All posts by Michael Pickard

BBC and RTÉ set family reunion with The Walsh Sisters for season two

September 15, 2026First LookBBC, Cineflix Rights, Cuba Pictures, Marian Keyes, Metropolitan Pictures, RTÉ, The Walsh SistersMichael Pickard

FIRST LOOK: The Walsh Sisters are back together for a second season, with production underway on new episodes of the RTÉ and BBC comedy drama inspired by the novels of Marian Keyes.

Season two of The Walsh Sisters rejoins the chaotic, dysfunctional, but deeply loveable family of five sisters, their mother, and bemused father in their Dublin hometown. Rachel steps outside the family bubble to navigate recovery on her own terms, but an encounter with a familiar face tests her newfound independence, Claire defies the traditional expectations placed on her as a mother compared to her ex’s responsibilities as a father, Maggie’s quest to become the perfect family takes an unexpected turn, Helen becomes overprotective of her sisters while struggling with her emotional wellbeing, and Anna tries some unusual methods to get over heartbreak.

Individually, all five sisters are forced to confront their true identities as the roles in life they’ve previously played seemingly no longer fit. Meanwhile, Daddy Walsh remains blissfully oblivious to the family drama, focused entirely on his quest to land a part in the local amateur dramatic musical – much to the exasperation of Mammy Walsh.

New cast members include Peter Coonan as David, Rachel’s fellow recovering addict; Aislín McGuckin as Patsy Costello, Luke’s mother; Art Campion as an old schoolfriend of the sisters; and Fay Ripley as marriage counsellor Sharon.

They join a returning cast led by Caroline Menton as Rachel, Danielle Galligan as Claire, Máiréad Tyers as Helen, Stefanie Preissner as Maggie and Louisa Harland as Anna. Aidan Quinn returns as as Jack ‘Daddy’ Walsh and Carrie Crowley as Mammy Walsh.

Preissner also continues as creative lead and writer on the series, with this season based on Keyes’ novels The Mystery of Mercy Close and Angels.

The Walsh Sisters is produced by Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Pictures for RTÉ, in association with the BBC, with Cineflix Rights distributing internationally. Stan returns as the exclusive home for the new season in Australia.

The executive producers are Dixie Linder and Nick Marston for Cuba Pictures, David McLoughlin for Metropolitan Pictures, David Crean and Dermot Horan for RTÉ, Tom Misselbrook for Cineflix Rights, along with Stefanie Preissner, Marian Keyes and Tony Baines. Patrick O’Donoghue is the producer.

tagged in: BBC, Cineflix Rights, Cuba Pictures, Marian Keyes, Metropolitan Pictures, RTÉ, The Walsh Sisters

The unexpected death that means nobody’s safe in ITV thriller Trigger Point

September 14, 2026TrendspottingAll3Media International, Eric Shango, HTM Television, ITV, Jed Mercurio, Maanuv Thiara, Natalie Simpson, Trigger Point, Vicky McClureMichael Pickard

Television drama likes to shock viewers with an early or unexpected death of a key character – and ITV’s Trigger Point is no exception. DQ hears from cast members Eric Shango, Natalie Simpson and Maanuv Thiara about starring in the show’s fourth season and the experience of filming one actor’s final scenes.

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Amy Nuttall finds her Forever Home with new drama based on Graham Norton’s novel

September 11, 2026STAR POWERAmy Nuttall, Channel 5, Clara Salaman, Denise Welch, Douglas Henshall, FilmNation Entertainment, Forever Home, Graham Norton, The Mediapro StudioMichael Pickard

From Emmerdale to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Amy Nuttall has been on screen for more than 20 years. As she takes the lead in 5 family drama Forever Home, she speaks to DQ about the mystery at the heart of this six-part story, the challenge of perfecting her northeast accent and how she goes “all in” on any new role.

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End of an era: Inside the final season of Babylon Berlin with writer-directors Tom Tykwer and Achim von Borries

September 10, 2026The Director’s ChairAchim von Borries, ARD, Babylon Berlin, Beta Film, Henk Handloegten, Liv Lisa Fries, Sky Deutschland, Tom Tykwer, Volker Bruch, Volker Kutscher, X Filme Creative PoolMichael Pickard

A 13-year journey for writer-directors Tom Tykwer and Achim von Borries comes to an end with the fifth and final season of German period drama Babylon Berlin. They reflect on their partnership – together with Henk Handloegten – and the challenge of closing out this “love letter” to a city and a period.

