Radio Times 13-19th November 2021

WHEN ROSAMUND PIKE was last seen on our screens she was one half of the BBC2 two-hander State of the Union, in which she and Chris O’Dowd played a couple trying to hold their relationship together. A low-key drama, the action took place in a series of chats in a resolutely ordinary pub. Each episode lasted ten minutes and it first went out in September 2019 on a Sunday night. But that was then. This week Pike is back on television but as the top-of-the-bill star of Amazon Prime’s multi-million pound fantasy extravaganza The Wheel of Time, a lavish TV adaptation of a 14-book epic by the cult American author Robert Jordan. As Pike tells us in our exclusive interview on page 8, she plays a legendary sorceress with miraculous powers…

WHEN ROSAMUND PIKE was last seen on our screens she was one half of the BBC2 two-hander State of the Union, in which she and Chris O’Dowd played a couple trying to hold their relationship together. A low-key drama, the action took place in a series of chats in a resolutely ordinary pub. Each episode lasted ten minutes and it first went out in September 2019 on a Sunday night. But that was then. This week Pike is back on television but as the top-of-the-bill star of Amazon Prime’s multi-million pound fantasy extravaganza The Wheel of Time, a lavish TV adaptation of a 14-book epic by the cult American author Robert Jordan. As Pike tells us in our exclusive interview on page 8, she plays a legendary sorceress with miraculous…

WHAT I’M WATCHING… SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR I’m watching Succession,” says the ‘singer. “The characters are so ghastly, but I love them all as well. The writing is so sharp. I’ve been watching The White Lotus, too, and please don’t judge me, but I’ve started watching Married at First Sight UK.’ My 24-hour Kitchen Disco Danceathon — page 14 SIMON REEVE Like millions ‘of people I’ve worked my way through Squid Game,” says the presenter. “It’s dark and violent and not for kids, but the acting and writing are superb and the music, set design, cinematography and storytelling are an endless surprise. I haven’t seen anything else quite like it.’ Exploring the Lakes — page 18 Recommended family viewing: check programme descriptions for age suitability…

WHAT I’M WATCHING… SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR I’m watching Succession,” says the ‘singer. “The characters are so ghastly, but I love them all as well. The writing is so sharp. I’ve been watching The White Lotus, too, and please don’t judge me, but I’ve started watching Married at First Sight UK.’ My 24-hour Kitchen Disco Danceathon — page 14 SIMON REEVE Like millions ‘of people I’ve worked my way through Squid Game,” says the presenter. “It’s dark and violent and not for kids, but the acting and writing are superb and the music, set design, cinematography and storytelling are an endless surprise. I haven’t seen anything else quite like it.’ Exploring the Lakes — page 18 Recommended family viewing: check programme descriptions for age suitability…

SPORT ISN’T JUST sport any more – it’s the news. The recent Saudi-led take over of Newcastle United is a dramatic reminder of the extent to which the world of sport now routinely collides with geopolitics, big business, the law and ethics. As well as elevating one of the Premier League’s sleeping giants to the top of football’s rich list, this story has forced the game to confront tough issues over the character and motives of club owners, and the rules over such deals. Many people see this as a country with a notorious human rights record using football to try to burnish its image abroad. These fears were reinforced by the headline-grabbing scenes of thousands of jubilant Newcastle fans outside St James’ Park celebrating the Saudi investment. But such controversy is…

SPORT ISN’T JUST sport any more – it’s the news. The recent Saudi-led take over of Newcastle United is a dramatic reminder of the extent to which the world of sport now routinely collides with geopolitics, big business, the law and ethics. As well as elevating one of the Premier League’s sleeping giants to the top of football’s rich list, this story has forced the game to confront tough issues over the character and motives of club owners, and the rules over such deals. Many people see this as a country with a notorious human rights record using football to try to burnish its image abroad. These fears were reinforced by the headline-grabbing scenes of thousands of jubilant Newcastle fans outside St James’ Park celebrating the Saudi investment. But such…