You’ve got to hand it to the bosses at 5 – they’ve really transformed the channel during the past few years.
While some broadcasters take an age to get an idea onto the screen, they seem to be able to do it quickly and without breaking the bank, which is why 5 shows so many topical documentaries.
Miguel Freire and Laura Bayston in 5’s Under Suspicion – Kate McCann
When it comes to drama, they’re impressive too. Series such as All Creatures Great and Small, the Good Ship Murder and the Madame Blanc Mysteries have been surefire hits, and their next offering, a revamp of Monarch of the Glen, should be a winner too.
More recently, it gained plaudits for Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, which starred the brilliant Martin Clunes as the disgraced newsreader.
Its writers pieced the story together using in-depth research into the case and highlighting the experiences of the teenager at the heart of it all. A similar approach has been taken with Under Suspicion: Kate McCann, which takes viewers back to 2007, three months after her three-year-old daughter Madeleine disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal.
“This fantastic film goes where the cameras couldn’t – behind the closed doors of the interview room – to create a deeply moving drama from documentary evidence,” says Dan Louw, commissioning editor for 5.
“Under Suspicion: Kate McCann is one of the most tense, moving and shocking films you will see this year. I cannot praise the writing, directing and acting enough – especially a star-making turn from Laura Bayston as Kate McCann.”
The programme is on this week and although it may not be an easy watch, you certainly won’t want to miss it. That’s why it’s one of the five highlights of the TV week…
Gwyneth Keyworth and Timothy Spall return in cosy crime drama Death Valley
SERIES
Death Valley: BBC1, on Sunday at 8.15pm
Sunday nights feel as if they were made for cosy crime dramas. It’s the time when we’re bracing ourselves for the start of a new working week, so the thought of watching something heavy probably isn’t that appealing, but a gentle mix of jeopardy and lightheartedness in, probably, a rural setting – well, that’s another matter. So it comes as no surprise that the second run of the Wales-set series starring Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth as mismatched detective duo John Chapel and DS Janie Mallowan is occupying a Sunday berth. Once again the duo come together to solve a murder – this time it’s the puzzling case of a car salesman who’s been pushed to his death off a tower. However, John’s relationship with Janie’s mother makes the investigation rather awkward.
Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu in Falling. The next episode of the six-part drama continues on Wednesday.
SERIES
Falling: Channel 4, on Tuesday at 9pm
Jack Thorne is one of Britain’s most successful and prolific TV writers – in 2025 alone, he gave us Adolescence, Toxic Town and The Hack, and his adaptation of Lord of the Flies aired on BBC1 earlier this year. However, while he’s no stranger to hard-hitting and topical issues, he’s never written a love story – until now. Admittedly, Falling isn’t a straight-forward romance – it’s about the relationship between nun Anna (Keeley Hawes) and priest David (Paapa Essiedu), who have both devoted to their lives to service until their paths unexpectedly cross. Anna is unsettled by their first meeting and when Father David then returns to the convent to seek her advice, their bond seems so undeniable, she impulsively quits the convent. But does he really return her feelings?
Screenwriter and playwright Philip Ralph used official statements and recorded testimony to reveal what happened when Kate McCann, played by Laura Bayston, was taken by Portuguese police for questioning
DRAMA
Under Suspicion – Kate McCann: Five, on Wednesday at 9pm
It’s almost 20 years since three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared during a family holiday to Praia da Luz in the Algarve, Portugal. Her whereabouts remains unknown, despite the fact the story has rarely been out of the headlines. Now the broadcaster is turning the spotlight on the matter via a new, feature-length drama that takes viewers back to three months after the little girl vanished, a time when, with the Portuguese police having gotten nowhere, they called in her mother, Kate, for a gruelling, 11-hour questioning session. Laura Bayston takes the lead role. Joining the actress, who has also appeared in Killing Eve, Doctors and Slow Horses, is James Robinson as Kate’s husband Gerry. Together they manage to portray the desperation the couple felt as the situation compounded the misery and heartbreak they were already experiencing. The drama is the first of two such shows heading our way, the second being Under Suspicion: The Road Rage Killer, with Emma Rigby as Tracie Andrews, who was found guilty of murdering her fiancé Lee Harvey in 1996.
When one door closes, another opens for Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers as they executive produce a new eight-part mystery. Denis O’Hare, Alfred Molina and Alfre Woodard star
SERIES
The Boroughs: Netflix, from Thursday
What is it with the Duffer brothers and weird events in rural towns? The creators of Stranger Things are also the executive producers of a new supernatural series that could be described as a more mature exploration of a similar universe, and with an all-star cast that includes Alfred Molina, Bill Pullman and Geena Davis. The story takes place in what appears to be the perfect retirement community, where a new resident is about to have an encounter that will change his life, as well as those of his neighbours. “While the heroes in The Boroughs have a few more years on them than the kids from Stranger Things, they are a similarly lovable bunch of misfits, and we can’t wait for you to join them on an adventure that is at turns scary, funny and deeply touching,” say the siblings.
Curry king Mahboob Hussain with Honey, Mo, Sidra and Leila outside the Pyramid – the world’s biggest curry house
DOCUMENTARY
World’s Biggest Curry Restaurant: Channel 4, on Friday at 8pm
Brits love a curry, and many of us have a favourite restaurant or takeaway. However, in Greater Manchester, there’s one venue that’s bigger and bolder than all the rest. The Royal Nawaab is open seven days and its 150 staff serve thousands of diners a week and host as many as nine weddings and events every weekend. It is the largest Pakistani-Indian restaurant on the planet and they’re rewriting the rulebook on how South Asian food is cooked and served at volume. This all-access documentary follows the chefs racing against the clock in the kitchens, the front-of-house team managing thousands of customers, the events manager juggling high-stakes wedding expectations, and the social-media team chasing the next generation of curry-lovers.