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Summer H Howell leads Carrie adaptation at Prime Video

September 10, 2026Trailer parkCarrie, Mike Flanagan, Prime Video, Stephen KingMichael Pickard

TRAILER: Summer H Howell takes the title role in Carrie, the first series adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel from Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) debuting on Prime Video on October 7, 2026.

The eight-part series introduces Carrie White (Howell), a misfit high‑schooler who has spent her life hidden away inside the walls of her home with her fiercely protective mother, Margaret. After her father’s sudden, untimely death thrusts her into the unforgiving ecosystem of public high school, Carrie is forced to navigate a viral bullying scandal that tears through her community, the relentless pressure and casual cruelty of the social‑media age, and the awakening of mysterious telekinetic powers that rise alongside her adolescence.

The cast includes Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White, Siena Agudong as Sue Snell, Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen, Joel Oulette as Tommy Ross, Josie Totah as Tina, Arthur Conti as Billy, Thalia Dudek as Emaline, Amber Midthunder as Miss Desjardin and Matthew Lillard as Principal Grayle.

Recurring guest stars from Flanagan’s previous series including Michael Trucco, Crystal Balint, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, Tim Bagley and Heather Graham.

Carrie is written and executive produced by showrunner Flanagan (Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher), with Stephen King also an executive producer. Flanagan directed episodes 1, 2, 7 and 8, while 3, 4, 5 and 6 are directed by Kate Siegel (The Exorcist: Martyrs), Axelle Carolyn (Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen), Kyra Sedgwick (Family Movie) and Hiromi Kamata (Shogun), respectively.

The series is an Amazon MGM Studios production.

tagged in: Carrie, Mike Flanagan, Prime Video, Stephen King

BBC heads back to court for The Split Up

September 10, 2026Trailer parkAbi Morgan, BBC Studios, Little Chick, Sister Pictures, The Split, The Split UpMichael Pickard

TRAILER: Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar head the cast of The Split Up, a six-part legal drama based on Abi Morgan’s The Split that is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on September 20.

A follow-up to The Split, which ended after three seasons and a two-part special in 2024, The Split Up brings a new family, a new city and a new set of relationships to the charged world of high-net-worth divorce law.

Rising legal star Aria Kishan (Arya) is poised to take over Kishan Law, the powerhouse family firm set up by her father Dhruv (Bhaskar). The go-to firm for Manchester’s elite, Aria and her family represent high-profile clients, played by guest stars including Lenny Henry, Jane Horrocks and Jameela Jamil.

Alongside the pressures of her workplace, Aria faces scrutiny in her relationship too. Her wedding to long-term partner Neal (Danny Ashok) is on the horizon, but with their personal and professional lives so entwined, it’s unclear if their relationship can withstand any more pressure – a problem further compounded when a former secret flame Luke (Dimitri Leonidas) unexpectedly takes a job at Kishan Law.

Aria stands on the brink of inheriting her family firm, but with the family still grieving the recent death of Aria’s mother, Dhruv begins to question whether his daughter can, or should, take on the responsibility of running Kishan Law single handedly. Alongside her siblings Maya (Aysha Kala) and Kav (Arian Nik), whose own relationships and loyalties are far from straightforward, Aria must ask herself: who should you live your life for?

The cast also features Mawaan Rizwan, Sindhu Vee, Shalini Peiris and Tom Forbes.

The Split Up’s story and characters are created by Ursula Rani Sarma (Delicious), based on The Split, created Morgan (Eric). It is produced by Sister Pictures in association with Morgan’s Little Chick.

The six-part series is executive produced by Morgan, Jane Featherstone, Bryony Arnold, Sarma with Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC and it is co-executive produced by Shamim Sarif. Additional episodes are written by Sumerah Srivastav (Missing You), Kaamil Shah (Count Abdulla) and Sonali Bhattacharyya (Chasing Hares – Young Vic/Theatre Uncut).

The series is directed by Shamim Sarif (You) and Khurrum M Sultan (Vera). Natasha Romaniuk (Outrageous) is producer and Kasheina Vencatasawmy (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) is associate producer. BBC Studios is handling global sales.

