TV blog Feed

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: It's not all sunshine

2016-05-18T13:55:07+00:00

This is the final post Mary has written about her new series, Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit.

Making a documentary about the Roman Empire partly means visits to the sunny climes of the Mediterranean.

Anyone who has watched the Ultimate Rome series will have spotted that it was sometimes very, very hot. Take those sunburnt arms in Timgad and the scarcely disguised sweat in the Roman August (and that was after a whole lot of anti-perspirant wipes, I promise!). But actually, taking the Roman Empire as a whole, some bits are very cold.

The first bit of filming we did was in April 2015, in snow in the north of England. You don’t actually see quite how bitter it was when we talk about the remoteness and strangeness of Britain in episode three.

When I was talking about the ‘true grit’ of the Britons on South Shields beach, it looks pretty blowy to be sure. It doesn’t quite capture the mad hail storm that called the close of play to the filming, that seeped into every bit of equipment we had and soaked us to the skin.

We were forced into a seaside hotel to change and dry out and then to go back to the beach to try the whole scene again. In fact, of course, the second go wasn’t half as good as the first, so what you see is the sequence before we are hailed off (and I get the giggles).

But the final filming for the whole series we did in Trier, for episode four, was just as chilly. There was German snow falling around some of the most impressive Roman remains north of the Alps.

I was trying to focus on the problems of explaining the ‘fall’ of the Roman Empire (if it ever did fall in quite the way we imagine) but was distracted by increasing frostbite in my hands. It was then that my resourceful producer introduced me to hand warmers, originally made I think for skiers, but usefully transferable to TV presenters.

No doubt most other people in the world know all about these, but I didn’t. They are little pocket-size sachets of crystals, which get hotter and hotter the more you feel them and squeeze them with your hands. Without them I would never have been able to talk about the end of Rome in the wet and cold of wintery Trier. The Romans would have been impressed.

Professor Mary Beard is a classicist and the presenter of Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit.

The series concludes on Wednesday, 18 May at 9pm on BBC Two. Each episode is available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Read Mary's post from episode three: The town that captured her heart

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer now

2016-05-16T16:13:26+00:00

Cock-eyed squids, roflcopters, Your-ovision… Get tongue tied with some of the best moments available to watch until Wednesday, 8 June.

Be slightly freaked out by these extraordinary creatures of the deep

Dive into nature - Life That Glows with David Attenborough, BBC Two

And discover more eye-opening documentaries on iPlayer.

Plus, find out which shows presenter Alex Jones has been loving in this week’s Frank Skinner On Demand With...

My Hollow Crown character is leading his own revenge film

2016-05-13T09:00:00+00:00

The next chapter in the TV adaptation of Shakespeare’s history plays, The Hollow Crown: The War of the Roses, explores some of the writer’s best-known royal characters. But you might be surprised to find that some less widely recognised characters really court our attention in Henry VI and Richard III.

Here to explain the who, what and why about his character, Clifford, is Poldark actor Kyle Soller.

Clifford is a leading soldier of rank in the Lancastrian army, who are fighting to hold the crown against York. His father is murdered by the Plantagenets, who lead York’s army, which spurs Clifford on an all-out mission of vengeance against the Plantagenet family.

His journey eventually leads him to a confrontation with the ruthless Richard III (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) on the battlefield.

It was really fun to play someone who was sort of in his own revenge film. But he has redeeming qualities - I suppose his are loyalty, honour and bravery towards family, king and country.

I’m American, and first got into Shakespeare when I was at college in the United States. I was taking courses at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C. on the weekends. I’d take the train up Friday evening, go to class Saturday morning and then get the train back to make the Saturday night parties on campus.

Those classes are what influenced my decision to come over to London and train at RADA. So working on a project like The Hollow Crown feels really special.

I also really like working in an English accent. It makes me work and think differently and it certainly opens up casting opportunities to roles I never thought I would play. I’ve got RADA to thank for that.

Kyle Soller plays Clifford in The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses and Francis in Poldark.

