Charlie’s Angels returns and Downton Abbey becomes a movie. Kylie is set to play Glastonbury and Margaret Atwood is publishing a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. These are just some of the much-anticipated cultural moments we can expect in the coming year. Event gives you a round-up of what not to miss
FILM
STAN & OLLIE
Out Friday
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were such an iconic comic duo that it’s amazing there hasn’t been a biopic of them before. But now there is, with Steve Coogan playing the Lancashire-born Laurel and the Golden Globe-nominated John C Reilly taking on the American, Hardy. But this is not the story of them at their movie-making peak; instead, Jeff Pope’s touching screenplay focuses on the early Fifties, when their glory days are behind them, Hardy is in failing health and they embark on a farewell music-hall tour of Britain and Ireland. Expect bowler hats, silly dances and lots of fine messes.
Brie Larson in Captain Marvel. The film journeys back in time to tell the story of its first female superhero, Captain Marvel, also known as US Air Force pilot Carol Danvers
Downton Abbey. The long-running ITV drama may be popular in this country but it’s huge in the US, which is presumably why American Michael Engler has been called in to direct
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Out February 8
Two years ago, Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight won three Oscars. Now he’s back – directing and writing again – with this rather more familiar-feeling offering based on the 1974 novel by James Baldwin. KiKi Layne plays Tish, a young woman from Harlem who finds herself deeply in love and pregnant just as her boyfriend (Stephan James) is arrested and jailed for a crime he insists he didn’t commit. Now she has to deal with both their families as well as battle to get him released before the baby is born.
CAPTAIN MARVEL
Out March 8
Anyone thinking Samuel L Jackson is looking terribly young in the trailers for this one is absolutely right. The future S.H.I.E.L.D boss has been digitally de-aged (and had his missing eye restored) as the Marvel Cinematic Universe journeys back in time to tell the story of its first female superhero, Captain Marvel, also known as US Air Force pilot Carol Danvers. Brie Larson takes on the central role, with Jude Law lending support as Mar-Vell, one of several characters who, confusingly, have also fought under the Captain Marvel banner over the comic-book years. What else? Oh yes, there’s an alien war going on – Krees against Skrulls. Bagsy be a Kree.
FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS
Out March 15
Sea shanties – you either love ’em or hate ’em, and the makers of this modestly budgeted British production will be hoping that there are more in the former camp than the latter as they unveil the true story of the Port Isaac singing group who, back in 2010, won a recording contract with Universal Music. Daniel Mays plays the slick London executive who is initially tricked into trying to sign them, Tuppence Middleton his reluctant landlady, while James Purefoy looks hunky in a thick jumper. Expect lots of hearty nasal male singing and a vibe midway between Local Hero and TV’s Doc Martin.
The Lion King. Disney’s appetite for turning its classic cartoons into live-action films continues with this remake of the iconic 1994 animated original
Dumbo. A typically Burton-esque ensemble of Michael Keaton, Eva Green, Colin Farrell and Danny DeVito lead the human cast
DUMBO
Out March 29
Tim Burton and Disney is not a combination you would naturally put together, with Burton’s work always having a dark side that the wholesome family entertainment giant wouldn’t usually share. So it will be fascinating to see what results when this remake – a mixture of live action and animation – of the 1941 cartoon classic is finally released. A typically Burton-esque ensemble of Michael Keaton, Eva Green, Colin Farrell and Danny DeVito lead the human cast but the key question is, will we believe that a sweet baby circus elephant can fly? Answer – almost certainly, but expect dark secrets along the way.
ROCKETMAN
Out May 24
First there was that John Lewis Christmas ad; now there’s an entire biopic dedicated to the life and musical times of Elton John. If you liked Bohemian Rhapsody, all the signs are you’ll love this, with Dexter Fletcher directing (he made the brilliant Sunshine On Leith, as well as completing Bohemian Rhapsody after Bryan Singer was fired). Taron Egerton, so good in Eddie The Eagle, steps into the glittery platform boots of the Rocketman himself. Richard Madden, Jamie Bell and Bryce Dallas Howard – the latter playing John’s mother – add to the cast of a feelgood film that, judging by the trailer, will have more than a touch of fantasy about it.
MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL
Out June 14
Straight Outta Compton director F Gary Gray definitely has some heat about him, so it will be fascinating to see what he does with this spin-off from the hugely popular franchise that originally starred Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Neither, apparently, will be wielding a memory-wiping neuralyser in the new film, instead leaving the tongue-in-cheek fight against alien invaders to the likes of Thor duo Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, along with Emma Thompson, rumoured to be the only character returning from MIB3. Rebecca Ferguson and Liam Neeson join the no doubt messy fun.
TOY STORY 4
Out June 21
Surely one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year… so no pressure on director Josh Cooley. He co-wrote the excellent Inside Out and worked on Up, Ratatouille and Cars too, so clearly knows what he’s doing. The good news is that the wonderful voice cast – led by Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear – are back. The less encouraging news: all we know about the story is that it seems to involve a plastic fork known as – wait for it – Forky.
Toy Story 4: Surely one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year… so no pressure on director Josh Cooley
Rocketman: First there was that John Lewis Christmas ad; now there’s an entire biopic dedicated to the life and musical times of Elton John
THE LION KING
Out July 19
Disney’s appetite for turning its classic cartoons into live-action films continues with this remake of the iconic 1994 animated original. Disney is keen to emphasise that the new film is not strictly live action, more ‘photo-realistic’. The basso profondo of James Earl Jones is back as the voice of Mufasa but elsewhere it’s all change, with Donald Glover supplying the voice of Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor taking on the wicked Scar and Beyoncé not just voicing Nala but also working on new songs, alongside original composer-and-lyricist team, Elton John and Tim Rice.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Out July 26
Clearly inspired by the films of Sergio Leone, this was originally billed as Quentin Tarantino’s take on the notorious Manson family murders of 1969. Now the focus is said to have shifted, as Tarantino widens his cinematic canvas by blending fact with fiction. Margot Robbie will still play the doomed Sharon Tate, but Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are now on board, playing a fictional washed-up actor and his stunt double respectively, while Damian Lewis plays the real-life Steve McQueen.
DOWNTON ABBEY
Out September 13
Lord and Lady Grantham and the rest of the household finally make it to the big screen. The long-running ITV drama may be popular in this country but it’s huge in the US, which is presumably why American Michael Engler has been called in to direct. But don’t worry, he already has four episodes of the regular show under his belt, and with creator Julian Fellowes writing the screenplay, we should be in safe hands.
CHARLIE’S ANGELS
Out October 25
Amazingly, it’s 19 years since the Seventies TV favourite got its first big-screen reboot with Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. And now it’s happening again, with Kristen Stewart and the London-born duo of Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska picking up detecting responsibilities, while actress-cum-occasional-film-maker Elizabeth Banks not only directs but co-writes and plays Bosley too. Actually, for reasons that are not yet clear, there are three Bosleys this time around, with the others being played by Patrick Stewart and Djimon Hounsou. Not sure what Charlie will make of that.
FROZEN 2
Out November 22
At any moment of the day, someone somewhere in the world will be singing Let It Go, an unassailable fact that has been true ever since Anna, Elsa, Olaf and the rest of the gang introduced us to their magical ice-bound kingdom six years ago. And now they’re back, which is what tends to happen when a film costs $150 million to make and then takes $1.2 billion at the global box office. No one knows yet what lies in wintry store, but Idina Menzel is no doubt warming up her amazing voice, husband-and-wife team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez have written new songs and Evan Rachel Wood has joined the voice cast. Do you want to build another snowman? Definitely.
