BBC Play of the Month - Season 3

Set in the East End of London, the show focuses on the tensions between love and family with stories ranging from hard-hitting social issues, to personal, human tragedies. And there's plenty of funny moments too. 

Classic characters old and new across thousands of episodes have shared a drink in The Queen Vic, shed tears of despair or joy, sat on Arthur's bench in the Square... and at some point or other they probably crossed paths with Ian Beale.

Rick is a mentally gifted, but sociopathic and alcoholic scientist and a grandfather to Morty; an awkward, impressionable, and somewhat spineless teenage boy. Rick moves into the family home of Morty, where he immediately becomes a bad influence.

London, 1946 is the dynamic, dangerous and chaotic setting for this stylish new detective drama, with the eccentric Gabriel Book at the very heart of the story: a self-appointed consultant detective to the local police. The thousands of books that line the shelves of his shop provide him with all the knowledge he needs.

Book has gathered around him a host of lovable, damaged misfits whom he informally protects, cajoles, and mentors. His wife Trottie runs the wallpaper shop next door. She's a charismatic adventuress whom Book loves deeply but not physically, for they are in a 'lavender' marriage to help conceal Book's sexual orientation in a time when it was illegal to be gay.

Bookish marries post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life-affirming atmosphere of the times, creating a fast-paced and stylish detective drama.

Bergerac is based on the original series created by Robert Banks Stewart, which starred John Nettles and ran for nine series on the BBC between 1981 and 1991. The modern re-imagining will honour the iconic detective drama, but with a contemporary twist. Unlike the original hit from the 80s, the new series will see one character-led murder mystery run across all six episodes, in place of a new storyline each episode. 

Viewers will meet Jim Bergerac as a broken man, grappling with grief and alcoholism following his wife's recent death. His mother-in-law, Charlie, is concerned Jim isn't putting his daughter Kim first and, when a woman from a wealthy Jersey family is murdered, Jim must fight through his personal struggles to become the formidable investigator he once was.

With a troublesome convict resurfacing from his past, Bergerac is required to call on his sharp investigative instincts and past successes to navigate the intricate family dynamics, and watchful eyes of the police force, in order to solve the case.

History's Greatest Mysteries will investigate a wide range of historically compelling topics and the mysteries surrounding each including the Titanic, D.B. Cooper, Roswell, John Wilkes Booth, and more. Each program within the franchise will showcase fresh, new evidence and perspectives including never-before-released documents to the general public, personal diaries and DNA evidence to unearth brand-new information about these infamous and enigmatic chapters in history.