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Metro
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
7 shows Eurovision haters can watch tonight if they can't face the music
You can't get further from Eurovision than this (Picture: BBC/Left Bank Pictures/James Stack) It's the Eurovision finale tonight, and that means one thing. People across the world will be cracking out their feather boas, putting up the bunting, and getting ready for four hours of high-stakes singing action. Yet, while the Eurovision finale is a night of celebration for those who love a cheesy pop song or twenty, for those of us of a slightly grumpier persuasion, this evening could be a long one. So, to save you from hours of potential TV tedium, we've come up with a list of seven shows to watch if Eurovision really isn't for you. We've gone out of our way to include something for everyone. From hardboiled BBC crime thrillers to heartwrenching dramas and even a comedy or two, our TV buffet will delight all comers. Get personalised updates on all things Netflix Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. So what are you waiting for? Here's our list of TV shows to watch if you don't like Eurovision. It's a Sin It's a Sin is a powerful and moving show that critics and fans adored(Picture: Netflix) A captivating and emotional period piece about a group of friends living together in 1980s London, It's a Sin explores what it was like to be gay as the HIV/AIDs crisis started to grip Britain. Boasting an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, It's A Sin is not an easy watch. In fact, at times it'll break your heart into a million pieces and then stomp on the pieces until it's a fine powder before running the dust through an industrial shredder just to make sure the agony you feel is complete. Yet within the dark places this story explores, there are such jubilant highs and lovable characters that I promise you, the pain will be worth it. Even better, at just 3 hours and 45 minutes, you can finish it in less time than it takes to watch the Eurovision final. The Four Seasons Has Tina Fey ever let us down? (Credits: AP) It's the time of year when people start thinking about their summer holidays, and what better to get you in the mood for a break than a show about four couples getting away together. The Four Seasons follows a group of old college friends and their partners – played by an all-star cast including Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Colman Domingo among others – on four ill-fated getaways. Think of it as a slightly lower-stakes version of The White Lotus with an even better sense of humour. Don't take our word for it alone, though; more than 12 million people have tuned in so far to watch it and propelled the show to the number one spot on the global Netflix charts. Is it any wonder the streaming service just renewed it for a second season? I Am Not Okay With This Sophia Lillis impressed fans with I Am Not Okay With This (Credits: Courtesy of Netflix) If you think Eurovision is a bit cheerful, then you might like I am Not Okay With This, a dark comedy about death, friendship, and telekinesis. Yes, you read that right. If you've never watched it, the show is based on the book by Charles Forsman and follows Sydney Novak (Sophia Lillis), a teenage girl who discovers she has vast psychokinetic abilities following the death of her father, and let's just say things get weirder from there. While it's more awkward than your average teenager, I Am Not Okay With This is a surprisingly affecting coming-of-age story that'll have you sobbing by the time the last episode credits roll. More than that, it has an impressive 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and if you need more convincing, then why not listen to @FreddyInSpace, who perhaps put it best when he wrote on X, 'Great characters. Great soundtrack. Great fun.' Ted Lasso 'Believe' (Credits: AP) If you're in the odd position of liking how sweet and saccharine Eurovision can be but don't like the actual contest (maybe you just hate singing?), then might we recommend Ted Lasso? Described by fans as 'one of the greatest television shows of all time', the series follows the titular Ted, an American football coach who moves to the UK to manage an English Premier League team. While Ted Lasso is an undoubtedly funny show, what made it such a hit was its sweet characters, optimistic spirit, and its underdog story. Honestly, it's just a very hard series to dislike but if you need any more convincing, it happens to star Eurovision alum Hannah Waddingham, that's got to be worth something. Andor To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Eurovision is often praised for its ability to unite people. But do you know what arguably unites people more than song? Fighting fascism. Yes, if you need a break from people in silly costumes singing their lungs out, why not tune into Andor and watch people in even sillier costumes battling stormtroopers and other imperial agents. If you've somehow missed Andor, then allow us to explain the plot. Set in a galaxy far, far away, this Star Wars show follows Cassian Andor as he goes from a small-time smuggler to a hero in the Rebellion. Now critics and journos have spilt more than enough digital ink praising Andor – I may or may not have called it the best show of 2025 – so I won't labour the point, but I think @KegacyKillaHD on X put it best when he wrote 'Andor is the best Star Wars will ever be.' We Are Lady Parts Pop goes punk in We Are Lady parts (Picture: Parisa Taghizadeh/Peacock/WTTV L) Pop music might dominate the Eurovision stage, but on Channel 4, punk reigns supreme… or it does when We Are Lady Parts is on. Described by fans as 'funny and charming', this superb comedy follows the trials and tribulations of an all-female Muslim punk band as they try and get out of the garage and into an actual recording studio. Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering it's a show about punks, the show's pretty subversive and it'll make you think just as much as it makes you laugh. However, the real secret to the show's success – beyond a script sharper than a safety pin decorated jacket – it's its charming cast of anarchic bandmates. This City Is Ours To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page If you're after something a million miles away from the sequins and sparkles of Eurovision, I'd recommend This City Is Ours. Set in Liverpool's grim criminal underworld, the show follows two gangsters, Michael Kavanagh (James Nelson-Joyce) and Jamie Phelan (Jack McMullen), as they vie for control of their soon-to-retire boss's criminal empire. While This City Is Ours is undeniably a little cliched, it does little to diminish its entertainment value and maybe even enhances it. Arguably, though, the best thing in it is its two leading men, Nelson-Joyce and McMullen, both of whom bring a level of gritty authenticity to the pulpy proceedings. Viewers absolutely loved the show as well, so is it any wonder they were delighted when season 2 was announced. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. Arrow MORE: Eurovision 2025 final running order – full list of countries and favourites to win Arrow MORE: Remember Monday won't win Eurovision tonight – but they've proved the UK can Arrow MORE: 5 of the best Eurovision films to stream before the Grand Final
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This City is Ours viewers receive 'best news' as BBC confirms show's return
This City is Ours is returning to the BBC with a second series, the broadcaster has confirmed. The crime drama was created and written by Stephen Butchard and made by Left Bank Pictures, with filming taking place in the north west of England, including Liverpool and Bolton. It tells the story of Michael (James Nelson-Joyce) and Diana's (Hannah Onslow) love affair, set against the disintegration of Michael's crime gang. For years, together with his friend Ronnie (Sean Bean), Michael has successfully been bringing cocaine into the City and beyond, using his close links with the Marbella underworld; but when a shipment goes missing, he knows their kingdom is under attack. This City explores what happens when Ronnie's son Jamie (Jack McMullen) decides he wants to inherit the kingdom over Michael and the subsequent battle for control. Episode one of the series has been watched by over 6.6 million people so far, more than tripling its initial overnight figure of 1.9 million. Announcing the news, BBC iPlayer's official Instagram account shared: "The secret's out! This City Is Ours will return for a second series! 👏 All Michael knows is crime, until he falls in love. Now he has something to lose - but how far will he go to keep it? #ThisCityIsOurs". One fan commented: "Best news I've heard today 👏". Another shared their excitement: "Fantastic drama with so much acting talent! Absolutely loved it ❤️". This person said: "The ending of series one pointed to another series! Made up 👏👏👏 excellent drama." A second series of This City is Ours is confirmed but a release date has not yet been announced. While viewers wait for more details about the release date, those who haven't watched the series before can catch up with all episodes on BBC iPlayer. Stephen Butchard, This City is Ours creator, lead writer and executive producer says: 'We have all been blown away by the incredibly positive response to This City is Ours, I can't thank the audience enough for their time and emotional investment. Recommended reading: How to watch the Eurovision semi-finals and when countries are performing Everything to know on new Channel 5 drama The Game starring Jason Watkins Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones hints at future projects with James Corden 'My heartfelt thanks also to Lindsay Salt and her wonderful team at BBC Drama for their unflinching support and continued belief in the show, our story and our characters - and not least for this opportunity to do it all over again! See you soon!' Sian McWilliams, creative director at Left Bank Pictures and executive producer on This City is Ours, said: 'We are so delighted to be diving back into Stephen Butchard's brilliant underworld of Liverpool crime with our wonderful collaborators at the BBC. 'It's been a joy to watch audiences fall in love with these fantastically complex characters. After the tumultuous events of the season one finale, the gang rivalries and betrayals have escalated to new levels, new ones have just begun, and there is a lot of unfinished business!'
Scotsman
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
This City is Ours ending explained: will there be series 2?
