The fifth season of ‘The Crown’, written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank pictures will air worldwide on Netflix, Wednesday 9th November. Martin Phipps has scored this latest season which will see a new cast including Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Dianna, Dominic West as Prince Charles and Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles.

‘With the new decade in its stride, the Royal Family are presented with possibly their biggest challenge to date; as the public openly question their role in ’90s Britain. As Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) approaches the 40th anniversary of her accession, she reflects on a reign that has encompassed nine prime ministers, the advent of mass television and the twilight of the British Empire. Yet new challenges are on the horizon. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong signals a seismic shift in the international order presenting both obstacles and opportunities. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing closer to home. Prince Charles (Dominic West) pressures his mother to allow him to divorce Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), presenting a constitutional crisis of the monarchy. Rumours circulate as husband and wife are seen to live increasingly separate lives and, as media scrutiny intensifies, Diana decides to take control of her own narrative, breaking with family protocol to publish a book that undermines public support for Charles and exposes the cracks in the House of Windsor. Tensions are set to rise further as Mohamed Al Fayed (Salim Daw) arrives on the scene. Driven by his desire for acceptance of the highest order, he harnesses his self-made wealth and power to try and earn him and his son Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) a seat at the royal table.”

Watch the official trailer for Season 5 below.

 

The Doctor Who BBC Centenary special episode ‘Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor’ featuring a score by Segun Akinola will air Sunday 23rd October on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

This special episode is the final adventure for Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who, who will star alongside Mandip Gill, John Bishop, Sacha Dhawan, Jacob Anderson, Jemma Redgrave, Sophie Aldred and Janet Fielding.

“In this feature-length Special to mark her last adventure, Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor must fight for her very existence, against her deadliest enemies: the Daleks, the Cybermen and her arch-nemesis, the Master. Who is attacking a speeding bullet train on the edges of a distant galaxy? Why are seismologists going missing from 21st century Earth? Who is defacing some of history’s most iconic paintings? Why is a Dalek trying to make contact with the Doctor? And just what hold does the mesmeric Rasputin have over Tsar Nicholas in 1916 Russia? The Doctor faces multiple threats…and a battle to the death.”

Watch the trailer for ‘The Power of the Doctor’ below.

The documentary film ‘The Princess’ from director Ed Perkins will be released in cinemas Thursday 30th June. Martin Phipps has composed the score to the film which takes a fresh look at Princess Diana’s story through archive interviews and clips.

From the Academy Award winning producers of Man on Wire and Searching For Sugar Man comes THE PRINCESS, a bold and immersive documentary on the life and death of Princess Diana. Though her story is well documented, THE PRINCESS draws exclusively upon contemporaneous archival footage, allowing the narrative to unfold as if it were in the present. THE PRINCESS offers an account of Diana’s story – and the public response to it – that feels at once both unmediated and intensely intimate and emotional. Princess Diana’s tragic death, caused in part by a high-speed pursuit by paparazzi, was a moment for reflection by both the public and the media machine it feeds. But after nearly 25 years since Princess Diana’s death, we continue to reflect on the ongoing scandals involving British royalty and wonder if anything has really changed after all these years? Princess Diana’s tragic death, caused in part by a high-speed pursuit by paparazzi, was a moment for reflection by both the public and the media machine it feeds. But after nearly 25 years since Princess Diana’s death, we continue to reflect on the ongoing scandals involving British royalty and wonder if anything has really changed after all these years?

 

Samuel Sim returns as composer for the third series of the ITV crime drama ‘The Bay’ which starts airing, Wednesday 12th January on ITV.

This latest series of the coastal set drama written by Daragh Carville (Being Human) introduces Marsha Thomason as DS Jenn Townsend.

‘DS Townsend is immediately thrown into the deep end when a body is found in the bay on her first day in the job. She must get under the skin of a grieving and complicated family if she has any chance of solving the premature death of an aspiring young boxer.’

‘The Bay’ airs Wednesday 12th January at 9pm on ITV.

Edmund Butt has composed the score for the new four-part thriller series ‘Rules of the Game’ which will start airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm, Tuesday 11th January. The drama written by Ruth Fowler and directed by Jennifer Sheridan, explores sexual politics in the workplace and stars Maxine Peake, Rakhee Thakrar, Susan Wokoma and Kieran Bew.

‘Sam (Maxine Peake) is ruthless, abrasive, and her willingness to play along with the boys means she’s climbed to the top of the ladder at sportswear company Fly. As COO, it’s a view she’s comfortable with. Maya (Rakhee Thakrar), the newly hired HR Director, has a very different perspective.

