recommendations highlight Force of Nature on ITV1, a visually impressive nature series examining how extreme weather and human activity damage coastal habitats. Other selections include the Amsterdam crime drama Van Der Valk, Richard E Grant’s cultural road trip through Sicily, a BBC Proms concert, the finale of climate-crisis drama The Rapture, and a new episode of The Piano. The film choice is Speed, praised for its tense freeway action and breakthrough performances from Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves.

The Guardian recommends an evening of television led by Paul Heaton’s joyful live concert at Bramall Lane, featuring Housemartins, Beautiful South and solo hits with Rianne Downey. Other highlights include Sandi Toksvig investigating archaeology and human sacrifice in Dorset, Bettany Hughes exploring ancient Anatolia, and a documentary about Elvis Presley’s connections to organized crime through Colonel Tom Parker. Drama and comedy options include The Staircase and Ghosts Australia, while Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers is the film recommendation. The listings also cover women’s cricket, the Tour de France Femmes and EFL Cup football.

The Guardian recommends seven films airing or streaming during the week of 8–14 August: Hamnet, Parallel Mothers, Speed, Missing, Gladiator II, A Child of My Own and On Falling. The selection ranges from acclaimed historical and family dramas to action thrillers, a technologically constrained mystery, a documentary-style adoption drama and Laura Carreira’s bleak critique of precarious warehouse work.

The Guardian’s evening television guide recommends the third season of Ramy, praising its depiction of a deeply flawed Muslim American and especially an episode about a disastrous Tinder date. Other picks include an Elgar concert at the Proms, the third season of Granite Harbour, a Station Eleven episode exploring the origins of its graphic novel, the comedy Ann Droid, the animated detective series Grimsburg, and Ben Wheatley’s thriller Normal.

The television roundup highlights the return of Tinie Tempah’s Extraordinary Extensions, featuring a glamorous Edwardian terrace renovation and an eco-focused Norfolk cottage conversion. Other recommendations include Ken Burns’s historical road-trip documentary, Deal or No Deal, emergency-room and murder documentaries, and a Katie Price programme featuring her children discussing family turmoil. The film selections cover The Devil Wears Prada 2, in which declining print sales and internet competition threaten a fashion magazine, and Primate, a horror film about a linguistically trained chimp that becomes a lethal threat to a Hawaiian family.

The Guardian’s television guide recommends an evening lineup led by The Vampire Lestat: Interview with the Vampire, praising Sam Reid’s flamboyant portrayal of the glam-rock vampire. Other selections include a sustainability-themed Great British Sewing Bee, a promotional Hotel Chocolat series, the cyber-thriller The Undeclared War, Shabaz Ali’s investigation into billionaire wealth, the Gomorrah prequel The Origins, and Warwick Thornton’s mystical film The New Boy, which addresses Australia’s history of separating Indigenous children from their families.

The Guardian’s evening television guide recommends Ruth Madeley’s BBC One drama The Rapture, set in Wales during a brutal heatwave and combining climate catastrophe, religious leadership and a troubled teenager who claims to predict the future. Other highlights include ITV’s Force of Nature, a nature series on the climate crisis’s impact on wildlife; a Proms concert led by John Wilson; crime thrillers and documentaries; The Piano’s performances at York station; Scarlett Johansson’s film Eleanor the Great; and extensive cricket and Formula One coverage.

The evening television guide recommends Ghosts Australia on BBC Three, praising its new ghost characters and entertaining twist on the British original. Other highlights include Alan Carr’s Picture Slam, an archive celebration of Bonnie Tyler, the French wartime drama The Sentinels, The Staircase, and a Schitt’s Creek triple bill. Film picks include Lurker and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Cannes-winning Monster, while live coverage features the Commonwealth Games, the Tour de France and World Matchplay darts.