Episode one of The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses is available to watch in BBC iPlayer until Monday, 6 June. The series continues on Saturday, 14 May at 9pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Kyle's photo is used with kind permission from Andreas Vecchiato.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Ultimate Rome: The town that captured Mary Beard's heart

2016-05-11T09:00:00+00:00

Mary will be writing a new post each week for her new series, Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit.

One of the highlights of our filming for me was going to some of the Roman sites in Algeria. I had never been there before, and it wasn’t entirely simple to get permission to film. We owe a lot to the British Ambassador in Algiers, who helped us get the permits to go to the sites.

The real star was the city of Timgad, a Roman town on the very fringes of the Sahara. It started life as a settlement of ex-squaddies, and became a town that paraded its cultural “Roman-ness”. In a way, it was a town more Roman than Rome, at the furthest extremity of the Roman world.

Two things stand out for me. First was my own exploration of the town. In the programme, you will see me wandering around the place and saying: “Oh wow, this must be the library…” and so on. I guess you might think that this is a set up.

Actually the production team were very keen to stop me from discovering too much about the site before I got there, so that we could see my first reactions to this town I had never seen before. There may have been a few re-takes, but basically what you see is my real excitement in meeting a Roman site I hadn’t seen before.

Second, and equally memorable, was the reaction and support of the local staff on site. They came with us and helped throughout our visit, and wholeheartedly got into the project. One of the young men there was a TV natural. By the end of the second day he had become a smart camera assistant, finding and fixing new lenses to the camera.

And one highlight that came with this was an interview with the ex-mayor of modern Timgad.

I asked him who he thought had been the people of ancient Timgad. He hesitated a little, then said that they must have been part Roman, part Berber, and a right old mixture – just the kind of multicultural melting pot that we were arguing was the distinctive feature of the Roman empire. But it was really nice to hear it from him.

When, a few months later, I had an email from the ex-mayor to say that he had just got my new book, I felt a big rush. It may just be telly, but there is a great hand of friendship here that is unforgettable.

Clichéd I know, but there’s a little piece of Timgad now in my heart.

Professor Mary Beard is a classicist and the presenter of Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit.

The series continues on Wednesday, 11 May at 9pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Read Mary's post from episode two: Exploring recent Roman discoveries

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer now

2016-05-10T11:00:00+00:00

Cute animals, new comedy and the worst-timed toilet break on TV – just some of the best moments you can watch until Sunday, 29 May.

This baby kangaroo having a bath… but seriously wishing it wasn’t

See more kangaroo stories – Natural World, BBC Two

These hopeful owners try to prise apart two young dogs at play, only to hear the harsh truth that: “They’re at a rave and you’re offering them the library”

See the playful pups – Choose the right puppy for you, BBC Two

Nick Hewer reveals his take on the “extraordinary, terrible story” of BHS

Watch the panel’s take on the latest news – Have I Got News For You, BBC One

Is it just us, or is this David Tennant’s young doppelganger?

Watch a unique comedy interpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo – Upstart Crow, BBC Two

And finally – there’s nothing like a child needing a wee to interrupt a live debate

See how presenter Victoria handled the news – The Victoria Derbyshire Show, BBC Two

Discover more comedy on BBC iPlayer.

And if you want to see what In The Club actress Katherine Parkinson picks out on BBC iPlayer this week you can watch Frank Skinner On Demand With...

Ultimate Rome: Exploring recent Roman discoveries

2016-05-04T14:18:18+00:00

Mary will be writing a new post each week for her new series, Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit.

It’s a striking fact that if we had been making Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit 40 or 50 years ago, some of the material we focus on in the series simply would not have been discovered. Roman history changes quite fast. That’s partly a question of new excavations.

The wonderful private houses that we visit in Ephesus, Turkey, in episode two have only come to light since the 1960s, and the same is true for a lot of the city of Aphrodisias, also in Turkey, that we feature in episode three.

Hardly any of this was there to see when Mortimer Wheeler made his documentaries about the Roman Empire (pipe in mouth) half a century or so ago. See a selection of his BBC archaeology documentaries in BBC iPlayer.

