TV
Planet Earth II
A gripping lizard/snake foot race. Bruising battles between Komodo dragons. And the deeply creepy sight of a swimming sloth. Last week’s opening episode of Planet Earth was every bit as spectacular as you might have expected from a series 10 years in the making. But the show’s return is also bittersweet given the significant – even catastrophic – changes to the environment in the decade it has been off our screens. It continues on Sunday with an episode on those creatures who have to survive in mountainous areas, including warring snow leopards and lethal golden eagles. Airs Sundays, 8pm, BBC1
Film
Arrival
From Midnight Special to Black Mirror, 2016 has been a strong year for smart sci-fi. Now, we have a worthy addition to the canon with this moody effort from Sicario director Denis Villeneuve. Strange, egg-shaped spaceships suddenly start appearing on Earth, and it’s up to Amy Adams’s linguist to figure out whether they want war or peace. In cinemas now
Events
Star Wars Identities
Appealing to the Venn overlap between “likes Star Wars” and “is interested in the notion of identity”, this London O2 exhibition delves into how two genetically similar types (Skywalkers senior and junior)coud become such different people and, by extension, how all our personalities blossom. Merch, art and props all feature, and visitors can create their own character in a galaxy far, far away.
The O2, London, Wednesday to September 2017
Alan Bennett’s Diaries Live
What’s better than a screening of Adam Low’s highly revealing documentary on the acerbic man of letters? A preview screening of said doc followed by a live Q&A with Bennett himself, broadcast from the extremely Alan Bennettish location of his local library in Primrose Hill, that’s what. In cinemas across the UK this Wednesday. Check the website for details.
Music
Wilco
Coming off the back of strong reviews for new album Schmilco, the alt-country titans stage their biggest UK dates. Tour starts in Manchester on 18 November, buy tickets here
Huddersfield contemporary music festival
Now in its 39th year, Britain’s largest festival of new music remains the place to be for cutting-edge classical. It kicks off on Friday with a collaboration between modern string masters the Ardetti Quartet and Irish composer Jennifer Walshe (pictured). Other highlights include performances of new works by the festival’s composer in residence, Georg Friedrich Haas. Various venues, 18-27 November
Keaton Henson
It’s a good week for fans of balladeer, poet and Guide fave Keaton Henson. On Saturday BBC2 airs BalletBoyz: Young Men, a feature-length film from the company about the plight of soldiers in the first world war, for which Henson has contributed the score. Then, on Friday, he brings his affecting piano based folk to the London Palladium, ably supported by Daudi Matsiko. BalletBoyz: Young Men airs Saturday, 8.30pm, BBC2
Exhibitions
The Radical Eye
Subtitled Modernist Photography From The Sir Elton John Collection, this Tate Modern exhibition displays The Rocket Man’s extensive collection of photographs to the public for the first time. Elton’s amassed quite a haul of work, with more than 70 artists and 150 rare vintage prints on show, including portraits of Matisse and Picasso taken by American visual artist Man Ray.
Books
The Secret History Of Twin Peaks
Long before HBO’s Westworld or even Lost befuddled viewers with their riddles and elliptical storytelling, there was David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. The first TV headscratcher, it continues to inspire debate among fans 25 years after it first aired. Ahead of a much-anticipated new series in 2017, co-creator Mark Frost has released this rather handsome book, which – while not directly answering some of the show’s big questions – does maintain the sinister tone that made the original such a beguiling watch. It’s available to buy now. Purchase the book here
If your thirst for Theroux somehow hasn’t been sated by his contribution to our cover feature, this illustrated guide to the great man’s best nuggets of understated wisdom should do the trick. Available to purchase at bellykids.bigcartel.com.
• This article was amended on 14 November 2016 to correct the date for the showing of Alan Bennett’s Diaries Live.
