It’s a night of domestic dramas and primal anxieties on the telly. ITV1 leans into the public’s enduring fascination with the royals – or, more accurately, those orbiting them – with the penultimate episode of The Lady, while BBC One offers a double dose of societal breakdown, first with the concluding part of Lord of the Flies and then a promise of “irreversible change” in Call the Midwife. The scheduling feels… deliberate. A little bit of scandal, a lot of emotional weight, and a reminder of the fragility of order. It’s a classic network strategy for a Thursday night.
- The Lady continues to capitalize on the public’s appetite for true-crime, particularly when it involves figures tangentially connected to the monarchy.
- BBC’s adaptation of Lord of the Flies, despite mixed reviews, demonstrates a continued willingness to tackle challenging literary adaptations.
- Channel 5’s Romance Scams: Don’t Get Caught Out taps into growing anxieties surrounding online safety and financial vulnerability.
The Lady, focusing on Sarah Ferguson’s former assistant Jane Andrews, is a fascinating case study in how true-crime narratives are packaged. The focus on a “soapy” drama suggests a deliberate attempt to broaden appeal beyond the true-crime faithful. It’s less about the legal intricacies and more about the emotional turmoil – a wedding proposal that doesn’t materialize, a “make-or-break chat that gets out of hand.” This isn’t a documentary; it’s entertainment *inspired* by real events.
Meanwhile, BBC One is serving up a hefty dose of existential dread. Jack Thorne’s adaptation of Lord of the Flies concludes tonight, and the description – “animalistic chaos,” “appetite for violence,” stolen glasses leading to a “showdown” – suggests a fairly faithful (and bleak) rendering of Golding’s classic. The “Making of” documentary immediately following offers a glimpse behind the curtain, acknowledging the adaptation has been “hit and miss” with fans. That’s putting it mildly. Adapting a novel so deeply ingrained in the cultural consciousness is always a risk, and Thorne’s version has clearly divided opinion. Still, the production values are apparently magnificent, filmed in Malaysia with all the attendant challenges of “creepy-crawlies, rain and even a twister.” A bit on the nose, perhaps?
And finally, a late-night offering on Film4: Óliver Laxe’s Fire Will Come. A slow-burn drama set in rural Spain, it’s a stark contrast to the evening’s more sensational fare. It’s a smart placement, though. Laxe’s new film, Sirât, is currently in cinemas, and this provides a chance to sample his earlier work. It’s a subtle bit of cross-promotion, relying on cinephile curiosity rather than bombastic marketing.
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