But some of the new discoveries aren’t excavation in the traditional sense of the word. Long before making this programme, I had read about the way the deep bores in the Arctic ice cap were being made, reaching down to ice at Roman levels.

In these you could apparently detect traces of Roman industrial activity (pollution to you and me). I never imagined that I would actually get to see any of this precious ice.

But the team discovered that one of the main centres of this research was in Utrecht, so off we went.

I have rather blotted out of my mind the journey. Getting on a busy train from Amsterdam airport to Utrecht with all the boxes and boxes of kit isn’t a trip I want to repeat (don’t imagine that documentary travel is all arranged by chauffeur driven limo).

But, when we had got ourselves sorted, inside the rather unexciting exterior of the University of Utrecht, there were some very exciting glimpses of the past.

It was in fact a bit like going to Greenland! First of all I had to get togged up in Arctic clothes in order to go into the very large fridge where the cores are kept. The scientists, I was told, go out to get these deep-drilled samples, staying for months in a frozen Arctic camp with no home comforts whatsoever.

It was heroism in the cause of science that made my travel discomfort in the cause of TV seem rather insignificant.

Then I got a chance to delve into a smaller fridge, where slices of the Roman samples are kept.

The idea is that the scientists analyse the composition of the tiny air bubbles in these samples (which of course melt as soon as you touch them), looking especially for tell-tale methane, which gives away the scale of the industrial processes making their mark on the environment. There is a striking peak in the first century AD, not matched again for over a thousand years.

So where did this come from? The answer is from all the Roman Empire’s burning and smelting. And probably at the very heart of it all were the mines and metal works of Spain, where much of the silver that made (among other things) the Roman currency was extracted and processed.

One of the great things about television for me is that you can put these two things together in the same programme. Later on in episode two we go to Spain, and get a rather nasty glimpse of the kind of exploitation that Roman production depended on. What ended up as a methane air bubble in a core of ice started off in the terrible labour of the miners – including one four-year old whose tombstone we see.

Professor Mary Beard is a classicist and the presenter of Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit.

The series continues on Wednesday, 4 May at 9pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Read Mary's post from episode one: An underwater battlefield

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: An underwater battlefield

2016-04-27T10:40:31+00:00

I am not especially keen on military history. I mean I am absolutely fascinated by what actually happened in an ancient battle (very nasty indeed, I can assure you), but I hate those histories of ancient Rome that simply lurch from one round of military conquest to the next.

So when we were making the first episode of Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit, I didn’t particularly look forward to the day we were due to visit the site of a great naval battle between the Romans and Carthaginians in 241 BC, a few kilometres off the Sicilian coast. And, to be honest, I’m a lousy actor – if I don’t feel enthusiastic, I am very bad at pretending to be on camera.

Even our unflappable producer showed signs of being worried. She needn't have been. When we got out to sea it was impossible not to get interested.

There is something quite extraordinary about the best-preserved battle site in the ancient world being under water. But that’s more or less the case. Much of the detritus from the wrecked ships (the victims’ armour, the food containers…) sank safely to the sea bed, and it is now being investigated using deep sea probes and cameras.

I was absolutely glued to the screen in the control room of the boat, watching the eerie glimpses of the bottom of the sea, the fishes and the weed mixed in with the lost equipment of those long-dead sailors.

When the archaeologists spot something really special, they have clever devices to lift it to the surface. And our afternoon’s trip was to Palermo, where some of the best finds are kept.

Among the highlights there are the bronze ‘rams’ that were once fixed onto the ships (for ‘ramming’ the enemy) and some bronze helmets. And, as the film captures, by this stage, I had really got into the spirit of it. And in fact I tried a Roman helmet on.

I fully expect to have some emails ticking me off for this. But let me assure you that, wherever we go, we obey the conservation rules of the museum concerned (that’s why sometimes it’s gloves, sometimes it isn’t - theories and rules about all of this differ). And honestly I don’t think that the object in question came to any harm.

I was perhaps a bit carried away though. As I fitted it onto my head, I said on camera just what I was thinking: words to the effect of: “I bet I’m the first to put this on for more than 2,000 years”. That’s certainly how it felt at the time. But in retrospect, I very much doubt it.

