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A new documentary uses archival Wham! footage to examine the 1985 China tour, its tensions with director Lindsay Anderson, and the broader cultural moment as China opened to the West. Ridgeley and Michael are featured, with new interviews and unseen material that cast their trip in a provocative light.
Michael Sheen’s two-part BBC/Independent documentary investigates claims that polychlorinated biphenyls were dumped across Wales and nearby England. The programme finds residents near waste sites with elevated PCB levels and several cancer cases, prompting renewed calls for accountability from authorities and polluters.
The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham have seen Scots secure more podium spots across events from Aug. 12-15, with Team GB leading the medal table. Daily schedules highlight finals and key qualifications as 49 nations compete for 50 golds.
Audrey Werro leads as the Diamond League heads to Zurich, with Keely Hodgkinson withdrawing due to readiness concerns. Dos Santos and Russell have set world-leading times, while Duplantis and Karalis push for 6.32m in pole vault.
A look at how streaming and new platforms are reshaping the careers and memory of a BAFTA-winning director, with reflections from collaborators and a peek at archival material and upcoming releases.
A three-part Channel 4 documentary on Lyra McKee’s 2019 murder follows Detective Jason Murphy as he investigates the crime amid a culture of silence and mistrust that hampers justice. The film uses CCTV evidence and interviews, revealing tensions between police and communities in Northern Ireland.
A trio of UK outlets report on Stolen Babies, a documentary recounting how unmarried mothers between 1949 and 1976 were coerced into adoption, with pain, neglect, and state-backed institutions central to the narrative.
The first season drew a large audience as Bob Mortimer and Richard Ayoade led a dramatic, rapid-fire contest in which laughter ends a comedian’s run. The show has a Halloween special, with the second series already planned for next year. Ten comedians are confined to a room for six hours, earning yellow cards for smiles and laughs; a potential final twist is imminent as the Halloween episode nears.
The Lammermuir festival has filled Amisfield Walled Garden near Haddington with a 100-tuba ensemble, under Artistic Director James Waters, to explore large-scale brass in outdoor space. The Guardian piece recounts the planning, acoustics, and collaboration with trumpeter Marco Blaauw.
Bonnie Greer has died at 77. A Chicago-born playwright, critic and cultural leader, she moved to the UK in 1986 and served on boards from the British Museum to Kingston University. Her work spanned theatre, television, writing and public life, and she leaves a legacy of influence across arts and civil society.
The Guardian reports Clarkson urges a single Britflix to survive streaming era; Reuters notes Channel 4 and the BBC are weighing collaboration amid funding pressures and audience fragmentation. Both pieces frame pressure on UK public-service media as competition from global platforms grows.
Dame Esther Rantzen has died at 86 after a long illness, her family has announced. The broadcaster fronted That’s Life! for 21 years, founded Childline in 1986 and the Silver Line in 2012, and later campaigned publicly for legal change on assisted dying after a stage-four lung cancer diagnosis in 2023.
The BBC has appointed Rachel Jupp as director of news and current affairs as it faces large-scale savings, staff reapplications, and a push to reinvent its public-service journalism for a digital audience.