Latest news with #SkyDocumentaries
The Guardian
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A TikTok star's frat boy sitcom to Springsteen's UK return: the week in rave reviews
Prime Video; full series available now Summed up in a sentence A frat boy goes to college and tries to convince himself and everyone else he's totally 'not gay' in comedian Benito Skinner's heartfelt US our reviewer said 'Thoroughly charming … Benny's attempts at personal growth are spiked with knockabout humour, but at its core this is a very earnest and, at points, schmaltzily American show about embracing your true self. There is much to enjoy here.' Rachel Aroesti Read the full review Further reading 'I never want to get too mean': Benito Skinner on his savage viral parodies BBC Two; full series on iPlayer now Summed up in a sentence Chris Packham meets people with ADHD in a documentary that couldn't come at a more crucial our reviewer said 'BBC-ishly, this documentary says nothing of the far-right, anti-woke rhetoric that has hitched parts of its rickety wagon to what it calls an overdiagnosis of neurodiversity. Nevertheless, Packham offers a calm and clear refutation of these harmful notions, simply by telling real-life stories.' Rebecca Nicholson Read the full review Sky Documentaries & Now; available now Summed up in a sentence A harrowing documentary about the two sisters who were killed in a park in 2020 – and the Met police officers who shared offensive comments and images of their our reviewer said 'It remains scarcely believable ... The women's mother, Mina, has turned her energies to campaigning for women's safety and for police reform. She, her husband Chris and her surviving daughter Monique radiate grief, courage and compassion.' Lucy Mangan Read the full review Further reading My darling girls were killed, and then the police failed us. But I still have hope BBC Two; on iPlayer now Summed up in a sentence A documentary about the devastating inferno at the football ground in our reviewer said 'What happened at Bradford has perhaps faded more than it should have from public memory, the rancid injustice of the Hillsborough tragedy having come to represent all the calamities that befell English football fans in the 1980s. But, 40 years since 56 people died at Valley Parade, this sober, thoughtful documentary remembers them anew.' Jack Seale Read the full review Further reading 'The whole city was touched': Bradford prepares to mark 40 years since Valley Parade fire BBC iPlayer; full series available Summed up in a sentence Following its surprise best drama win at the Bafta TV awards, now is the perfect time to catch up with this tense Belfast-set police our reviewer said 'Blue Lights has been a breakout hit because, beneath the soapy surface of its interactions between rookie cops, it has a clear-eyed, humane view of policing as an impossible job … In hard times, it continues to skip deftly between light and dark.' Jack Seale Read the full review Further reading The biggest mistakes from the 2025 TV Bafta awards In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Set almost entirely inside their car, Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys play a splintering couple trying to save their terrified our reviewer said 'How encouraging that whatever state our film industry is considered to be in, it can still find space for a crackingly good script from a supersmart, disciplined first-timer. It is a gripping, real-time suspense thriller with a twist of the macabre.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Further reading Matthew Rhys on Dylan Thomas: 'He was the rock star poet' In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Beautiful film of an off-grid family shattered by the death of photographer Maria our reviewer said 'The film shows us the family coming to terms with their terrible loss and grief, particularly Nik. For a start, they can no longer live on their beloved farm because without Maria's photography income [they] cannot keep up the mortgage repayments.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Further reading How death transformed a loving family – and shaped a remarkable film In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Lily Collias is outstanding as 17-year-old Sam, who goes hiking with her dad and his best buddy in India Donaldson's feature our reviewer said 'In some ways, the father-daughter theme reminded me of Debra Granik's 2018 Leave No Trace, and I wonder if Donaldson has taken a little inspiration from that film. It is very intelligent and humane, and what a great performance from Collias.