Seven films are recommended for television and streaming, led by The Devil Wears Prada 2, in which Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs reunite amid the decline of print media. Other selections include Lurker, a tense story of celebrity and obsession; Monster, a layered Japanese drama about bullying, friendship and difference; Eleanor the Great, Scarlett Johansson’s moving directorial debut about grief and Holocaust-related false memories; The New Boy, a mystical Australian drama about Indigenous child separation and Christian assimilation; Primate, a chimpanzee slasher horror; and Normal, a comic crime thriller starring Bob Odenkirk.

The television guide highlights Station Eleven as an overlooked but hopeful pandemic drama arriving on Sky Atlantic, alongside music, property, crime, sitcom and documentary programming. Boris Johnson’s Channel 5 film follows him with Ukrainian soldiers and examines the human cost of the war. The film selections include the comedies The Dink and Preschool and Annie Baker’s quieter family drama Janet Planet, while the Commonwealth Games provide the main live-sport option.

A selection of evening TV highlights includes a documentary episode in which Katie Price reflects on her marriage to Peter Andre, a profile of a Welsh workhorse business owner, a compilation of notable Deal or No Deal moments, and a look inside Barnsley’s A&E department. Additional picks include a narrowboat redesign challenge, a classic Play for Today drama about an elderly homeless woman, and a late-night screening of Quentin Dupieux’s metafictional film The Second Act.

A roundup of television highlights for the evening, led by the return of Peter Kosminsky’s cyber‑thriller The Undeclared War, along with new episodes and series across major UK channels, including documentaries, reality shows, dramas and a late‑night film selection.

TV highlights include Alan Carr’s returning gameshow Picture Slam, Alexander Armstrong’s final US travel segment, a tense episode of Casualty, and the French war drama The Sentinels. Music nostalgia continues with two Top of the Pops retrospectives, while film picks include Wicked Little Letters and Jurassic Park. Live sports coverage spans rugby, golf, cricket, cycling and World Cup football.

A selection of seven films airing on TV this week includes the sports comedy The Dink, the irreverent period drama Wicked Little Letters, the classic adventure Jurassic Park, and the stylish erotic drama The Pillow Book, alongside the meta-comedy The Second Act, the competitive-parent farce Preschool, and the intimate coming-of-age story Janet Planet, with each recommendation highlighting notable performances and themes.

A roundup of evening television highlights features Diane Morgan’s new sitcom Ann Droid, a comedy about an elderly widow paired with an outdated care robot. Additional recommendations include Sally Phillips’s camp mystery drama The Hairdresser Mysteries, the First Night of the Proms, a Channel 4 documentary on extreme cosmetic surgery spending, a stylised Amanda Knox drama, the sitcom Austin, and the comedy-focused Anaconda reboot starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd.

A set of television highlights includes a glossy drama about a secret-laden girls’ weekend, a property show helping a couple rebuild after wildfire loss, a genealogy journey with Toby Jones, a global spin‑off of The Chase, Dan Snow’s exploration of real-world sites linked to The Odyssey, a Surrey-set true crime documentary, and a documentary on Kim Novak followed by a screening of Vertigo, along with coverage of The Open golf tournament.

A selection of television highlights includes the Swedish drama Faithless, a patisserie competition quarter-final, a comedic medical episode, the conclusion of a true-crime series on the Pike County murders, a Canadian police procedural, and the finale of a groundbreaking gay dating show. The film pick is Misericordia, a tense French drama, and live sport offerings feature England v India cricket and a World Cup football semi-final.

A selection of evening television highlights includes a Scottish crime drama about a serial killer, a countdown of wealthy UK TV stars, a documentary exploring the ambitions of tech billionaires, the return of a public piano talent show, a comedy panel programme, and a family thriller centered on an inheritance feud. A new film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean is also featured as a recommended watch.

A selection of television highlights includes a French sci‑fi‑infused first world war drama, travel escapism with Alexander Armstrong, a tense episode of Casualty, nostalgic Top of the Pops retrospectives, Wimbledon coverage, and recommended films such as Redux and The Lady Eve.