All episodes of The Split Up will be available on BBC iPlayer from Sunday, September 20. Episodes will air on BBC One at 9pm on Sundays and Mondays from that same date.

tagged in: Abi Morgan, BBC Studios, Little Chick, Sister Pictures, The Split, The Split Up

Crew Girl execs Lindsay Macadam and Jeff Norton head to the water for Netflix’s latest YA drama

September 9, 2026In productionBlue Ant Studios, Crew Girl, Finding Her Edge, Geek Girl, Jeff Norton, Jessica Paré, Kyle Clark, Lindsay Macadam, Miku Martineau, Morwyn Brebner, Netflix, Sam Braun, Vivian LinMichael Pickard

Ahead of the launch of Netflix sports drama Crew Girl, executive producers Lindsay Macadam and Jeff Norton tell DQ about developing and producing a series set in the world of rowing, filming on water and embracing the power of reinvention.

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Call My Agent! The Movie: Writer Fanny Herrero and producer Aurélien Larger on dialling up the chaos

September 8, 2026IN FOCUSAurélien Larger, Call My Agent, Camille Cottin, Dix Pour Cent, Emilie Noblet, Fanny Herrero, France Télévisions, George Clooney, Laure Calamy, Lison Daniel, Mediawan, Mon Voisin Productions, Mother Productions, NetflixMichael Pickard

Six years since the series finale, Call My Agent! writer Fanny Herrero and producer Aurélien Larger reflect on the long road to making a movie sequel, reuniting a beloved cast and reigniting old rivalries among the agents of ASK talent agency.

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Staying in with Settling: Hannah Marshall and Pax Assadi on their New Zealand romcom about two friends and a marriage pact

September 4, 2026STAR POWERAll3Media International, David de Lautour, Hannah Marshall, Ms X, Pax Assadi, Rainn Wilson, Settling, Sky New Zealand, South Pacific Pictures, ThreeNowMichael Pickard

Following the show’s launch in New Zealand, Settling creators, writers and stars Hannah Marshall and Pax Assadi tell DQ how their own lives inspired this romcom about two friends who get married, and how Love Island led them to work with The Office US star Rainn Wilson.

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Whistle while you work: Molly Lewis on composing the score for Netflix’s Australian period drama My Brilliant Career

September 3, 2026Job DescriptionAlyssa McClelland, Andrew Wyatt, Barbie, François Tetaz, Jungle Entertainment, Liz Doran, Mark Ronson, Molly Lewis, My Brilliant Career, Netflix, Philippa NortheastMichael Pickard

Internationally renowned whistler Molly Lewis speaks to DQ about producing the score for Australian epic My Brilliant Career, partnering with composer François Tétaz to find the sound of protagonist Sybylla and pushing her music into new territories.

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The Rainmaker: Karen Bryson on John Grisham, grief and playing Dot Black

September 2, 2026STAR POWERBlumhouse Television, ITV, ITVX, John Grisham, John Slattery, Karen Bryson, Lana Parrilla, Lionsgate Television, Madison Iseman, Michael Seitzman, Milo Callaghan, PJ Byrne, The Rainmaker, USA NetworkMichael Pickard

US legal drama The Rainmaker has crossed the Atlantic after debuting on USA Network last year. Karen Bryson tells DQ what drew her to the John Grisham adaptation and how she built grieving mother Dot Black from the ground up, and reveals the request that shaped one of the series’ most powerful courtroom scenes.

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Trigger Point returns: Star Vicky McClure and writer Chris Brandon on making the most explosive season yet

August 28, 2026IN FOCUSAll3Media International, BYO Films, Chris Brandon, Daniel Brierley, HTM Television, ITV, Jed Mercurio, Joel Snarr, Jonny Owen, Trigger Point, Vicky McClureMichael Pickard

Trigger Point returns to ITV for its fourth season, filmed back-to-back with season three. Star and executive producer Vicky McClure and writer Chris Brandon tell DQ how they scaled up the drama – and why Lana Washington’s toughest battle this time might be with herself.

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Babylon Berlin readies finale with season five trailer

August 26, 2026Trailer parkAchim von Borries, ARD, Babylon Berlin, Beta Film, Henk Handloegten, Tom Twyker, X-FilmeMichael Pickard

TRAILER: German period crime drama Babylon Berlin will come to its end when its fifth and final season debuts on local broadcaster ARD in September. Here’s the trailer.

Inspired by motifs from Volker Kutscher’s novel Märzgefallene, the fifth season begins in January 1933, when Hitler’s appointment as Reich Chancellor opens the darkest chapter in German history.