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Apple TV+ Summed up in a sentence Stirring account of 1988 'anti-audism' revolt in the US at the world's first deaf our reviewer said 'One former student describes being smacked with a ruler at school if he signed, another explains that his deaf grandfather told him not to sign in public. But their generation were done with it. Their energy and spirit of resistance are glorious.' Cath Clarke Read the full review Rent/buy on Prime Video and Apple TV+ Summed up in a sentence Powerful insight into a life shared by two charismatic creatives, artist Maggie Barrett and photographer Joel our reviewer said 'Between the four of them, directors and subjects build up a portrait of the grace notes and grind of married life, a varied rhythm as quick as a game of ping-pong (Joel and Maggie are avid players) and slow as the sun traversing an empty apartment.' Leslie Felperin Read the full review Further reading Artists Joel Meyerowitz and Maggie Barrett on laying bare their marriage on film Reviewed by M John Harrison Summed up in a sentence Heartbreak and hope in a poetic vision of blue-collar our reviewer said 'The themes of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous echo into this novel: the familial landscapes of Vietnamese immigration; the need to manage generational tensions; the sense of life as the pursuit of a second chance.' Read the full review Further reading 'Buddhism and Björk help me handle fame': novelist Ocean Vuong Reviewed by Shahidha Bari Summed up in a sentence Two sisters bond over teenage secrets and midlife muddles on a riotous road trip through the Scottish our reviewer said 'Candid and comic, Slags is Thelma & Louise with a campervan and without a clifftop.' Read the full review Further reading Emma Jane Unsworth: 'I blush when I think of Miranda July's All Fours' Reviewed by Tiffany Watt Smith Summed up in a sentence Why we're still fascinated by the people's our reviewer said 'White approaches Diana's story through the people who saw themselves in her – the doppelgangers, opportunists and superfans who found parallels between the princess's life of extraordinary privilege and their own.' Read the full review Reviewed by Stuart Jeffries Summed up in a sentence The zany comedian's self-deprecating our reviewer said 'I was all set to hate this book, but Buxton has written a celebrity memoir that does something extraordinary: it manages to be worth reading.' Read the full review Reviewed by Emma Brockes Summed up in a sentence The former editor of Vanity Fair chronicles journalism's good old our reviewer said 'His job entailed as much sucking up to the worlds of Hollywood and fashion as it did publishing great journalism, and this book reminds us that, like all hacks, he is a gossip at heart; casting an eye back on his life, he can't help but dish the dirt.' Read the full review Further reading Graydon Carter: 'If there was another 9/11 this week, I don't think the world would rush to support us' Out now Summed up in a sentence The British dance producer slows things down on her second album, for a summery, love-struck series of vocal our reviewer said 'Too drowsy and blurred to function as straightforward pop-R&B and too obviously sunlit to soundtrack the curtains-drawn post-club comedown, a lot of Romance exists in an appealing space of its own.' Alexis Petridis Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence The Montreal composer has a refreshingly unbounded vision, situating herself between modern classical, electronic, jazz and new our reviewer said 'Her new album – her first in eight years – is a gentle listen, made up of short, dreamy compositions that are light and quietly ecstatic … the world Coverdale has built is focused and full of feeling.' Safi Bugel Read the full review Further reading Read more of our experimental album of the month reviews Out now Summed up in a sentence Known for their crazed energy and chaotic dynamics, the Atlanta mathcore sextet introduce big melodies into the mix on their third our reviewer said 'The Callous Daoboys display newfound poise, even refinement, in songs that are at turns heavier, more ambitious and more straightforwardly pop than anything they've put out before. They are still a lot, but they've added something fresh to their gonzo arsenal.' Huw Baines Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence Pianist Yevgeny Sudbin performs a recital of pieces by Russian composer Alexander our reviewer said 'Sudbin's mastery of every technical challenge that Scriabin's piano writing throws up is hugely impressive, the colours he finds in the music always beguiling.' Andrew Clements Read the full review Summed up in a sentence The Boss kicked off his Land of Hope and Dreams tour with speeches lambasting Donald Trump – and a euphoric show of rock'n'roll our reviewer said 'There are few artists able to pluck hope from the darkest depths of the US, with such elegance and beauty, quite like Bruce Springsteen.' Daniel Dylan Wray Read the full review Further reading From early setbacks to a storming Springsteen show: Co-op Live, a year on
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews David Frost Vs...: Journalist's humbling of Richard Nixon is a masterclass in the interviewer's art
David Frost Vs... (Sky Documentaries) President Richard Nixon didn't smile. He just bared his teeth in a Humphrey Bogart sneer. But Bogie looked untouchably cool. Nixon looked like a dog about to bite. We were given an unparalleled opportunity to study Nixon's face, a picture of political cunning under a mask of suspicion, thanks to British chat show host David Frost's marathon 28-and-three-quarter hour inquisition of the disgraced former U.S. leader, recorded in 1977. David Frost vs... Richard Nixon picked out highlights, from the opening jab that gave Nixon a chance to showboat, until the final flurry of sucker punches that left him floundering in self-recrimination, apologising to the American people for betraying their trust. Throughout, Nixon was dabbing sweat with a handkerchief from his grey upper lip. Sometimes, the beads of moisture were so unattractive under