In Depth:  TV & film

subtle idols

Graeme Shanks

One of the most loved and longstanding BBC dramas is Death In Paradise.

For those who have never watched it, it’s a very light-hearted murder mystery set in Saint Marie (real-life Guadeloupe) in the Caribbean. A stunning backdrop, a loveable cast and the occasional, "I recognise their face from somewhere" guest actor. It’s been a winning formula for 15 series straight.

Niv Lobo

Over the Christmas holidays, Netflix released the final series of Stranger Things.

Since the first series in 2016, we’ve followed the outbreak of a dark, supernatural force in Hawkins, Indiana, the machinations of the US government and the military, and the children and teenagers who band together to confront it all.

Luke Randall

This year’s Masters snooker tournament at Alexandra Palace provided plenty of intrigue, as well as an interesting point for reflection concerning the mortality of even the most capable human beings.

The world’s top 16 players once again descended on the capital’s famous arena to try to win one of snooker’s three major "Triple Crown" events.

Lydia Houghton

On the day of its release, Friday 21 November, I went to see Wicked: For Good, with my sister, at our local cinema. The film got me thinking about, well, wickedness (amongst other things).

First off, let's get one thing clear: the Bible condemns witchcraft. And so we come to the seemingly age-old debate of whether Christians "should" watch Harry Potter - or, in this case, Wicked. That's not what I'm discussing in this piece.

Jenny Taylor

When top BBC journalist and Christian Robin Aitken put together a dossier of what he felt were glaring examples of biased broadcasts, and sent it to the then Director General and Board of the BBC in 2007, he knew his career was on the line. What he had not expected – as a BBC executive and flagship Today Programme reporter - was to be ignored completely.

Instead of addressing the message, they pensioned him off.

Lydia Houghton

Spoiler alert: last night, comedian Alan Carr won The Celebrity Traitors. It was some top-quality TV, and two moments can be of particular interest to us as evangelicals.

The burden of deceit

Now, if you're unfamiliar with the concept of The Traitors (as I was until this year when I, admittedly, became hooked), contestants bunk-up in a Scottish castle with some getting branded as "Faithfuls" and others, as "Traitors." The goal of a Traitor is to remain undetected by the Faithfuls, thereby not getting voted out (or "banished"), make it to the end, and nab the prize money.

Kirsten Birkett

Recently, I started reading three new novels.

One of them I came across on a table in Waterstones, a new historical novel set in early medieval England, a period I’m very interested in. The cover is beautiful and the back cover is full of commendations for this wonderful new work of literature, praising not just its good writing but its insight and depth. Good to look at, something that would impart wisdom. I paid out my valuable money for it.

Gwilym Tudur

The nineteenth series of the BBC show The Apprentice continues to captivate audiences across the UK. Hosted by the business magnate Lord Sugar, The Apprentice does what it says on the tin: 18 entrepreneurs compete against each other to become his next apprentice.

The programme’s premise is simple: prove to Lord Sugar that you’re the best. If you succeed, you will become his next business partner, earning a six-figure salary. Fail to do so and you will hear those unforgiving words: "You’re fired." You will then be removed from the boardroom and taxied back to obscurity.

sport watch

Rosie Woodbridge

As an avid watcher of the original series of Gladiators in the 90s, I am thrilled that the show has returned to our screens!

Each week I look forward to the next episode, to see how the contenders fare against the Gladiators. Who can hold their ground against Giant on Duel? Who can sprint fast enough to escape Fire when she is Unleashed? Who can dodge a tackle from Fury? Who is talented enough to put Legend in his place? How will they fare on the eliminator - will they make it up the travelator first time?

Paul Yeulett

The gripping Netflix mini-series Adolescence screened last week. Some are suggesting it might be as influential as Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which aired at the beginning of last year.

It’s all about teenage boys, emerging sexuality, social media, Andrew Tate, online bullying, misogyny and knife crime.

Niv Lobo

One should never watch anything that wounds one’s conscience; Romans 14:23 tells us there are terrible consequences of acting against our conscience.

I don’t often, therefore, speak about my fascination with the horror genre in cinema. And yet, the popularity of horror films is worth pondering. Rather than engage at any length with the film which prompted these reflections — Robert Eggers’s 2024 remake, Nosferatu — what might its success teach us?

Milla Ling-Davies

What do you do when a friendship goes wrong? Do you call them up and explain how you were hurt - or do you stop replying to messages and remove them from your life entirely?

If you are a part of Gen Z, you might do the latter. Sociologist Jenny van Hooff recently published a paper exploring how our culture views ‘toxic friendships’^[1] and found ‘dispiriting’ results. Toxic behaviour was described as anything ‘unsympathetic or simply negative’ and ending a friendship like this was seen as a ‘desirable… even courageous’^[2].

Emma Scrivener

I’ve always had a sneaking fondness for horror films. Growing up, my favourites were the old-school ones with dodgy prosthetics, creaking doors, flickering candles, and Indian burial grounds.

There was something cathartic about watching scary things happening to other people, knowing you were safe in your room… or were you? (Hollow laughter echoes). Plus you felt secure knowing that you were smarter than the idiots investigating the creepy noises, in the cellar, by themselves, in their underwear.