Detective Charlotte Ritter investigates a series of murders targeting former front-line soldiers. The connections and motives reach back to 1918. An explosive file has disappeared, one that casts Hitler’s time as a soldier in the First World War in a new light. Politically incendiary material – and those involved seem willing to stop at nothing to get their hands on the file – even murder. When investigator Gereon Rath suddenly vanishes without a trace, Charlotte does not know whether she will ever see him again.

Volker Bruch and Liv Lisa Fries star alongside Hannah Herzsprung, Karl Markovics, Lars Eidinger, Fritzi Haberlandt and Christian Friedel. New cast members include Clemens Schick, Ulrich Noethen and Devid Striesow.

Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch), Charlotte Ritter (Liv Lisa Fries),

From writer-directors Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten and Achim von Borries, Babylon Berlin is a production of X Filme Creative Pool in coproduction with ARD Degeto, WDR, SWR, HR, Radio Bremen and Beta Film in collaboration with RBB. The series is coproduced by Christoph Pellander and Carolin Haasis (ARD Degeto Film), Alexander Bickel and Caren Toennissen-Brand (WDR), Manfred Hattendorf and Monika Denisch (SWR), as well as Jörg Himstedt (HR).

Producers for X Filme are Uwe Schott, Tom Tykwer, Stefan Arndt and Michael Polle, coproducers for Beta Film are Jan Mojto, Dirk Schürhoff and Moritz Herzogenberg.

Babylon Berlin S5 will premiere on Germany’s ARD on September 10. Sold to more than 140 territories across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia, it will then air internationally, with its US release is expected next year on MHz Choice.

tagged in: Achim von Borries, ARD, Babylon Berlin, Beta Film, Henk Handloegten, Tom Twyker, X-Filme

Ella-Lily Hyland tells Tall Tales & Murder for RTÉ and BBC

August 26, 2026First LookAvalon, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC One, Chris Addison, Ella Lily Hyland, Metropolitan Pictures, RTÉ, Stuart CarolanMichael Pickard

FIRST LOOK: Ella-Lily Hyland stars in dark comedic drama Tall Tales & Murder, a “Bonnie and Clyde style adventure of bent cops, kidnapping and underworld fixers” debuting on RTÉ in Ireland in September and coming soon to BBC One and BBC Northern Ireland.

From Love/Hate creator Stuart Carolan and co-created with Chris Addison, the series also explores the dilemmas of unconventional heroes and villains with an 8th Century tall tale of monks, Vikings, buried treasure and a priceless holy book.

Bridget (Hyland) is an unconventional nurse who works the night shift at a Dublin nursing home. She reads the old folk bedtime horror stories, arranges clandestine late-night dances and euthanises them if they ask nicely.

Into this secret world comes Paul (Casey Walsh), a young man stuck stealing cars to repay a debt to crime boss Ma Baker (Philippa Dunne). Paul is desperate to stay out of prison and needs a legitimate job to keep him safe, so calls on his guardian-angel-of-sorts, an irascible detective called Bunny Ryan (Brian Doherty). Bunny uses his personal history with the Matron of Bridget’s nursing home (Aisling O’Sullivan) to pull in a favour – a favour that will cost him dear.

On Bridget and Paul’s first shift together at the nursing home, a mysterious, comatose patient known only as ‘Anonymous’ (Aidan Gillen), wakes up and reveals he’s the long-lost gangster Grinner McNair, with a buried hoard of Celtic gold.

Could this treasure be the answer to all Bridget and Paul’s troubles? Will they risk everything to find it? But they’re not the only ones after it, and things get complicated as vicious gangster Wesley Swanson (Packy Lee) and his henchmen close in…

Ella-Lily Hyland. Photo credit Mark Sheen

Brian Doherty . Photo credit Pat Redmond

A co-commission from BBC Northern Ireland and RTÉ, it is produced by Avalon (Breeders, Starstruck, Catastrophe) in association with Ireland-based Metropolitan Pictures (KIN).

The drama was filmed in the Republic of Ireland and is based on the nine-book Dublin Trilogy by Caimh McDonnell.

Tall Tales & Murder is executive produced by Chris Addison, Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, Stuart Carolan and Jon Thoday for Avalon, with David McLoughlin and Catherine Tiernan for Metropolitan Pictures. Caroline Norris is series producer, Gemma O’Shaughnessy is producer and the series is directed by Chris Addison and Neasa Hardiman.