the lights that Frost had to prompt him to do it again. The camera was as unforgiving as the interrogator. Actor Michael Caine once said that being interviewed by Frost was like confessing to a priest. Once you started to talk, everything came pouring out. But Nixon was in no mood for absolution. Frost reeled him in slowly, sometimes with flattery and sometimes with dramatic gestures. On the last day of recording, the Englishman threw away his clipboard and notes, tossing them onto the floor as if to say that everything they discussed was now off the record. It wasn't, of course. Michael Sheen, who played Frost in both the Broadway play and the movie Frost/Nixon, based on this epic interview, gave an enthusiastic assessment of what made the man such a formidable TV performer — quickness of mind, charm and his unabashed readiness to deploy flattery. The interview gave an unparalleled opportunity to study Nixon's face, a picture of political cunning under a mask of suspicion, thanks to British chat show host David Frost's lenghty inquisition of the disgraced former U.S. leader Veteran Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, one of the men who helped to bring down Nixon by exposing the Watergate bugging scandal in 1972, was less complimentary . . . unable to hide his abiding conviction that he could have done a better job himself. But even persuading Nixon to sit down and talk took all Frost's guile . . . in addition to a $600,000 fee (£2.4 million today) and a 20 per cent share of the revenue. This condensed version is part of a series drawing on the videotape archives left by Frost, who died in 2013. The trove, so vast that it took son Wilfred eight years to transfer them all to digital format, includes in-depth encounters with Elizabeth Taylor, Muhammad Ali and The Beatles. Next week's episode focuses on Elton John, who made his first candid confessions about drugs, drink and sexuality to Frost. Many other interviews are available in a podcast, The Frost Tapes. Wilfred, now a Sky News presenter, told me a couple of years ago: 'One day, I would like the entire archive to be available as a teaching resource, because it is living history.' For anyone fascinated by the interviewer's art, there is no better professor.
Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
David Frost Vs… Richard Nixon — how an Aesop's fable undid Tricky Dicky
I think I could watch the young David Frost all day, one arm louchely flung over the back of his chair, long-lashed bloodhound eyes locked intently on his interviewee's face. Contemplative and measured, his style is an antidote to the shouty 'gotcha' interviewing that you often see today. In Frost Vs… Richard Nixon, which kicked off the second part of Sky Documentaries' David Frost Vs… series (it started in February), we obviously saw the 'long game' strategy at its height. As we all know, over 28 hours in 1977 he cajoled, befriended, wrongfooted and finally brought to heel the defensive, circumlocutory and arrogant 'Tricky Dicky'. Frost compared it to Aesop's fable The North Wind and the Sun in which no matter how hard the
Irish Independent
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘Frost Vs Richard Nixon' review: The Real Frost/Nixon story is far more riveting than the film version
But it wasn't history – it was entertainment. It exaggerated some things and made others up for dramatic effect. For instance, Nixon never made a drunken, soul-bearing late-night phone call to Frost the night before the final interview. Frost Vs Richard Nixon (Sky Documentaries, Wednesday, May 14, 9pm), the latest episode in the retrospective series David Frost Vs… about Frost's career, is the best of the lot. What the play/film did get right was that Frost's career was in the doldrums at the time. His New York-based TV show had been cancelled in 1972. He went from being a nightly presence on screen to nothing. The episode uses excellent archive footage and talking heads to vividly illustrate the incredibly risky gamble Frost took. His career had imploded. He was reduced to presenting drivel like the Guinness World Records TV show, supplementing his media earnings with speaking engagements. One, recalls his former partner Caroline Cushing Graham, was for a dental convention. Deep down, he was quite worried about what was going to happen in the future 'The truth is he was struggling at that time and there were a few people who were saying, 'Frost is yesterday's business',' says his former business partner Michael Rosenberg. 'Deep down, he was quite worried about what was going to happen in the future.' Grabbing an exclusive with Nixon would be his ticket back to the big time. It was an extremely expensive ticket. CBS had offered $350,000 to secure an interview with Nixon. Frost outbid the network by offering Nixon, who was basically broke, a massive $600,000, paid out of his own pocket, plus 20pc of any advertising revenue. The production would cost $2m in total. If Frost wasn't to end up penniless, he needed to recoup his investment through advertising. None of the big three networks would show the interviews, meaning major advertisers wouldn't go near them either. Frost, existing on hearty breakfasts and little or no sleep, buzzed around the US, courting 168 local TV stations to carry the shows. ADVERTISEMENT Shortly before the Nixon encounter, Frost was interviewed by CBS doyen