This City is Ours fans have had an exciting update on the BBC show's future 👀 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... This City is Ours concluded on the BBC last night. It brought the clash between Jamie and Michael to a dramatic end. But will the show be back for episodes in the future? This City is Ours concluded its first series on the BBC last night (May 11) and fans have been left demanding more. Fortunately an update on the future of the show has already been given by the broadcaster - and it is a positive one. The crime show was filmed and set in Liverpool and featured Sean Bean as well as other recognisable faces. See who is in the cast of the hit drama here. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But will This City is Ours be back for more episodes - and what happened at the end of season one? Here's all you need to know: This City is Ours ending explained Full spoilers for This City is Ours up to and including episode 8 follow. Don't read further if you haven't watched the full series. The cast of the new BBC gangster drama This City is Ours. From left, Diana (Hannah Onslow), Michael (James Nelson-Joyce), Ronnie (Sean Bean), Jamie (Jack McMullen) and Elaine (Julie Graham) (Picture: BBC/Left Bank Pictures/James Stack) Despite Michael's (James Nelson-Joyce) desire to walk away from the crime world to be with Diana (Hannah Onslow) and start a family, things do not go as smoothly as planned. Holding a meeting with the family at Diana's restaurant, they seemingly agree a deal but Jamie (Jack McMullen) is not willing to let Michael leave, especially as he suspects that he was the one who killed Ronnie (Sean Bean). Jamie kidnaps Diana and sends Michael a video demanding that he commit suicide or he will kill her. A desperate Michael teams up with Cheryl Crawford (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) and together they pull off a plan to kidnap Jamie's infant son. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meeting on a rooftop car park in Liverpool, Jamie brings Diana to swap for his son - but once it has happened he threatens Michael at gunpoint and is about to shoot, when Diana uses herself as a human shield. Eventually Michael admits to being the one who killed Ronnie in Spain with his wife Elaine (Julie Graham) promising revenge in the future. In the final moments of the episode, Banksey (Mike Noble) runs over and presumably kills Ricardo Guzman (Daniel Cerqueira), the gang's contact with the 'Amigos' - a Colombian cartel from which they get their drugs. It comes after Ricardo had planted a bomb in Banksey's car the previous episode - as a threat to Michael. The season ended with plenty of plates spinning - from Michael's inevitable clash with Jamie and Elaine, to potential conflict with the 'Amigos' after Ricardo's seeming death. So fans might be wondering if they can expect more episodes. Will there be a series 2 of This City is Ours? Following the conclusion of the first season of This City is Ours, the BBC announced it will return for a second series. Which as mentioned above, will be a relief to viewers as so much is left to be resolved. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Stephen Butchard, This City is Ours creator, lead writer and executive producer said: 'We have all been blown away by the incredibly positive response to This City is Ours, I can't thank the audience enough for their time and emotional investment.' Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama added:'The response from viewers has been a joy to see, with millions discovering its thrilling, character-driven drama for themselves to become gripped by the raging war of the Phelans. I'm delighted that we now get to build on this fantastic first run and show that things are only just getting started for this very special series." The Beeb promises that further information about series two will be announced in due course.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
This City is Ours series 2 confirmed for iPlayer and BBC One
This City is Ours, the critically-lauded breakout hit crime drama, will return to BBC iPlayer and BBC One for a second series. The eight-part first series, which launched in full on BBC iPlayer in March and concludes its weekly BBC One run on Sunday 11 May, has been praised by both critics and viewers alike and even sparked a viral line-dancing frenzy to the Phelan family's signature song House of Bamboo. Watch This City is Ours on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist Episode one of This City is Ours has been watched by over 6.6 million people so far, more than tripling its initial overnight figure of 1.9 million. Viewers continue to discover the series on BBC iPlayer, where it has been the BBC's most watched new drama launch of the year so far, and almost 3 million people have streamed the series finale ahead of its BBC One transmission tonight. Created and written by Stephen Butchard and made by Left Bank Pictures, This City is Ours is filmed in Liverpool and tells the story of Michael (James Nelson-Joyce) and Diana's (Hannah Onslow) love affair, set against the disintegration of Michael's crime gang. For years, together with his friend Ronnie (Sean Bean), Michael has successfully been bringing cocaine into the City and beyond, using his close links with the Marbella underworld; but when a shipment goes missing, he knows their kingdom is under attack. This City explores what