It will be distributed internationally by Avalon.

Tall Tales & Murder debuts on RTÉ on September 27.

tagged in: Avalon, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC One, Chris Addison, Ella Lily Hyland, Metropolitan Pictures, RTÉ, Stuart Carolan

Back to Bookish: Star Connor Finch on opening a new chapter in Mark Gatiss’s period murder-mystery series

August 24, 2026STAR POWERBeta Film, Bookish, Connor Finch, Eagle Eye Drama, Elliot Levey, Gary Oldman, Mark Gatiss, PBS Distribution, Polly Walker, Rupert Graves, U&AlibiMichael Pickard

Connor Finch returns as Jack in Bookish season two, marking the first time he’s revisited a character on screen. He tells DQ what’s ahead for Jack in Mark Gatiss’s period murder-mystery drama, and why Gary Oldman is the reason he became an actor.

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Claire Goose is Complicit for Channel 4 and Virgin Media Ireland

August 24, 2026First LookChannel 4, Claire Goose, Complicit, ITV Studios, Metropolitan Pictures, Tall Story Pictures, Virgin Media IrelandMichael Pickard

FIRST LOOK: Claire Goose will take the lead in Complicit, a new six-part murder mystery exploring the lives of the residents of a shadowy suburban neighbourhood coming soon to Channel 4 in the UK and Virgin Media Ireland.

Goose stars as Jen Molloy who, when she slips back home after a night of passion with a man who isn’t her husband, she has no idea how devastating the consequences will be. When a death follows, one split-second lie threatens to destroy everything she holds dear.

The cast also includes Moe Dunford, who plays Jen’s lover, Damian Barr, and Jason O’Mara as her husband, Chris Molloy.

Creator Caroline Carver (The Bay, Grace) leads the writing team with additional episodes from Evan Placey (The Bay, The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Tom Farrelly (Fool Me Once, Lazarus) and Fran Harris (Blue Lights, Clean Sweep).

Directed by Brian O’Malley (Frauds, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue), Patrick O’Donoghue (The Walsh Sisters) and David McLoughlin (KIN) are producers.

Executive Producers are Catherine Oldfield (The Bay, Bancroft, Trauma) alongside Jenna Robbins (The Bay, We Hunt Together) and Catherine Tiernan (Wednesday, The Tourist S2).

Complicit is a coproduction between Tall Story Pictures and Metropolitan Pictures, made in association with Channel 4, ITV Studios, Virgin Media Television Ireland, Screen Ireland and the Coimisiún na Meán Sound & Vision Fund. ITV Studios will handle international distribution.

tagged in: Channel 4, Claire Goose, Complicit, ITV Studios, Metropolitan Pictures, Tall Story Pictures, Virgin Media Ireland

Gabrielle Creevy and Michael Socha move to The Witch Farm

August 21, 2026First LookDanny Robins, Gabrielle Creevy, ITV Studios, Mammoth Screen, Michael Socha, The Ghost FarmMichael Pickard

FIRST LOOK: Gabrielle Creevy and Michael Socha star in The Witch Farm, a ghost story and mystery set in the Welsh countryside coming soon to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Written by Danny Robins, the creator of BBC paranormal podcast Uncanny, the series is inspired by first-hand accounts, theories and real events explored in his original BBC podcast of the same name.

South Wales, 1989. Bill (Socha), Liz (Creevy) and their teenage son Jonathan (Lewin Lloyd) leave London for Heol Fanog, a remote modern farmhouse in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, determined to make a fresh start. At first, the isolation feels like freedom. But when frightening, inexplicable things begin to happen around the house and a strange figure begins to appear, the family starts to feel increasingly scared.

What follows is a steady escalation of the chillingly uncanny – unexplained disturbances and an unsettling sense that they are not alone. As Bill and Liz begin to investigate, the house draws them deeper into a history that refuses to stay buried. And as the land yields its secrets, so too does their marriage – testing the limits of trust, belief, and what they’re willing to deny in order to survive.

Liz (GABRIELLE CREEVY), Bethan (SIAN GIBSON), Bill (MICHAEL SOCHA)

Bill (MICHAEL SOCHA); Max Hardiman (ED HOLCROFT)

The cast also includes Sian Gibson, Robert Pugh, Jeremy Swift, Edward Holcroft and Roger Evans.