Mike Wallace, who'd wanted to be the one to interview the former president. A clip shows Wallace, who was clearly irked at being scooped by Frost, sneering at his comment that he expected a 'cascade of candour' from Nixon, and mocking an advert for a garden strimmer called the Weed Eater, which would run during the interviews. Like the rest of the US media establishment, Wallace regarded Frost as a lightweight who wasn't up to the job of grilling Nixon. The Nixon camp knew better, with an aide warning that, far from lobbing puffball questions at the former president, Frost was 'gonna be one tough bastard'. Initially, it looked like Frost's detractors were right. He opened the first interview by asking Nixon why he didn't burn the Watergate tapes – a wrong move that allowed Nixon to waffle on for 20 minutes. It was mercilessly ridiculed in a Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Eric Idle, a close friend of Frost's. But over the course of the next few days, the tide turned. Frost lets Nixon ramble on about his foreign policy. In their final encounter, by which time Nixon has been lulled into a false sense of security, Frost pounces. For the first time, Nixon had said something that would be a headline We see him theatrically tossing aside his clipboard and suggesting Nixon had committed illegal acts. This elicits the infamous comment: 'When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.' 'For the first time, Nixon had said something that would be a headline,' says Frost's son Wilfred. But, he adds, Frost had to get Nixon to admit wrongdoing. 'Without that, the rest was irrelevant.' Nixon, cornered by documented evidence of his years-long campaign to undermine his enemies, utters the now famous words: 'I let down my friends, I let down the country, I let down our system of government. I let the American people down and I'll have to carry that burden for the rest of my life.' Not quite an admission of illegality, maybe, but an admission of duplicity. Frost was back at the very top of the television tree. Rating: Four stars Frost Vs Richard Nixon, Sky Documentaries, Wednesday, May 14, 9pm.
Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Bibaa and Nicole Murder in the Park - where is their killer now
A new documentary examines the events and investigation A new three-part documentary examines the horrific murder of two sisters in a London park and the investigation to find the person responsible. Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park is available on Sky Documentaries from today (May 11) and is also streaming on NOW for those with an Entertainment membership pass. The episodes aim to unravel the story behind the shocking killings of sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, and the police misconduct that followed. This includes emotional interviews with the sisters' mother, Mina Smallman, as well as members of the small group of family and friends who jumped into action soon after it was discovered the siblings were missing. Officers in charge of the investigation also speak out about what happened. Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, were brutally murdered while celebrating a birthday in a Wembley park in June 2020. They had gathered with friends while still maintaining social distancing guidelines that were in place at the time. Eventually, their friends went home, and the sisters remained in the park, dancing together. When it becomes clear they have both failed to return home by the next day, they are reported as missing. The search was initially taken up by friends and family. However, their bodies were discovered by Nicole's partner 36 hours later. The police get involved, but in a shocking development, the women's bodies are photographed and shared on social media by the officers tasked with protecting the crime scene. While the officer's actions are being looked into, the murder investigation continued and eventually led to a suspect. Officers in charge of the murder enquiry reveal that a combination of DNA retrieved from the murder weapon discovered at the scene, and tracking down where the knife itself was purchased, led them to 19-year-old Danyal Hussein. His home was raided, and he was arrested. Officers made even more shocking discoveries. It was found that he had used forums discussing spells and potions linked to Satanic ideology, with officers also finding that Hussein had spent time researching the far right. During his trial, jurors heard Hussein had pledged to kill six women every six months to win the Mega Millions Super Jackpot of £321 million. In one sinister note, he offered blood to 'demon Queen Byleth' to make a girl at his school fall in love with him. Hussein was found guilty of two counts of murder and possession of a knife with intent following a trial at the Old Bailey in June 2021. In October that year, he was handed a life sentence and told he would not be eligible for parole until he is in his 50s. According to MyLondon, he is in the notorious HMP Belmarsh, where criminals who are convicted at the Old Bailey are often sent. The Category A male prison is often used in high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the prison, there is a unique unit called the High Security Unit, which can house 48 of Britain's most dangerous convicts. The prison is one of only three high-security jails in England and Wales.