My guess is that that particular helmet has been tried on rather a lot since it came out of the water. And I bet that almost every single modern wearer has had that same romantic fantasy as me... naively imagining that the last head inside it was a Roman one!

Professor Mary Beard is a classicist and the presenter of Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit.

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit starts on Wednesday, 27 April at 9pm on BBC Two.

It will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Mary will be blogging about every episode - her posts will go up every Wednesday of the series.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

2016-04-18T13:10:03+00:00

From brilliant babies to glorious goals – remember, there may be spoilers…

When you realise that Michael McIntyre has your phone - and has discovered the ‘send to all’ function

Find out how Michael embarrasses Geri – Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, BBC One

We don’t think Dawn O’Porter will be hiring Angela Scanlon as her stylist any time soon…

See what happened when Angela met Dawn – Angela Scanlon’s Close Encounters, BBC Three

When an 18-year-old slips a goal of pure class straight past you…

Watch Marcus Rashford’s worldy against West Ham – The FA Cup, BBC One

Meet Pat, who has lovingly looked after almost 8,000 babies and counting

See inside the UK's only private maternity hospital – Five Star Babies: Inside Portland Hospital, BBC Two

And finally… these schoolgirls’ reactions when they realise celebrity Nick Jonas is driving them home…

Find out why their school trip was taken over – The School Run, BBC Radio 1

And if you want to see what Michael Ball picks out on BBC iPlayer this week you can watch Frank Skinner On Demand With...

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

2016-04-12T11:20:03+00:00

Featuring marvellous animals, surprising artefacts and one incredible speech… Remember, this may contain spoilers.

When Ricky Wilson ‘just had something in his eye’ – it’s OK to cry, Ricky, you’re only human

See Ricky getting emotional about Kevin – The Voice, BBC One

Keeley Hawes’ character Lindsay Denton refuses to go down without a fight in the courtroom

Watch her face her toughest opponent yet – Line of Duty, BBC Two

Racoon belly rub, anyone? This one likes to wash her hands, too

Meet Lola the pet racoon – Pet Island, BBC One Northern Ireland

Who lives in a head like this? Is this the hardest quiz show round ever?

See who these bald heads belong to – Have I Got News For You, BBC One

Dan Snow is introduced to a lesser-known York attraction… Viking poo

See what excrement can teach us about the Vikings – The Vikings Uncovered, BBC One

And finally… ‘One word out of a million comes to mind – acceptance’

Be inspired by one man’s heart-warming speech or watch the whole series – Employable Me, BBC Two

And if you want to see what Car Share’s Sian Gibson picked out on BBC iPlayer this week you can watch Frank Skinner On Demand With...

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

2016-04-04T10:38:35+00:00

This week’s TV is all about love, lies and one massive leap of faith…

Esteemed actor Adrian Lester tries out a new look in Undercover…

Watch the awkward moment on BBC iPlayer– Undercover, BBC One

This look of pure young love

Watch their stolen moments together – Murdered by My Father, BBC Three

The realisation that Bake Off Crème de la Crème is not all fuzzy and warm

See the professionals under stress – Bake Off Crème de la Crème, BBC Two

This giant leap for quiz-kind

See what this contestant endured to win prizes – Can’t Touch This, BBC One

When someone tells you make-up is just advertising fertility

See why Connie is so shocked about the world of beauty– Connie Fisher on Make-Up, BBC One Wales

And finally, we couldn’t miss the impending return of Top Gear – complete with fancy dress…

Watch Matt LeBlanc being thoroughly unimpressed – Top Gear, BBC Two

And if you want to see what TV presenter Dermot O’Leary picked out on BBC iPlayer this week you can watch Frank Skinner On Demand With...