STAR WARS: EPISODE IX
Out December 19
More than four decades after it began, the Star Wars saga finally comes to a close, at least until Disney – now the owner of Lucasfilm – decides where the younger characters will head off next. There’s no title as yet, and no plot details either, so all we can confidently predict is that it’s likely to be an emotional affair as we bid farewell to the original rebel trio. Carrie Fisher, of course, is sadly no longer with us, Harrison Ford’s Han Solo bowed out in The Force Awakens, and as for Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker… well, we’ve all seen The Last Jedi. But in a galaxy far, far away… I suspect the Force will still be with them.
THE IRISHMAN
Release date to be announced
Based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, this is the Scorsese-directed story of the alleged professional hitman – played by Robert De Niro – who claimed to have killed union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), who disappeared in 1975. Apparently told in extended flashback, its budget is said to have climbed to $175 million, largely because of the cost of making De Niro, Pacino and Joe Pesci – all now well into their 70s – look up to three decades younger. ‘You looking at me?’ Apparently not quite.
By Matthew Bond
MUSIC
Albums
Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn Reimagines The Eighties
January 25
As a producer, Trevor Horn helped to define the Eighties, bringing a glossy grandeur to ABC, Grace Jones and Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Now, as a band leader, he’s made an album with guest stars ranging from Seal, covering Bowie’s Ashes To Ashes, to All Saints tucking in to Duran Duran’s Girls On Film.
Dido. Now 47, she returns with Still On My Mind, her first album since 2013, and her first tour since way back in 2004
As a producer, Trevor Horn helped to define the Eighties, bringing a glossy grandeur to ABC, Grace Jones and Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Now, as a band leader, he’s made an album
Victoria Beckham won’t be joining the girls for 12 nights in Britain’s football and rugby grounds, which may not make a great difference to the sound
Ward Thomas
Restless Minds
February 1 (touring February 24 to April 6)
Quiz question: can you name the first British country act to have a UK No 1 album? The answer is Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas, twin sisters from Hampshire. This successor combines that timeless twang with contemporary themes such as social media.
Dido
Still On My Mind
March 8 (touring May 26-31)
The woman who owned the early 2000s has gone very quiet since then. Now 47, she returns with Still On My Mind, her first album since 2013, and her first tour since way back in 2004.
Hozier
Wasteland, Baby!
Expected in March
It’s still possible for a singer to make a name with one song, as Hozier showed by emerging from County Wicklow with the barnstorming Take Me To Church in 2013. Now for the difficult second album.
Mark Ronson
Late Night Feelings
Expected in March
How do you follow a hit as huge as Uptown Funk? With something equally derivative and delicious. The single Nothing Breaks Like A Heart, featuring Miley Cyrus, bodes well for Ronson’s fifth album.
By Tim de Lisle
Festivals
All Points East
Victoria Park, London, May 24 to June 2
Second edition of the Hackney festival that instantly established itself as both alternative and hefty. The Chemical Brothers (May 24) bring the beats, while Héloïse Letissier of Christine And The Queens (May 26) supplies the charisma.
At Glastonbury, the only sure things so far are Kylie, who’ll have a ball in the Sunday teatime slot, and Stormzy, who will be the first black British solo artist to headline the Pyramid stage
Glastonbury
June 26-30
Back after a year off, it will be bigger than ever. While rumours swirl about Madonna, Elton John and even an Oasis reunion, the only sure things are Kylie, who’ll have a ball in the Sunday teatime slot, and Stormzy, who will make history as the first black British solo artist ever to headline the Pyramid stage.
Manchester International Festival
July 4-21
Idris Elba writes a musical, Janelle Monae brings her fizzing presence, and Yoko Ono invites Mancunians to ring Bells For Peace.
British Summer Time
Hyde Park, London, July 12-14
All the fun of a festival without the tents or the mud. Early headliners include Florence + The Machine (July 13) and Robbie Williams (July 14).
Reading & Leeds
August 23-25
Teenagers in Year 11 have two jobs: get through GCSEs and celebrate at Reading or Leeds. And this year’s line-up – which so far includes Foo Fighters, The 1975 and Post Malone – should keep them happy.
