Noughts and Crosses
Malorie Blackman’s 2001 young adult novel on the dystopian racial divides between the black ruling class of Crosses and white underclass of Noughts gets a starry screen adaptation, featuring the likes of Stormzy and Paterson Joseph. At heart a story of ill-fated lovers, its canny amplification of prejudice feels increasingly prescient today.
Thursday, 9pm, BBC One
Amazing Stories
Executive producer Steven Spielberg reimagines his 1985 anthology series of otherworldly happenings, giving them a modern twist. There is everything from superhero grandparents to extraterrestrial contact to get stuck into.
From Friday, Apple TV+
My Left Nut
Based on the award-winning play, this three-part adaptation tells the story of 15-year-old Mick, navigating the cringe-inducingly awkward world of teen romance – one made much worse by the sudden discovery of a mystery lump on his testicle and the growing suspicion that it might be cancer. Equal parts charmingly funny and strangely sincere.
From Sunday, BBC Three
To the Woman
June Sarpong hosts this emotional and searingly honest podcast of letters written and read by formidable women. There are contributions from Jess Phillips, Rose McGowan and Munroe Bergdorf, talking through everything from love and loss to public hatred.
Podcast
Dirty Streaming: The Internet’s Big Secret
This fascinating doc looks at the growing environmental impact the infrastructure of the internet is having on the planet. Presenter Beth Webb visits a data centre in Virginia that guzzles electricity 24 hours a day and is beholden to the local energy company for its supply. Webb asks whether there is enough renewable energy to keep up with demand.
From Thursday, BBC Three
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Jane Levy plays shy coder Zoey, whose life gets very noisy very quickly when an MRI scan leaves her able to hear people’s thoughts, through song. Each episode, Zoey gets set on a moralistic mission based on an overheard tune.
Wednesday, 10pm, E4
Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter-Life Crisis
According to the comic Taylor Tomlinson, your 20s are not the best years of your life. Instead, as she unpacks in this standup special, they are a decade filled with personal crises, missed relationship prospects and the endless task of “working on yourself”. A wry take on a coming-of-age narrative.
From Tuesday, Netflix
Ready Steady Cook
The green pepper and red tomato teams are back to take on the budget cooking challenge, where contestants are paired with chefs to create a delicious meal in 20 minutes with only £10-worth of ingredients. Rylan Clark-Neal presents, with chefs including Dublin restaurateur Anna Haugh and Londoner Mike Reid.
Monday, 4.30pm, BBC One
After the Storm
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s acute, bittersweet family drama (with a dash of noir) has Hiroshi Abe as the gambling-addicted private eye and wannabe writer Shinoda, who returns home to his widowed mother yearning for reconciliation with his estranged wife, Kyōko (Yōko Maki) and their sweet young son. A typhoon approaches, but the real storms are emotional ones.
Saturday, 10.50pm, BBC Four
The Trip to Greece
Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan are undertaking the mother of all trips in this fourth season: the 10-year journey of Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca. They will be pottering through in a matter of days, though, and experiencing some of the finest restaurants on the way. Expect philosophical musings peppered with many impressions.
Tuesday, 10pm, Sky One