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

2016-03-29T15:00:00+00:00

See the most scene-stealing instances from the latest TV shows - complete with more drama (and laughter) than a family Easter. Remember, there may be spoilers…

Fear? Regret? Relief? Ivy is still a mystery…

Watch the explosive drama finale - Thirteen, BBC Three

The moment the nation held its breath with Olivia Colman

Watch now on BBC iPlayer – The Night Manager, BBC One

When presenting dream team Matt and Alex totally lost the plot

Watch them corpsing while live on air – The Sport Relief Games Show, BBC One

Paloma Faith throws everything – including her shoe – at the coaches’ performance

Watch the coaches’ performance on BBC iPlayer – The Voice UK, BBC One

And finally, this masterclass in giving evils…

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/BBCTwo/status/713114194715873280

Watch the moment on BBC iPlayer – Line of Duty, BBC Two

And if you want to see what Pub Landlord comedian Al Murray picked out on BBC iPlayer this week you can watch Frank Skinner On Demand With...

Everything I’ve learned about DS Arnott in Line of Duty

2016-03-24T15:50:26+00:00

He's the serious, sometimes sneering anti-corruption cop who's been known to bend the rules himself. So as Line of Duty series three begins, we ask - what does actor Martin Compston really make of his character?

Romance has been a bit of a grey area…

Steve sees himself as not really doing anything wrong, dating witnesses and so on, because he’s not breaking any laws. But it does get him into trouble and he really shouldn’t be doing it.

But in this series he seems to be the most settled out of the team. Ted Hastings has still got his own issues, we know Matthew ‘Dot’ Cottan’s got some private thing going on, and Kate Fleming’s separated from her family.

So at the start of the series we see Steve is definitely a lot more settled and seems happy. He really does love his job and he’s living with a woman he seems to get on with so when we find him he’s in a good place.

He knows when something is off…

In the case we follow in this series, from the very off something feels wrong to Steve. And I think as the series goes on he starts to learn there’s more to Daniel Mays’ character, Sergeant Danny Waldron, than meets the eye. The way the series starts is explosive, and with that Steve just knows that something isn’t here in what they are saying, they are lying about something.

He’s grown to love AC-12…

At first joining the department was a big problem for Steve. He thought it was in some way a demotion. But now I think Steve loves his job. He sees that there’s a real purpose to it. And they are still catching criminals, they’re just wearing a uniform. There’s no distinction – breaking the law is breaking the law.

This series I say the line: “Easiest way to get away with killing someone - be a police officer”. It’s a great line but that was my first scene of the new series. You know when you’re like ‘Ah, how could they?!’ because it’s such a good scene but you want a couple of days to find your feet and find your character again, and we were straight in with that.

Danny Waldron (centre) leads his team into a questionable situation in episode one

He admires Hastings and Fleming enormously…

Hastings became a bit of a father figure to him and I think Steve admires his integrity. He’s got a lot of personal issues but he’s convinced Steve that this is a job worth doing. I think he could see himself heading up to Hastings’ post and taking over the department – I think that would be in his head.

With Kate, I think he’s just got a kindred spirit. He admires her tenacity. And it’s probably mirrored in real life as well, Vicky McClure has become one of my best friends and we just help each other along. Steve and Kate are at each other’s throats a lot, but I think you find throughout all the series that when they need someone the most, it’s always the other one that turns up.

And Vicky’s just a great laugh to be around. I think me, her, Craig Parkinson and Adrian Dunbar have become very close over the last couple of years and we’re a very close gang. When we all live together - our flats are all next door to each other for like four or five months, so we take turns at cooking every night and running lines every night.

It takes concentration to get through the interview scenes…

When you get the script, you can either be intimidated by the police language it or face it, and Danny Mays just went for it hell for leather, he was great. I read he said recently that those were some of the most difficult and the most rewarding scenes he’s ever done and there’s definitely a sense of that. It’s hanging over you and you do lose a few hours’ sleep at night when you’re thinking about those scenes at times.

Those scenes are so long but you have to keep a pace and we run it a few times straight through it because you have to find the rhythm of where the depths are in the scene. So there are takes that are 20 minutes long or even five minutes long, and the poor boom guy holding that thing over your head..! It’s a tough day for everybody – we’ve all earned a pint at the end of it.

Martin Compston plays Steve Arnott in Line of Duty.

