In Depth:  TV & film

Gwilym Tudur

The nineteenth series of the BBC show The Apprentice continues to captivate audiences across the UK. Hosted by the business magnate Lord Sugar, The Apprentice does what it says on the tin: 18 entrepreneurs compete against each other to become his next apprentice.

The programme’s premise is simple: prove to Lord Sugar that you’re the best. If you succeed, you will become his next business partner, earning a six-figure salary. Fail to do so and you will hear those unforgiving words: "You’re fired." You will then be removed from the boardroom and taxied back to obscurity.

sport watch

Rosie Woodbridge

As an avid watcher of the original series of Gladiators in the 90s, I am thrilled that the show has returned to our screens!

Each week I look forward to the next episode, to see how the contenders fare against the Gladiators. Who can hold their ground against Giant on Duel? Who can sprint fast enough to escape Fire when she is Unleashed? Who can dodge a tackle from Fury? Who is talented enough to put Legend in his place? How will they fare on the eliminator - will they make it up the travelator first time?

Paul Yeulett

The gripping Netflix mini-series Adolescence screened last week. Some are suggesting it might be as influential as Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which aired at the beginning of last year.

It’s all about teenage boys, emerging sexuality, social media, Andrew Tate, online bullying, misogyny and knife crime.

Niv Lobo

One should never watch anything that wounds one’s conscience; Romans 14:23 tells us there are terrible consequences of acting against our conscience.

I don’t often, therefore, speak about my fascination with the horror genre in cinema. And yet, the popularity of horror films is worth pondering. Rather than engage at any length with the film which prompted these reflections — Robert Eggers’s 2024 remake, Nosferatu — what might its success teach us?

Milla Ling-Davies

What do you do when a friendship goes wrong? Do you call them up and explain how you were hurt - or do you stop replying to messages and remove them from your life entirely?

If you are a part of Gen Z, you might do the latter. Sociologist Jenny van Hooff recently published a paper exploring how our culture views ‘toxic friendships’^[1] and found ‘dispiriting’ results. Toxic behaviour was described as anything ‘unsympathetic or simply negative’ and ending a friendship like this was seen as a ‘desirable… even courageous’^[2].

Emma Scrivener

I’ve always had a sneaking fondness for horror films. Growing up, my favourites were the old-school ones with dodgy prosthetics, creaking doors, flickering candles, and Indian burial grounds.

There was something cathartic about watching scary things happening to other people, knowing you were safe in your room… or were you? (Hollow laughter echoes). Plus you felt secure knowing that you were smarter than the idiots investigating the creepy noises, in the cellar, by themselves, in their underwear.