happens when Ronnie's son Jamie (Jack McMullen) decides he wants to inherit the kingdom over Michael, and the subsequent battle for control. Series one also stars Laura Aikman, Julie Graham, Kevin Harvey, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Mike Noble, Bobby Schofield, Darci Shaw, and Stephen Walters. Stephen Butchard, This City is Ours creator, lead writer and executive producer says: 'We have all been blown away by the incredibly positive response to This City is Ours, I can't thank the audience enough for their time and emotional investment. My heartfelt thanks also to Lindsay Salt and her wonderful team at BBC Drama for their unflinching support and continued belief in the show, our story and our characters - and not least for this opportunity to do it all over again! See you soon!' Sian McWilliams, Creative Director at Left Bank Pictures and executive producer on This City is Ours says: 'We are so delighted to be diving back into Stephen Butchard's brilliant underworld of Liverpool crime with our wonderful collaborators at the BBC. It's been a joy to watch audiences fall in love with these fantastically complex characters. After the tumultuous events of the season one finale, the gang rivalries and betrayals have escalated to new levels, new ones have just begun, and there is a lot of unfinished business!' Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama says: 'This City is Ours was one of our team's first commissions when I joined the BBC, and I could not be happier with how Stephen, Saul and the Left Bank team have brought it to the screen so classily. The response from viewers has been a joy to see, with millions discovering its thrilling, character-driven drama for themselves to become gripped by the raging war of the Phelans. I'm delighted that we now get to build on this fantastic first run and show that things are only just getting started for this very special series." This City is Ours series two (8x60) will be produced by Left Bank Pictures for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. It was commissioned for the BBC by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. It will be written by Stephen Butchard, and the executive producers are Andy Harries, Rebecca Hodgson and Sian McWilliams for Left Bank Pictures, Stephen Butchard, and Jo McClellan and Sami El Hadi for the BBC. Sony Pictures Television will distribute the series internationally. This City is Ours series one is available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer. Sony Pictures Television are distributing the series internationally. Further information about series two will be announced in due course. Praise for This City is Ours series one The Telegraph - ***** '…superb crime thriller' Independent - **** NME - **** '…it's cheering to be reminded that this country knows how to make decent TV' Radio Times - 'This City Is Ours is a thrilling watch' Digital Spy - **** 'This City is Ours is so much more than a typical gangster show' The Mail on Sunday - ***** 'How dare Sean Bean and co be such addictively good TV'
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Crown' Actor Khalid Abdalla Says He's Been Called for U.K. Police Interview Over Pro-Palestine Protest
Khalid Abdalla, the British actor best known recently for playing Dodi Fayed in 'The Crown,' has said he's been summoned by London's Metropolitan police to a 'formal interview' over his participation in a pro-Palestine march that took place in the U.K. capital earlier this year. In a post on social media, Abdalla — who also starred in 'The Day of the Jackal,' 'United 93' and 'The Kite Runner,' and was a key part of Netflix's Oscar-winning documentary 'The Square' about the Arab Spring — said that he received a letter 'relating to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign protest of Jan 18th,' adding that it 'remains to be seen if this will result in charges.' More from Variety 'The Crown' Exec Producer Andy Harries to Step Down as Left Bank Pictures CEO, Move to Chairman Role 'The Crown' Casting Director Robert Sterne on the Requests He Still Gets: 'Please, Can I Be Meghan Markle?' 'The Crown' Creator Peter Morgan On Ending His Netflix Series, Which Just Landed 18 More Emmy Nominations Abdalla addressed the rally in London, which was held the day after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was signed and attracted several thousand protestors. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested on the day on suspicion of breaching protest conditions. In his social media post, Abdalla said that 'the right to protest is under attack in this country and it requires us all to defend it.' He added: 'While there is an alarming rise in attempts to censor voices that stand up for Palestine, even as it faces open calls for ethnic cleansing, it will not work. The days of silencing after intimidation are gone. The stake are too high, and as we can see today with 'No Other Land' winning at the Oscars, momentum is on the side of justice, and shared humanity.' In a statement to The Guardian, a Metropolitan police spokesperson said: 'As part of our ongoing investigation into alleged breaches of Public Order Act conditions on Saturday, January 18, we have invited a further eight people to be interviewed under caution at a police station.' Best of Variety What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in March 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
