The best UK TV to watch this week from a Bridgerton spin-off to a new Fatal Attraction
There’s a very regal feel to the UK TV on offer this week with Coronation-related programmes on the BBC and a new outing for The Windsors on Channel 4.
Netflix also brings us more from the world of Bridgerton with its prequel series Queen Charlotte, but away from the blue-blooded drama, we also get a fresh spin on thriller Fatal Attraction, courtesy of Paramount+.
Read more: Everything leaving Netflix in May 2023
Here's Yahoo UK's guide to the best UK TV to watch from 30 April to 5 May.
Sunday, 30 April, 8.00pm: Charles R: the Making of a Monarch | BBC1
The BBC is devoting countless hours to Coronation-related coverage with special editions of Songs of Praise, Countryfile and even EastEnders in the offing. But first up, there’s this Sunday-night look-back, which tells the story of King Charles III’s more than seven decades as the heir to the throne.
With each stage of his life having been captured on camera, this 60-minute retrospective captures the life thus far of the monarch in news footage, home-movies, interviews and documentaries – some of which has been rarely seen or unbroadcast up to this point. For those with flags in their possession, this is a good time to get them waving…
Sunday, 30 April, 9.00pm: The Windsors Coronation Special | Channel 4
At the other end of the spectrum to the BBC when it comes to reverence is this jewel at the heart of Channel 4’s crown: a one-off special of the ribald comedy that imagines life behind the scenes at the royal family’s biggest event of the year.
Charles (Harry Enfield), for one, wants the coronation to be a spectacular affair, while Queen Consort Camilla (Haydn Gwynne) can’t wait to adorn herself with diamonds and fur. But taking the opposing view is Wills (Hugh Skinner) who, in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, feels that the ceremony should better reflect the country at large…
Sunday, 30 April: Fatal Attraction episodes 1-3 | Paramount+
The erotic thriller appears to making something of a comeback, what with the steamy Obsession debuting recently on Netflix followed by this reimagining of the “bunny-boiler” classic.
Read the Yahoo review of Fatal Attraction: Bunny boiler remake lacks teeth
The gender politics at play in the original now feel problematic, so this time around Fatal Attraction has both a female writer and director. Though the plotline itself will certainly feel familiar for anyone who saw the 1987 film, with a passionate affair taking an unexpected turn when Alex Forest (now played by Lizzy Caplan from Fleishman Is in Trouble) refuses to let her married lover Dan Gallagher (Dawson’s Creek’s Joshua Jackson) put an end to it.
Wednesday, 3 May, 9.00pm: Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King | BBC2
Patrick Grant, best known for his judging role on The Great British Sewing Bee, is giving us a peek at the work of uniform manufacturers preparing for – yes, you’ve guessed it – the coronation of King Charles III.
The focus will be on the craftsmanship of Kashket & Partners, specialists in the production of uniforms for ceremonial and parade wear. And workers will certainly be putting in the overtime hours as they prep thousands of uniforms for the monarch’s big day. For lovers of pomp, this will be essential “behind the seams” viewing.
Thursday, 4 May: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story | Netflix
Period drama hit Bridgerton has spawned a spin-off, with this prequel charting Queen Charlotte’s (Golda Rosheuvel) rise to power and telling the story of how the young monarch’s marriage to King George ushered in a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton in the process.
Read more: Everything we know about Queen Charlotte
Devotees of Bridgerton will be heartened to hear that Shona Rhimes is on writing duties, while Netflix’s head of global TV Bela Bajaria has also assured viewers that this expansion to the universe is well worth catching. “Many viewers had never known the story of Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton brought her to the world, and I’m thrilled this new series will further expand her story and the world of Bridgerton,” she said recently.
Thursday, 4 May: Tom Jones | ITVX
Each generation, it seems, gets its own version of Henry Fielding’s picaresque 1749 story, with Albert Finney playing the titular role in the 1960s and then Max Beesley offering up his take in the 1990s. Now it’s the turn of Solly McLeod (seen most recently in The Rising) to scandalise and delight as we once again witness Tom’s bawdy efforts to find true love.
Starring alongside McLeod will be Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me) as heroine Sophia Western, while Ted Lasso actor Hannah Waddingham also features as Lady Bellaston.
Friday, 5 May, 9.30pm (10.40pm in Wales): Black Ops | BBC1
This new comedy thriller set in east London is centred on Dom and Kay, a couple of Police Community Support officers who enrol with the Met in the hope that they can better their community. But when they’re plunged into the clandestine world of deep-cover infiltration, their lives become “more fiasco than Donnie Brasco”.
Actor and writer Gbemisola Ikumelo is joined by Hammed Animashaun and Akemnji Ndifornyen for the six-part series, which also lands in its entirety on the BBC iPlayer.
Watch the trailer for Black Ops