Line of Duty series three starts on Thursday, 24 March at 9pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast. You can also watch Line of Duty: The Story So Far in BBC iPlayer until Saturday, 16 April.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Bonding with the villagers through laughter and rituals for Tribes, Predators & Me

2016-03-18T10:04:49+00:00

Spending time with the Waorani tribe in Ecuador for Tribes, Predators & Me has had a real impact on my life – their spirit is truly engaging.

I have filmed with many indigenous communities around the world. However, the experiences of being with the Waorani were some of my favourites. I was out in Ecuador for seven weeks in total, setting up the filming, directing the shoot and carrying out the translations afterwards and during this time we became close.

Some of the women in the Waorani tribe have lost loved ones to the anacondas that live nearby

They are great people. Kind, passionate and ultimately hilarious. But, it’s when the jokes stop that you know something serious is going on. One evening early on in the filming, the jaguar shaman (the group’s spiritual leader), Kemperi, said that I was filled with darkness. This needed to be sorted.

A cleansing ceremony followed which involved him spitting on my face and rubbing me with his sweat and some giant nettles. Half way through, he spat so hard that his false teeth fell on to my head. Despite my giggles, he didn’t laugh. This was real business.

The rest of the crew were also then cleansed by Kemperi too – whether they had any darkness in them or not. Unfortunately this meant that we all came up in giant welts as a histamine reaction to the nettles. Not ideal in a tropical climate…

Kemperi, 75, goes into trances to become possessed by a jaguar

The crew go through a lot of what presenter Gordon Buchanan experiences on screen, but sometimes he’s all on his own. When we were out filming the peccary hunt in Bameno, we couldn’t keep up with all our large cameras and sound gear.

So whilst we were left behind, lost in the forest, Gordon ran after the men who sped off and came back with a prized wild peccary kill. It takes incredible speed and agility to hunt in that kind of terrain, and on that rain-drenched afternoon we saw for ourselves that everything that the men bring back is hard won.

Gordon loses the tribe during a hunt and finds himself alone

I became a vegetarian when I was 13 and it’s only on special occasions when this slips. As they passed around the peccary skull to suck the juice out of, and handed us each a portion of peccary testicles to chew on, this became one of those special occasions!

The Waorani are incredibly accommodating, so I didn't want to cause any offence or confusion by refusing to share their food. However, it wasn't a particularly pleasant experience... They were charred all over, with a very peculiar texture; almost like warm jelly beans set into a rigid blancmange casing.

Gordon tries out 'choice' cuts of peccary to bond with the tribe

And there were plenty more special occasions that followed as we embraced the Waorani traditions, at one point I found myself dining on a spider monkey's arm. It was a particularly impactful moment.

Having spent time with several indigenous communities, I can say that I’ve eaten more monkeys than I have meatballs and now after being with the Waorani I’ve eaten more bollocks than I have burgers. I’m just not so sure I can call myself a vegetarian any more…

Rachael Kinley is the producer and series director Tribes, Predators & Me.

Tribes, Predators & Me starts on Sunday, 20 March at 9pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Must see moments of the week – on BBC iPlayer

2016-03-10T16:58:38+00:00

What were the most scene-stealing ‘did I just see...’ and ‘what just happened...’ moments of telly this week? Here goes:

Put Kate Humble in a darts outfit and this is what you get

Watch the moment on BBC iPlayer - Let's Play Darts for Sport Relief, BBC Two

Catherine Cawood shows her mettle – but who is she taking down?

Watch the moment on BBC iPlayer - Happy Valley, BBC One (this clip contains strong language)

When you realise you weren't invited to the stag party for a reason

Watch the moment on BBC iPlayer - Stag, BBC Two

Tough guy Steve Backshall presents the face of regret on his epic climb

Watch the moment on BBC iPlayer - Steve Backshall’s Extreme Mountain Challenge, BBC Two

Don’t look down! Ivy’s spooked back at her kidnapper’s home

Watch the moment on BBC iPlayer - Thirteen, BBC Three

And if you want to see what Frank Skinner and John Bradley (Game of Thrones, Shameless) picked out on BBC iPlayer this week you can watch Frank Skinner On Demand With...

