The Brit Awards 2017
Last year’s Brits were lambasted for totally ignoring the influence of grime; this year sees the awards finally celebrate the genre with Kano, Stormzy and Skepta all receiving nods. Skepta will also bring his stylishly strident sound to the live show alongside the more usual suspects of Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran and the 1975.
Wednesday 22 February, 7.30pm, ITV
Ross Kemp: Libya’s Migrant Hell
Kemp’s blokey bluster may seem ripe for parody but his docs can be bold and insightful. This latest one sees the former ’Enders man following the gruelling journey made by Libyans fleeing their troubled homeland.
Tuesday 21 February, 9pm, Sky1
SS-GB
Wading into the current “Should you punch Nazis in the face?” debate with both fists is the Beeb’s new historical drama, which imagines a Britain occupied by Hitler’s Germany. Sam Riley is the Brit detective drawn into subterfuge and resistance by Kate Bosworth’s journo.
Sunday 19 February, 9pm, BBC1
Gogglebox
If nothing else, Channel 4’s flagship fact-ent show is a time-efficient way to consume the week’s TV. Luckily, thanks to its impeccably cast sofa-bound commentators, including Mary and Marina, it also serves up hilarity, warmth and fascinating family dynamics.
Friday 24 February, 9pm, Channel 4
Inside No 9
Let’s twist again! Pemberton and Shearsmith’s delightfully macabre comedy anthology is back for another series of Twilight Zone-style terror.
Tuesday 21 February, 10pm, BBC2
The Halcyon
Initially dismissed as “Downton but in a hotel”, ITV’s new second world war drama has proved to have a bit more about it than that, thanks to strong performances (particularly Olivia Williams as the plummy Lady Hamilton and Edward Bluemel as her secretly gay son Toby), and some bruising wartime set-pieces. Catch the final episode of the series this week.
Monday 20 February, 9pm, ITV
Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark
After a rocky start as Daily Show host, South African comic Noah is starting to find his feet, taking aim at the stream of unfiltered nonsense that is the Trump administration. Remarkably, he still finds time for some standup: this special sees him ponder colonialism and the rather less pressing issue of why Scottish drinks are so strong.
From Tuesday 21 February, Netflix
Billions
It’s mo’ money, mo’ problems for Damian Lewis’s hedge fund manager as the Wall Street drama returns for a second series of stocks, shares and S&M.
Tuesday 21 February, 9pm, Sky Atlantic
The Royal House of Windsor
Capitalising on the Windsormania generated by The Crown, this new doc looks at the rise of a royal dynasty. It’s a much-told story, sure, but unique access to the royal archives, as well as insight from family insiders, makes it more essential than most.
Wednesday 22 February, 9pm, Channel 4
Tom Waits: Tales from a Cracked Jukebox
“Tom does not want to be obvious, and that’s what lures us into his music,” says Terry Gilliam, one of a fine roster of talking heads in this profile of the cement mixer-throated singer. From Rain Dogs to Rumble Fish, it does a solid job of getting to the bottom of Waits’s enigmatic career.
Sunday 19 February, 9pm, BBC4
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