Tours
Tears For Fears
February 2-13
Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal have a stash of songs that are both nostalgic and timeless. And it would be worth going along just to see their support act, Alison Moyet.
Now 72, Cher is back for the Here We Go Again Tour, armed with something that cannot fail – the Abba songbook
Childish Gambino
March 24-25
Music is a mere sideline for actor Donald Glover, but you wouldn’t know it from This Is America, his latest hit. By the time he plays the O2 Arena in London, it may well have been crowned Song Of The Year at the Grammys.
Spice Girls
May 27 to June 15
Victoria Beckham won’t be joining the girls for 12 nights in Britain’s football and rugby grounds, which may not make a great difference to the sound.
The Eagles
June 23 to July 4
When Glenn Frey died in 2016, it looked like the end of the road for The Eagles, but Don Henley and Co roped in Frey’s son, Deacon, and the singer Vince Gill, and carried on singing their glorious country rock.
Cher
October 20-30
Now 72, Cher is back for the Here We Go Again Tour, armed with something that cannot fail – the Abba songbook.
By Tim de Lisle
THEATRE
Abigail’s Party
Theatre Royal Brighton and on tour
Thursday to April 13
Jodie Prenger plays the glorious, ghastly Beverly in a new tour of Mike Leigh’s British comedy classic.
When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other. Cate Blanchett and Stephen Dillane get kinky in Martin Crimp’s new play based on the 18th-century novel Pamela
Abigail’s Party. Jodie Prenger plays the glorious, ghastly Beverly in a new tour of Mike Leigh’s British comedy classic
When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other
Dorfman Theatre, London
January 16 to March 2
Cate Blanchett and Stephen Dillane get kinky in Martin Crimp’s new play based on the 18th-century novel Pamela.
Cyprus Avenue
Royal Court Theatre, London
February 14 to March 23
David Ireland’s acclaimed dark comedy features Stephen Rae as an ageing Belfast Loyalist who believes his baby daughter is Gerry Adams!
Betrayal
Harold Pinter Theatre, London
March 5 to June 1
Tom Hiddleston stars in Harold Pinter’s 1978 ‘told in reverse’ play about an adulterous romance loosely based on the author’s long affair with Dame Joan Bakewell.
The Life I Lead
Park Theatre, London
March 18-30
Intriguing drama about the life of actor David Tomlinson, who played the bowler-hatted Mr Banks in the original Mary Poppins film. Miles Jupp stars.
All My Sons
The Old Vic, London
April 15 to June 8
A tragic tale of war-profiteering and a family torn apart. Arthur Miller’s 1947 American classic stars Hollywood veterans Sally Field and Bill Pullman, and Jenna Coleman.
Death of A Salesman
Young Vic, London
May 1 to June 29
The wonderful Wendell Pierce (of The Wire) makes his UK stage debut with Sharon D Clarke in another iconic American play by Arthur Miller. Marianne Elliott directs.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Bridge Theatre, London
June 3 to August 31
Nicholas Hytner’s much anticipated, walkabout production will have the audience following the forest fairies on foot.
King Hedley II
Theatre Royal, Stratford East
May 17 to June 15
Lenny Henry plays an ex-con and hustler in this powerful August Wilson play set against the backdrop of Ronald Reagan’s America.
The Lehmann Trilogy
Piccadilly Theatre, London
May 11 to August 3
West End transfer for this National Theatre hit show about the history of the New York bank that went bust after 163 years. Simon Russell Beale stars.
By Robert Gore-Langton
MUSICALS
Aspects of Love
Southwark Playhouse, London
Monday to February 9
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s love story spans three generations and its lush score includes Love Changes Everything. This production started out in Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre and now comes to London.
9 to 5 The Musical
Savoy Theatre, London
January 28 to August 31
Queen of Country Dolly Parton supplies the songs in this fiesta inspired by the cult 1980 film. Starring Louise Redknapp, Amber Davies, Natalie McQueen, Bonnie Langford and Brian Conley.
