TV

As police corruption thriller Line of Duty returns for its fifth run, anticipation has never been higher, thanks to the “Bodyguard effect”. Last autumn’s political drama from the same team – written by Jed Mercurio, made by World Productions – became a bona fide phenomenon, attracting the biggest ratings for a decade and winning a Golden Globe. Line of Duty is now billed as “from the makers of Bodyguard”, much to the derision of long-time devotees. Line of Duty is the original and best, they say, not that Johnny-come-lately with its swish ministerial limousines and hotel sex scenes. So can the new series live up to 
the increased hype and scrutiny? Judging by our sneak preview of the opening... Register for free to read this article, or log in to your Telegraph account Register Log in … [Read more...] about Line of Duty, series 5, spoiler-free first look review: fiendishly addictive and grittier than Bodyguard

4 Pose (BBC Two) had style, Pose had grace. Thanks to Madonna and her 1990 hit Vogue, a lot of people are aware of the dance moves that came out of the underground “ball” scene in New York City in the Eighties – an outlet for drag queens and transgender people to compete in extravagant fashion contests. In this eight-part US import drama, Glee creator Ryan Murphy journeys deep into the subculture to find its beating heart. The feature-length first episode tipped a Fedora hat to everything from Flashdance to Wall Street, but came out character rich and emotionally affecting. First, though, you had to get past  the opening set piece: a night raid  on a museum to steal costumes for a Royal-themed... Register for free to read this article, or log in to your Telegraph account Register Log in … [Read more...] about Pose, episode 1, review: Stylish drama took us back to the hedonistic Eighties

4 It was hard to avoid feeling despair at Duwayne Brooks’s Stabbed: Britain’s Knife Crime Crisis (BBC One). Almost 26 years ago, Brooks was with his friend Stephen Lawrence when the teenager was stabbed to death in south London. This bleak portrait of Britain, where stabbings are an everyday occurrence, killers feel no remorse and witnesses daren’t come forward, created a panicky sense of escalating violence, with  no end in sight. The statistics alone were staggering: 43,000 knife crime incidents in one year; 342 fatalities. At St Mary’s Hospital, in northwest London, trauma surgeon Shehan Hettiaratchy described how for every person who comes into the hospital and dies from their stab injuries,... Register for free to read this article, or log in to your Telegraph account Register Log in … [Read more...] about Stabbed: Britain’s Knife Crime Crisis, review