A roundup of the week’s recommended TV films spans new releases and classics, including the final Heartstopper feature, a multiverse revenge thriller, a beloved screwball comedy, a dark family drama led by Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, a tense French character study, a candid documentary on Kim Novak, and a meta-comic reboot of Anaconda. Each selection highlights notable performances, themes of grief, love, and personal struggle, and the distinct styles of their directors and casts.

A selection of television highlights includes a documentary celebrating Rik Mayall’s career, a look at life in Cornwall, a complex police investigation in Bedfordshire, developments in the supernatural drama From, competitive tension in The Traitors US, and a case-review episode examining Stacey Hyde’s conviction. The film pick is Escape from Pretoria, featuring Daniel Radcliffe as an apartheid-era political prisoner planning an escape.

A roundup of evening television highlights including the finale of French crime drama Saint-Pierre, updates from several UK factual and lifestyle shows, and recommendations for dramas and films such as In Our Blood, Avatar: Fire and Ash, The Welcome Table and Rob Roy, with brief commentary on themes and featured performances across the selections.

A selection of TV highlights includes the second episode of Free Nelson Mandela, which covers the political tension of the 1980s and the growing pressure on the South African government. Additional recommendations span documentaries, dramas, music programmes and films, including features on prison life in Glasgow, a thriller starring Diane Kruger and a touching crime-series finale. A documentary about rescuing an otter and classic teen vampire film The Lost Boys round out the day’s standout viewing options.

A selection of seven recommended films includes the latest Avatar installment, a lighthearted sci‑fi comedy starring Ryan Gosling, a heartwarming otter documentary, and classics such as The Lost Boys and Rob Roy, alongside a climate crisis documentary and a tense apartheid‑era prison escape drama.

A selection of TV highlights includes the return of the Northern Irish sitcom Funboys with Steve Coogan joining the cast, live coverage of the Isle of Wight Festival, and a special Gardeners’ World episode from Birmingham. Additional picks feature the farming reality series Our Farm Next Door, the latest Celebrity Gogglebox, and the lighthearted medical drama St Denis Medical, along with the thriller film New Life. World Cup matches between Scotland and Morocco and Brazil and Haiti are also scheduled.

A roundup of television highlights scheduled opposite England’s World Cup match against Croatia features property searches in London, a documentary on the Mary Rose, a crime drama episode, a retrospective on a landmark 1979 TV play, LGBTQ+ short films, an ongoing horror series and the acclaimed film Aftersun, along with live sports listings for cricket and World Cup fixtures.

A selection of evening television highlights includes the return of Welsh drama The Light in the Hall, a new episode of Best Medicine, a BBC investigation into the Scamanda scandal, Bear Grylls’ Utah adventure with Rhys Darby, Italian crime series Rosa Elettrica, and a Ken Burns documentary on the American Revolution. The film pick is Paul King’s Wonka, praised for Timothée Chalamet’s performance and Hugh Grant’s comedic turn.

A selection of UK television highlights includes an investigation into the agencies behind OnlyFans creators, a canal travel series finale, a documentary on the rise of parakeets, an exploration of political tensions during Brexit, a retrospective on Dolly the sheep’s scientific legacy, a comedic sitcom episode, and a late-night screening of the film The Power of the Dog.

A selection of evening TV highlights includes a three-part Channel 4 series charting Nelson Mandela’s fight for freedom through interviews, archive material and accounts from those close to him. Additional recommendations include dramas on the Mitford sisters, a Nepal wildlife expedition, a true-crime story, several new series episodes, and film picks such as The Big Chill and the single-shot restaurant drama Boiling Point.

A roundup of TV highlights includes performances from Capital’s Summertime Ball, coverage of the King’s Birthday Parade, new episodes of Blankety Blank and Casualty, a showcase of original songs on BBC Two, and a drama set on a Greek island, along with a horror film selection and live sports broadcasts.

A selection of seven recommended films airing across TV and streaming platforms includes a gory horror thriller, classic drama, single‑take kitchen story, acclaimed western, musical origin tale, tender coming‑of‑age drama and a restrained chase thriller, each highlighted for standout performances or distinctive filmmaking approaches.