9 to 5 The Musical. Starring Louise Redknapp, Amber Davies, Natalie McQueen, Bonnie Langford and Brian Conley
Follies. This award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim’s show returns to the National. Janie Dee heads a classy cast in this 1971 classic about a showfolk reunion
Come From Away
Phoenix Theatre, London
January 30 to September 4
This unlikely Broadway smash is about the people of the tiny Canadian town of Gander who took in the passengers of 38 planes forced to land on 9/11.
Only Fools and Horses
Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
February 9 to July 20
Paul Whitehouse stars as Grandad with Tom Bennett (Del Boy) and Ryan Hutton (Rodney) in a musical tribute to Jim Sullivan’s mighty sitcom, with music from the late Chas Hodges of Chas & Dave fame.
Waitress
Adelphi Theatre, London
February 8 to May 25
Katharine McPhee makes her West End debut in a sweet Broadway musical about a pie-baking waitress stuck in a rocky marriage.
Follies
Olivier Theatre, London
February 12 to April 6
This award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim’s show returns to the National. Janie Dee heads a classy cast in this 1971 classic about a showfolk reunion.
West Side Story
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
April 6 to May 25
Set on the streets of Manhattan and with a truly fabulous songbook, Leonard Bernstein’s gang musical here has new choreography by Aletta Collins.
Evita
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London
August 2 to September 21
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s best musical (according to some). Jamie Lloyd directs the tale of Eva Peron’s rise from poverty to power.
Mary Poppins
Prince Edward Theatre, London
Autumn 2019
The blockbuster musical of Disney’s 1964 film makes its comeback with Zizi Strallen as Mary and Charlie Stemp (last seen in Half A Sixpence) as Bert.
Only Fools and Horses. Paul Whitehouse stars as Grandad with Tom Bennett (Del Boy) and Ryan Hutton (Rodney) in a musical tribute to Jim Sullivan’s mighty sitcom
Dear Evan Hansen
Noël Coward Theatre, London
Autumn 2019
This show about a shy, awkward boy who finally gets his chance to fit in is by Justin Paul and Benj Pasek’s (they got a songwriting Oscar for La La Land). A huge hit on Broadway.
By Robert Gore-Langton
CLASSICAL
Leonidas Kavakos & Yuja Wang: Concert of Mozart, Prokofiev, Bartok and Strauss
Royal Festival Hall, London
January 18
Arguably the most exciting duo around today. Kavakos is a masterly violinist and Yuja Wang a spectacular piano player. If you have issues with chamber music, give this one a try.
The production to reopen the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre is an operatic treatment by Gavin Higgins of the celebrated children’s novel The Monstrous Child
Hector Berlioz: The Complete Works
Warner Classics
February 1
Berlioz is among the most fascinating of all composers. Warner, through its EMI archives, has got some amazing recordings to bring back into circulation at, one hopes, a seriously bargain price.
The Monstrous Child
Linbury Theatre, London
February 21 to March 3
The production to reopen the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre is an operatic treatment by Gavin Higgins of the celebrated children’s novel The Monstrous Child.
La Forza Del Destino
Royal Opera House, London
March 2 to April 22
Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Netrebko are the two greatest names in opera today. So this Verdi opera is irresistible. But there’s a hitch – Kaufmann has serious vocal problems and might not make it; Netrebko is a notorious canceller. But I’m aiming to be there, keeping all my fingers and toes crossed.
Manon Lescaut
Opera Holland Park, London
June 4-22
Opera Holland Park offers exceptional productions of interesting operas with largely British casts. I am sure this season, which begins with Puccini’s opera, will rival previous ones in quality and value.
José Carreras says farewell to London. A fine singer, a brave man for battling leukaemia, and a stalwart fundraiser for the cause
Porgy & Bess
Grange Park Opera, Surrey
June 8 to July 7
Will Grange Park’s Porgy & Bess rival the recent Coliseum one, which was one of the hits of 2018?
The Consul
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
June 12
Welsh National Opera bids farewell to artistic director David Pountney with single semi-staged operas led off by Menotti’s The Consul. It should be a satisfying way to say goodbye to this major figure in British opera.