Murder: Who are they all talking to?

2016-03-04T14:45:50+00:00

After the success of one-off drama Murder: Joint Enterprise in 2012, the team behind the programme are back with a new three-part series. In each standalone episode of Murder the actors speak directly into the camera. Writer Robert Jones explains…

Actors aren’t the only ones who ask who it is that their character in Murder is talking to.

I’ve never felt the format was a fly-on-the-wall documentary or video diary. When I started writing Murder, the form I used for inspiration was the witness stand in a law court. I was struck by how compelling this storytelling was, and how easily or problematically it fitted with the testimony of others.

Actress Anne-Marie Duff stars in episode two - directed by Paul Wright

The characters in Murder aren’t in court, they aren’t talking to a barrister - but they’re still giving their unique version of events in a way that favours their own actions over other people’s. Almost all of us will put ourselves in as favourable a light as possible, whatever terrible thing we might have done. There’s always some mitigating or provoking circumstance that can be stressed, and that’s what these characters are doing. They rarely lie, but they often omit and embellish. The best description I’ve come up with is that they’re conversations with God.

The other big difference for the actors is more technical: they have to perform alone, and look right into the camera. Some find this unsettling, especially as they can see themselves reflected in the lens. A few times, actors have invented stage directions for themselves for the moments prior to their lines: walking about or imagining a scenario that might fit with what they’re doing. Almost all seemed to enjoy it in the end. They might not be sparking off other performances around them but they do have the undivided attention of the director and crew.

Watch the unusual acting approach in action in a clip from Murder: The Third Voice

The direct-to-camera approach is demanding but pays dividends. Because there’s nowhere to hide, it seems to reveal character starkly. The combination of the close-up and the confessional nature of the speeches is potent. It’s also quite intense over the course of the drama, so it helps to have all the other evidential elements in play and to have editors as skilled as Jacob Thuesen and Kristina Hetherington to bring them together so beautifully.

I’m aware that the format could be demanding on the viewer. It’s not perhaps as straightforward as some more conventional dramas. I notice in the Radio Times that Alison Graham encourages viewers to "attend closely". I think she’s right - and I hope that those who do will find their attention richly rewarded.

Robert Jones wrote Murder.

Murder, episode one is available in BBC iPlayer until 11pm on Saturday, 2 April. The series continues on Thursday, 10 March at 9pm on BBC Two. Each episode will be available to watch in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

TV blog Feed

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: It's not all sunshine

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer now

Be slightly freaked out by these extraordinary creatures of the deep

This properly funny Broadway-style number from Sweden's Eurovision hosts

Did Shakespeare invent the word ‘ceefax’?

This uncanny avatar who’ll represent you after you’ve died

The look Tommy Shelby’s face when he doesn't like what he’s hearing

My Hollow Crown character is leading his own revenge film

Ultimate Rome: The town that captured Mary Beard's heart

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer now

Ultimate Rome: Exploring recent Roman discoveries

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: An underwater battlefield

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

When you realise that Michael McIntyre has your phone - and has discovered the ‘send to all’ function

We don’t think Dawn O’Porter will be hiring Angela Scanlon as her stylist any time soon…

When an 18-year-old slips a goal of pure class straight past you…

Meet Pat, who has lovingly looked after almost 8,000 babies and counting

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

When Ricky Wilson ‘just had something in his eye’ – it’s OK to cry, Ricky, you’re only human

Keeley Hawes’ character Lindsay Denton refuses to go down without a fight in the courtroom

Racoon belly rub, anyone? This one likes to wash her hands, too

Who lives in a head like this? Is this the hardest quiz show round ever?

Dan Snow is introduced to a lesser-known York attraction… Viking poo

And finally… ‘One word out of a million comes to mind – acceptance’

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer

Everything I’ve learned about DS Arnott in Line of Duty

Bonding with the villagers through laughter and rituals for Tribes, Predators & Me

Must see moments of the week – on BBC iPlayer

Murder: Who are they all talking to?