{"id":517204,"date":"2026-03-11T14:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/517204\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T14:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:36:12","slug":"olivia-colmans-highest-rated-drama-hailed-as-exceptional-is-a-must-see-on-tv-tonight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/517204\/","title":{"rendered":"Olivia Colman&#8217;s highest-rated drama hailed as &#8220;exceptional&#8221; is a must-see on TV tonight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">The Father, the acclaimed drama starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, is on TV tonight. Regarded as one of the best films of the decade so far, the project won two major gongs at the 93rd Academy Awards.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a63081928\/olivia-colman-best-movie\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a63081928\/olivia-colman-best-movie\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"The film\" data-node-id=\"9.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The film<\/a>, which sees co-writer and director Florian Zeller adapt his own play of the same name, follows Hopkins as an octogenarian who is living with dementia. Colman portrays his daughter Anne, while Olivia Williams and Rufus Sewell have supporting roles.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">If you missed the film when it first came out and feel like watching it, then it airs tonight at 11.20pm on Film4. Afterwards, it will be available to watch for free on Channel 4&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"streaming service\" data-node-id=\"13.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">streaming service<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"olivia colman as anne, anthony hopkins as anthony, the father movie stills\" title=\"Olivia Colman as Anne, Anthony Hopkins as Anthony, The Father\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"4000\" height=\"2667\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-father-olivia-colman-anthony-hopkins-1623322164.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>SEAN GLEASON\/\/Lionsgate<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a29669\/uk-film-release-dates\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a29669\/uk-film-release-dates\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"UK film release dates: Find out when all the latest movies are coming to cinemas\" data-node-id=\"18.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UK film release dates: Find out when all the latest movies are coming to cinemas<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Upon its release, The Father garnered acclaim, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/oscars\/a36694721\/anthony-hopkins-oscar-2021-the-father-missing\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/oscars\/a36694721\/anthony-hopkins-oscar-2021-the-father-missing\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Hopkins winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role\" data-node-id=\"22.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hopkins winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role<\/a> for his performance. Zeller and Christopher Hampton also won for Best Adapted Screenplay, while the film got a Best Picture nomination.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"26\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">The Father has a near-perfect approval rating of 98% on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/the_father_2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/the_father_2021\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Rotten Tomatoes\" data-node-id=\"26.2\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">Rotten Tomatoes<\/a> from 298 reviews, making it the highest-rated project in Colman&#8217;s already-illustrious career. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">&#8220;At once stupendously effective and profoundly upsetting, The Father might be the first movie about dementia to give me actual chills,&#8221; noted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/02\/25\/movies\/the-father-review.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/02\/25\/movies\/the-father-review.html\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"The New York Times\" data-vars-ga-product-id=\"42faab8b-648e-454d-bf32-ca0011df4db0\" data-node-id=\"31.3.0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/02\/25\/movies\/the-father-review.html\" data-product-url=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/02\/25\/movies\/the-father-review.html\" data-affiliate=\"false\" data-affiliate-network=\"\" data-vars-ga-product-price=\"$0.00\" data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id=\"c5c45042-539e-45ed-a26b-3bceaa105d35\" data-vars-ga-link-treatment=\"(not set) | (not set)\" class=\"body-link product-links css-1gyyefe e1aq0z090\" data->The New York Times<\/a>, while <a href=\"https:\/\/eu.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/movies\/2021\/02\/24\/the-father-review-anthony-hopkins-shines-haunting-dementia-drama\/4544781001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/eu.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/movies\/2021\/02\/24\/the-father-review-anthony-hopkins-shines-haunting-dementia-drama\/4544781001\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"USA Today\" data-node-id=\"31.5.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">USA Today<\/a> called it &#8220;exceptional&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"35\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">&#8220;[It] captures the terrifying sensation of not remembering and not understanding the people and places around us, and the helplessness of having to have your reality explained to you,&#8221; opined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/the-father-film-review-anthony-hopkins-olivia-colman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/the-father-film-review-anthony-hopkins-olivia-colman\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"TheWrap\" data-node-id=\"35.1.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">TheWrap<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"39\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/arts-culture\/film\/the-father-review-who-are-you-who-am-i-11614283816\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/arts-culture\/film\/the-father-review-who-are-you-who-am-i-11614283816\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"The Wall Street Journal\" data-node-id=\"39.0.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a> was full of praise, writing: &#8220;What might have been predictable or sentimental in other hands becomes startling in the film&#8217;s approach, as well as beguiling, unsparing, terribly moving and occasionally very funny. Hopkins is the master of it all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"olivia colman as anne, the father movie stills\" title=\"Olivia Colman as Anne, The Father\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"4000\" height=\"2667\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-father-olivia-colman-anne-1623321986.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Lionsgate<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"44\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a70695802\/martin-clunes-mothers-pride\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a70695802\/martin-clunes-mothers-pride\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Martin Clunes&#039;s &quot;absolutely brilliant&quot; comedy-drama hailed as &quot;a classic British film&quot;\" data-node-id=\"44.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Martin Clunes&#8217;s &#8220;absolutely brilliant&#8221; comedy-drama hailed as &#8220;a classic British film&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"48\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lwlies.com\/reviews\/the-father\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/lwlies.com\/reviews\/the-father\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Little White Lies\" data-node-id=\"48.0.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">Little White Lies<\/a> echoed this sentiment as they lauded the &#8220;unshakable performances&#8221;, while <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5950096\/the-father-review-anthony-hopkins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5950096\/the-father-review-anthony-hopkins\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"TIME Magazine\" data-node-id=\"48.2.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">TIME Magazine<\/a> called it a &#8220;polished piece of work&#8221; that offered no &#8220;false assurances&#8221; with its &#8220;unsparing&#8221; style.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"52\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">If hard-hitting dramas aren&#8217;t necessarily your thing, then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.channel4.com\/categories\/film?sort=recently-added\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.channel4.com\/categories\/film?sort=recently-added\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Channel 4\" data-node-id=\"52.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">Channel 4<\/a> has plenty of other offerings on its streaming service, with Julia Roberts and George Clooney&#8217;s popular romcom Ticket to Paradise recently added. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"56\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">The Father airs tonight at 11.20pm on Film4, and will be available to watch on Channel 4&#8217;s streaming service after broadcast.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"61\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Harry Styles, is here! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsharrystyles\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsharrystyles\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy Harry Styles in newsagents or online\" data-node-id=\"61.0.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Buy Harry Styles in newsagents or online<\/a>.<br data-node-id=\"61.1\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-dynamic-svg=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/images\/logos\/lettermark.05d81be.svg?primary=%2523000\" loading=\"lazy\" data-testid=\"dynamic-svg-base\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" alt=\"Lettermark\" class=\"css-7mevzh ev8dhu50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Movies<\/a> and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. \u00a0His film tastes vary from blockbusters like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/mission-impossible\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mission: Impossible<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/john-wick\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Wick<\/a> to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.<br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Father, the acclaimed drama starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, is on TV tonight. Regarded as one&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517205,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[205154,872,233826,874,88,2245,206,233825],"class_list":["post-517204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-collection-latest-news","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-380e8662-d511-48ee-bb39-ebe5ef5e4cb6","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-locale-gb","tag-movies","tag-shorttitle-olivia-colmans-highest-rated-drama-is-on-tv-tonight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}