Jose Carreras
Kenwood House, London
June 16
José Carreras says farewell to London. A fine singer, a brave man for battling leukaemia, and a stalwart fundraiser for the cause.
Belshazzar
The Grange Festival, Hampshire
June 20 to July 6
Michael Chance brings a sure touch to baroque opera at The Grange. Handel’s Belshazzar is his latest.
The Magic Flute
Glyndebourne, East Sussex
July 18 to August 24
With this new Magic Flute I hope Glyndebourne will recover its Mozart mojo.
By David Mellor
DANCE
Strictly Come Dancing Live
Touring January 18 to February 10
The hugely popular television spectacular hits the road again in a new show directed by the inimitable Craig Revel Horwood, who joins Bruno Tonioli, Shirley Ballas and Darcey Bussell on the judging panel.
Beauty and the Beast
Touring January 30 to May 4
The familiar fairytale is retold in grand style by David Bintley in his Birmingham Royal Ballet production, brilliantly designed by Philip Prowse.
The television spectacular hits the road again in a new show directed by the inimitable Craig Revel Horwood, who joins Bruno Tonioli, Shirley Ballas and Darcey Bussell on the judging panel
Beauty and the Beast. The familiar fairytale is retold in grand style by David Bintley in his Birmingham Royal Ballet production, brilliantly designed by Philip Prowse
Romeo and Juliet. Matthew Bourne and his regular designer Lez Brotherston present a new version of this beloved ballet
Don Quixote
Royal Opera House, London, February 15 to April 4
Carlos Acosta’s enjoyable production of this delicious classical romp is revived by the Royal Ballet with stellar casting including Marianela Nuñez and Natalia Osipova alternating as the feisty Kitri, and Vadim Muntagirov as the barber Basilio.
Victoria
Touring March 9 to June 1
After great success with her adaptation of Jane Eyre, Cathy Marston returns to Northern Ballet to present her version of the complex but passionate love affair between the 19th-century Queen and Prince Albert.
Romeo and Juliet
Touring May 13 to October 12
Matthew Bourne and his regular designer Lez Brotherston present a new version of this beloved ballet with young unknowns alternating in the roles of Shakespeare’s star-cross’d lovers.
By Rupert Christiansen
TV
Traitors
C4, early 2019
Another busy year for Keeley Hawes, who takes centre stage in a 1945-set spy thriller as a young civil servant who is seduced into uncovering a Russian agent in the heart of the British government.
Baptiste
BBC1, February
Tchéky Karyo returns as dogged investigator Julien Baptiste from brilliant abduction drama The Missing in this spin-off co-starring Jessica Raine and Tom Hollander. This time Baptiste is on the case of a missing sex worker in Amsterdam.
Helen Mirren in Catherine The Great. A historical drama directed by The Crown’s Philip Martin and written by Nigel Williams (Elizabeth I)
Motherfatherson
BBC2, spring
Family saga with Richard Gere as a charismatic media tycoon and Helen McCrory his estranged wife. Billy Howle plays their son, who runs his father’s UK newspaper. It’s Gere’s first TV role in almost 30 years.
Gentleman Jack
BBC1, spring
A formidable pairing of Happy Valley writer Sally Wainwright and Doctor Foster’s Suranne Jones. Jones plays Anne Lister, aka ‘the first modern lesbian’, who scandalises 19th-century Yorkshire by setting out to marry a wealthy heiress.
Good Omens
Amazon Prime, spring/BBC2, autumn
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s epic fantasy drama, mixing humour and horror in equal parts, attracts an exceptional cast including Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Frances McDormand, Derek Jacobi and Jon Hamm as the Archangel Gabriel.