She and Sam clash from their very first meeting, and when Maya begins to unpick the toxic culture of the workplace, dark secrets begin to emerge. Soon both she and Sam are asking questions about a young female employee, Amy, who died in mysterious circumstances after a company party some years ago.

Rocked by a sudden terrible death on company premises, Sam faces questions from the police, and finds herself pulled in all directions: by her loyalty to the company, by her own family, by Maya, and by new revelations about the death of Amy, ten years ago. Two deaths, one toxic workplace. Just how culpable is the company – and how guilty is Sam?’

 

The new thriller ‘Stay Close’ an adaption of Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name and produced by Red Productions is available to stream on Netflix from New Year’s Eve. David Buckley and Luke Richards have composed the score for the eight-part series which stars Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, Sarah Parish, Richard Armitage and Eddie Izzard.

‘When Carlton Flynn vanishes 17 years to the night after Stewart Green did, it sets off a chain reaction in the lives of people connected to both men. Stay Close questions how much you really know someone. Three people each conceal dark secrets that even the closest to them would never suspect. Megan, a working mother of three, has run away from a dangerous past. Ray, the once-promising documentary photographer, is now stuck in a dead-end job pandering to celebrity-obsessed rich kids. And Broome, a detective, is unable to let go of a missing person’s cold case.’

The second season of the much-loved veterinary drama ‘All Creatures Great & Small’ featuring a score by Alexandra Harwood will start airing in the US from Sunday 9th January on PBS Masterpiece.

Alexandra’s soundtrack to the series is available to listen to here.

‘A trip back home to Glasgow presents James with a dilemma that will mean choosing between the people he loves. As Helen and James navigate their feelings for one another, Siegfried, Tristan, and Mrs Hall are also forced to consider their places in the world, while James must decide between supporting his family or following his heart’

The latest series of the hugely popular Caribbean set crime drama ‘Death in Paradise’, featuring a score composed by Magnus Fiennes and David Celia starts airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Friday 7th January.

Ralf Little returns as DI Neville Parker, with Josephine Jobert back as DS Florence Cassell, Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, and Tahj Miles as Trainee Officer Marlon Pryce as well as Shantal Jackson as newcomer Sergeant Naomi Thomas. Guest stars for the series include Tamzin Outhwaite, Jason Done, Bne Onwukwe, Ben Starr.

‘Following on from the festive Christmas Special, life returns to normal on Saint Marie, meaning there’s another murder to solve for DI Neville Parker and the team as a kidnapping goes wrong, with someone ending up dead as a result. To help cope with the sky-high murder rate on Saint Marie, the Honoré Police Force welcomes a new recruit in the form of Sergeant Naomi Thomas.’

‘The Real Anne: Unfinished Business’ featuring a score by Rob Lord airs Thursday 6th January on ITV and ITV Hub. The documentary explores the remarkable and moving story of Anne Williams who lost her son Kevin at Hillsborough and her fight for justice. For nearly three decades she fought the English establishment to expose the truth of what really happened at Hillsborough, and to try and get justice for the 97.

‘The Real Anne: Unfinished Business’ follows the airing of the ITV four-part drama series ‘Anne’ starring Maxine Peake as Anne Williams.

Samuel Sim has composed the score to ‘Anne’, a new four-part series airing on ITV from the 2nd January. The series is produced by Julia Stannard and the team behind Line of Duty, and written by Kevin Sampson. ‘Anne’ will star Maxine Peake as Anne Williams, a campaigner from Liverpool who’s fight for justice for her son Kevin, and the other 96 who died in Hillsborough uncovered the truth of the disaster.

Campaigner Anne, from Formby, near Liverpool, was devastated by the loss of 15-year-old Kevin, who died at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest played at Hillsborough in April 1989.

Refusing to accept the Coroner’s original verdict of accidental death, Anne was determined to unearth the truth about what happened at Hillsborough.  She sought out new medical opinions, tracked down witnesses who had tried to revive Kevin on the pitch and lobbied ministers for new inquests.

At times to the cost of her own family and health, Anne stood defiant for over 20 years alongside the parents and relatives who fought to prove that their loved ones had been unlawfully killed at a football match.

Stephen Walters (Little Boy Blue, Shetland) joins Maxine Peake to play Anne’s husband, Steve Williams. The cast also includes Lily Shepherd (Waterside), Bobby Schofield (Time, Anthony) and Clare Calbraith (Unforgotten, Baptiste).