The Witch Farm is a four-part miniseries written and created by Robins, directed by Stacey Gregg and produced by Megan Ott. The executive producers are Simon Barnard, Stacey Gregg and Danny Robins, James Gandhi and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, and Nawfal Faizullah and Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC.

The series is produced by Mammoth Screen and distributed by ITV Studios.

tagged in: Danny Robins, Gabrielle Creevy, ITV Studios, Mammoth Screen, Michael Socha, The Ghost Farm

ITV cracks new Code of Silence with Rose Ayling-Ellis

August 21, 2026First LookBritbox, Code of Silence, ITV, ITV Studios, Mammoth Screen, Rose Ayling-EllisMichael Pickard

FIRST LOOK: Rose Ayling-Ellis is back in front of the camera as production gets underway on season two of ITV crime thriller Code of Silence.

Two years on from the events of S1, Alison Brooks (Ayling-Ellis) has completed her forensic lip-reading training with the police and is called upon to assist with a high-stakes surveillance operation involving Ruby Dowling (Emily Head), a woman caught up in a sophisticated money-laundering syndicate.

After being arrested when illicit cash is discovered hidden in her car, Ruby is released on bail back into a dangerous world where she finds herself trapped between police scrutiny and ruthless criminals. When she becomes the victim of a brutal attack, DI James Marsh (Andrew Buchan) and his team – DS Daniel Henshaw (Jonah Hauer-King), DS Ben Lawford (Nathan Armarkwei Laryea) and DC Lizzie Silver (Sasha Desouza-Willock) – are left searching for answers.

Returning cast also includes John Bishop and Fifi Garfield.

New cast include Hauer-King, Jo Joyner, Sophie McShera, John Hollingworth, Desouza-Willock and Head.

Tasked with decoding vital CCTV footage, Alison’s unique expertise becomes crucial to the investigation. But as hidden secrets begin to emerge, the case takes a disturbing turn, revealing threats far closer to home. With loyalties tested, trust beginning to unravel and dangerous criminals closing in, Alison discovers that uncovering the truth may come at a devastating personal cost – and could make her the next target.

The six-part thriller is once again written by creator Catherine Moulton, who continues to explore the worlds of crime, communication and representation through a unique lens.

Season two also continues the production’s commitment to authentic representation both on and off screen, featuring a diverse cast and crew that includes talent from the Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse communities.

Joseph Shrubb returns as producer, with Meenu Gaur (The Forsytes) directing episodes one to three and Nirpal Bhogal (Grace) directing episodes four to six.

Working alongside Moulton are writers Genevieve Barr (Then Barbara Met Alan), Melissa Bubnic (Young Sherlock), Kevin Rundle (Gangs of London) and Nicola Wilson (Call The Midwife).

Season two is executive produced by Damien Timmer, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Catherine Moulton, and Jon Farrar and Jess O’Riordan for BritBox.

Code of Silence is produced by Mammoth Screen, with BritBox as the North American commissioner. The series is distributed by ITV Studios.

tagged in: Britbox, Code of Silence, ITV, ITV Studios, Mammoth Screen, Rose Ayling-Ellis

Career advice: How Australian literary classic My Brilliant Career was reimagined for a new generation on Netflix

August 21, 2026IN FOCUSAlyssa McClelland, Anna Chancellor, Chloe Rickard, Christopher Chung, François Tetaz, Jungle Entertainment, Liz Doran, Miles Franklin, Molly Lewis, My Brilliant Career, Netflix, Philippa NortheastMichael Pickard

Executive producer Chloe Rickard, writer Liz Doran and director Alyssa McClelland reveal how Netflix drama My Brilliant Career reimagines protagonist Sybylla Melvyn for a new generation, and why the Australian landscape needed a fresh perspective on screen.

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Why writing BBC comedy-drama Ludwig is no puzzle for creator Mark Brotherhood

August 19, 2026The Writers RoomAnna Maxwell-Martin, BBC, BBC iPlayer, Big Talk Studios, Britbox, David Mitchell, Dipo Ola, George Kane, ITV Studios, Kenton Allen, Ludwig, Mark Brotherhood, Stella Corradi, ZDFMichael Pickard

Ludwig creator and writer Mark Brotherhood still remembers the exact moment he realised the BBC’s crime-solving puzzle setter had become a hit. Ahead of season two, he tells DQ about breaking the rules of murder mysteries and why the title character has more in common with him than with star David Mitchell.

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