David Tennant and Michael Sheen in Good Omens. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s epic fantasy drama, mixing humour and horror in equal parts
Kate Beckinsale takes the title role as a woman whose husband dies in a plane crash in the Congo, in The Widow
The Widow
ITV, spring
Kate Beckinsale takes the title role as a woman whose husband dies in a plane crash in the Congo. The ensuing search for the truth, co-starring Alex Kingston, comes from those masters of mystery the Williams brothers (The Missing).
Summer Of Rockets
BBC2, spring
Stephen Poliakoff’s latest period drama is a Cold War affair starring Toby Stephens as a Russian-Jewish hearing-aid inventor who is approached to ‘assist’ MI5. With Keeley Hawes, Timothy Spall and Linus Roache.
Catch-22
Channel 4, summer
Joseph Heller’s seminal WW2 satire is executive-produced and co-directed by George Clooney, who also stars. Christopher Abbott plays the artful-dodger B52 bombardier Yossarian, alongside Hugh Laurie and Kyle Chandler.
Suranne Jones in Gentleman Jack. Jones plays Anne Lister, aka ‘the first modern lesbian’, who scandalises 19th-century Yorkshire by setting out to marry a wealthy heiress
Years And Years
BBC1, autumn
Ambitious family saga headed by Emma Thompson as a celebrity politician whose controversial opinions divide the nation. Rory Kinnear and Anne Reid co-star in a sprawling drama by Russell T Davies.
A Confession
ITV, 2019
Martin Freeman plays a detective who breaches police procedure on the hunt for a missing girl, based in a real-life 2011 case.
Catherine The Great
Sky Atlantic, 2019
Helen Mirren takes on the role of the notorious Russian empress in a historical drama directed by The Crown’s Philip Martin and written by Nigel Williams (Elizabeth I).
War Of The Worlds
BBC1, 2019
Adaptation of the H G Wells sci-fi classic – the first alien invasion story in literature – set in Edwardian London and starring Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson, Rafe Spall and Robert Carlyle. Writer Peter Harness brings his Doctor Who CV to this three-parter.
Chernobyl
Sky Atlantic, 2019
Drama recounting the human story of the night a safety test went wrong, resulting in the catastrophic 1986 nuclear power plant disaster. Jared Harris plays the Kremlin’s investigating scientist alongside Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson.
Beecham House
ITV, 2019
ITV’s search for the new Downton continues with Gurinder Chadha’s period drama set in Delhi on the cusp of the 19th century before British rule. Tom Bateman, Lesley Nicol and Dakota Blue Richards star.
By Mark Wareham
ART
Pierre Bonnard: The Colour Of Memory
Tate Modern, London
January 23 to May 6
Bonnard was the last of the Impressionists, a painter of domestic idylls with a surprisingly experimental edge.
Christian Dior: Designer Of Dreams
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
February 2 to July 14
Spanning 1947 to the present day, this is a chance to examine up close the craft of one of the world’s most influential designers.
Van Gogh’s connection to Britain, including his stay in Brixton, is explored in the Tate’s first Van Gogh show since 1947
Jeff Koons
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
February 7 to June 9
Koons is flashy, tawdry, weirdly sincere and fascinatingly empty of intellectual content on first glance. This should be a hoot.
Diane Arbus: In The Beginning
Hayward Gallery, London
February 13 to May 6
Arbus was one of the great American photographers, a chronicler of human uniqueness. Can the Hayward Gallery make us see her celebrated work from a new angle?
Van Gogh and Britain
Tate Britain, London
March 27 to August 11
Van Gogh’s connection to Britain, including his stay in Brixton, is explored in the Tate’s first Van Gogh show since 1947.
William Blake: The Artist
Tate Britain, London
September 11 to February 2, 2020
In this major survey of the great British visionary, Blake’s failed exhibition of 1809 will be reconstructed.
By Philip Hensher
COMEDY
Sandi Toksvig: The National Trevor Tour
Wednesday to February 8
The QI and Bake Off star goes back to her comedy roots, touring tall stories and silly jokes. Find out how she could have become a national treasure if only she hadn’t already been declared a ‘national Trevor’.
Brydon, Mack & Mitchell: Town To Town
September 10 to October 3
Rob, Lee and David, the seemingly mismatched, unholy trinity of telly banter, take to the road for the first time after ten years of raconteur duelling on hit BBC panel show Would I Lie To You?
Ben Elton: Live 2019. Having tasted sitcom success once again with Upstart Crow, the shouty one hits the road for the first time since 2004 when he ‘was still smarter than his phone’
Eddie Izzard: Wunderbar
September 15 to November 13
Before entering the race for 2020 London Mayor, Izzard tours his latest all-encompassing show offering a panacea for modern politics, while throwing in his theory of the universe for good measure.
Ben Elton: Live 2019
September 22 to November 30
Having tasted sitcom success once again with Upstart Crow, the shouty one hits the road for the first time since 2004 when he ‘was still smarter than his phone’. And yes, you can expect ‘a little bit of politics’.
Tim Minchin: Back
October 15 to November 30
The Aussie master lyricist and genius behind Matilda The Musical tours the UK with a set list from all corners of his eclectic repertoire, including new songs and uncompromising ‘f*** you songs’.
By Mark Wareham
BOOKS
Code Name: Lise
Larry Loftis
Gallery Books, January 24, £16.99
Written in the style of a thriller, this is a thrilling account of the exploits of World War II’s most highly decorated spy, Odette Sansom.
The dystopian classic The Handmaid’s Tale, published in 1985, is self-contained. But one of the inspirations for the new sequel, says Atwood, ‘is the world we’re living in’
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams; Untitled by David Cameron
Queenie
By Candice Carty-Williams
Trapeze, April 11, £12.99
Twenty-five-year-old Queenie has broken up with her boyfriend and now the rest of her life is spiralling out of control. This debut is pitched as ‘perfect for… anyone who loved Fleabag’.
The Heavens
Sandra Newman
Granta, May 2, £12.99
Kate and Ben meet and fall in love in an alternative New York in 2000. But what do Kate’s recurring dreams of living in Elizabethan England really mean? Why is the ‘real’ world subtly different each time she wakes? Gripping, genre-blending, mind-bending fiction.
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Thomas Harris
William Heinemann, May 16, £20
Hannibal Lecter is up there with Dracula and Professor Moriarty in the pantheon of great literary villains but reports suggest he may not feature in his creator’s first novel in 13 years. Harris, who rarely speaks publicly, isn’t giving anything away. Will the cannibal ever be back?
Sweet Sorrow
David Nicholls
Hodder, July 11, £20
Things start looking up for 16-year-old Charlie Lewis when he meets Fran Fisher, but if he wants to be with her, he also has to embrace Shakespeare. The One Day author’s new novel is a tragicomedy that captures all the drama of first love.
The Nickel Boys
Colson Whitehead
Fleet, August 1, £16.99
The best-selling Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad returns with a story set in the Sixties at a grim reform school in Florida where the staff are sadists, abuse is commonplace and lads who step out of line are liable to disappear ‘out back’.
Is There Still Sex In The City?
Candace Bushnell
Little, Brown, September 5, £18.99
The Sex And The City author returns with a personal memoir about middle-aged romance. She’s not so young any more but she’s free, single – and she has dating apps!
The Testaments
Margaret Atwood
Chatto & Windus, September 10, £20
Do we really need a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale? The dystopian classic, published in 1985, is self-contained. But one of the inspirations for the new book, says Atwood, ‘is the world we’re living in’. So perhaps we do need it…
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By David Cameron
William Collins, autumn, price tbc
This year we finally get to see what Mr Cameron has been cooking up in his shepherd’s hut. Will it be an explosive tell-all exposé featuring withering attacks on former political colleagues? Let’s hope so.
The Anarchy
By William Dalrymple
Bloomsbury, October 1, £25
How did a private company run from a boardroom in London come to take over a subcontinent and command an army of a quarter of a million men? Best-selling historian William Dalrymple tells the extraordinary story of the rise of the East India Company.
By Neil Armstrong