New to watch on iPlayer this week (7鈥� 13 December), we have a world exclusive special with the Queen of Christmas in Mariah meets Rylan and a second series of What鈥檚 Your Thing? With journalist Adam Clarkson.
We have a new Arena film, Alan Bennett: 90 Years On, celebrating the life and long career of one of our most loved playwrights. CBeebies presents Beauty and the Beast, a Christmas adventure panto filled with singing, dancing and laughs.
Lastly, The Hunt for the Oldest DNA reveals a lost world from before the ice age.
What's coming new to 大象传媒 iPlayer this week?
Mariah Meets Rylan
All we want for Christmas is Mariah Meets Rylan, a world exclusive special for 大象传媒 Two and 大象传媒 iPlayer in December.
Filmed on location in Los Angeles, the multi-platinum record selling, Grammy Award-winning artist Mariah Carey meets Rylan for the first time. Rylan will be quizzing Mariah about life, music, and of course, the festive season as her classic hit All I Want For Christmas Is You celebrates its 30th anniversary.
What鈥檚 Your Thing?
Journalist Adam Clarkson is back for a second series exploring the hobbies, passions and interests of everyday people across England. The normal, the unusual and everything in between.
Alan Bennett: 90 Years On
Alan Bennett turned 90 on 9 May 2024. A new Arena film from Bafta and Emmy Award-winning director Adam Low celebrates the life and long career of one of our most loved playwrights.
Part reflection on the ageing process, part remembrance of the joys of youth, Alan is aided by the films he has written and the documentaries he has presented in his quest to understand the person he has become.
CBeebies Presents: Beauty and the Beast
CBeebies Presents: Beauty and the Beast, filmed in Edinburgh at the Festival Theatre, takes the well-known story and brings it to life for a CBeebies audience with a toe-tapping soundtrack from Banks & Wag. Bringing families together for a Christmas adventure with lots of singing, dancing and laughs, the story celebrates the message that beauty comes from within!
The panto takes place in a magical land inspired by Scottish landscapes and introduces such new characters such as garden gnomes, mischievous wolves and a sneaky Thorn Fairy.
- Watch CBeebies Presents: Beauty and the Beast on 大象传媒 iPlayer from Saturday 7 December and add to your Watchlist
- Watch CBeebies Robin Hood on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Watch Dick Whittington and his Cat on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
The quest to recover the secrets of ancient DNA, revealing a lost world from before the Ice Age.
For decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. But life鈥檚 genetic blueprint is incredibly fragile, and researchers have struggled to find DNA in fossils that has survived for millions of years. Then, one maverick scientist had the controversial idea to look for DNA not in fossils or frozen ancient tissue 鈥� but in the soil. Hunt for the Oldest DNA follows the scientists deciphering the oldest DNA ever found, and reveals for the first time the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in warm, lush Arctic landscapes.
What's new to watch on 大象传媒 iPlayer now?
Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty
The story of how the greatest art works of all time were born of war and bloodshed, as rival artists Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael compete to craft beauty from chaos.
- Watch Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty on 大象传媒 iPlayer from Monday 2 December
- Read more: Renaissance: The Blood and The Beauty - Contributors and experts on the epic new drama-documentary series starring Charles Dance
The Primrose Railway Children
The Primrose Railway Children is a modern reimagining of Jacqueline Wilson鈥檚 novel inspired by E. Nesbit鈥檚 timeless classic.
Filmed in and around Glasgow, the dramatic Scottish Highlands and heritage railways, the story follows Phoebe, her older sister Becks, younger brother Perry and their mum Sarah (Nina Toussaint-White) who are living a comfortable life in Glasgow.
When their Dad (Kevin McKidd) mysteriously disappears, the Robinson family are uprooted from their lives and find unexpected excitement, adventure and a new sense of belonging. It is a story about growing up, being displaced, and finding your way in a community that seems alien.
- Watch The Primrose Railway Children on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: The Primrose Railway Children cast on bringing Jacqueline Wilson鈥檚 modern version of the E. Nesbit鈥檚 timeless classic to life
Country Christmas
Country music鈥檚 biggest stars get together for a night full of festive classics, celebrating the joy of the holidays in true Nashville style.
MOTD Live: Copa Libertadores Final
See the culmination of the South American football competition live on iPlayer.
Sirius: An Apocalyptic Order
How far would you go to escape the apocalypse? Sirius takes an in-depth look at the unbelievable story of The Order of the Solar Temple, a cult that made headlines in the 1990s.
Smoggie Queens
Sick of dating creeps, Lucinda is given the a royal princess treatment courtesy of her fairy godmother as Sal auditions for a talent show and Dickie offers sage advice in the work place.
- Watch Smoggie Queens on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: Smoggie Queens cast on the out and out comedy series "It鈥檚 big, it鈥檚 bold, it鈥檚 funny, it鈥檚 not afraid"
State of Happiness
Power, profit and politics. When a small Norwegian fishing village becomes part of the 70s oil boom, everything changes - but how much are the lives of families and friends worth?
The Making of Do They Know It鈥檚 Christmas?
Forty years ago, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure gathered together some of the biggest popstars in the UK and Ireland to form the charity supergroup, Band Aid, who would record and release the now legendary song, Do They Know It鈥檚 Christmas?, in aid of the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia.
Irresistible: Why We Can鈥檛 Stop Eating
Why are ultra-processed foods so irresistible and how they have come to dominate our food culture? Irresistible: Why We Can鈥檛 Stop Eating is an authored documentary by medical doctor and academic Dr Chris van Tulleken.
- Watch Irresistible: Why We Can鈥檛 Stop Eating on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: Dr Chris van Tulleken on Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Eating - 鈥淚t is not your fault. It is the food鈥�
Evicted: Tenants on the Edge
Priced out, pushed out - the young renters fighting for their rights and facing homelessness. Dealing with impossible decisions, what can they do, and where do they end up? Series two of the series about young renters fighting for their rights and facing homelessness.
The Listeners
Can you hear it? Is this mysterious hum a gift for the chosen few 鈥� or the soundtrack to a living nightmare? Provocative, haunting drama starring Rebecca Hall.
- Watch The Listeners on 大象传媒 iPlayer add to your Watchlist
- Read more: The Listeners - Cast and creatives on the drama that "depicts our deepest, darkest desires in a way that's quite scary, but also exciting"
Cheaters
A chance meeting after a cancelled flight - a sexy, messy comedy about love, morality, monogamy and how the heart, brain and loins are idiots who are never on the same page.
- Watch Cheaters series two on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Watch series one on 大象传媒 iPlayer now
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story
This gripping four-part series offers exclusive first-hand insights from racing legends, providing the drama both on and off the track.
Logan Paul: Bad Influence
Matt Shea investigates the allegations against Logan Paul and the power of his influence.
Logan Paul is one of the biggest influencers in the world, but has faced criticism for his role in promoting various cryptocurrency projects. Matt Shea investigates the allegations against him, and the power of his influence. Shea dives into the wild world of influencer led cryptocurrency projects, and uncovers allegations that Logan Paul may have misled his fans in a bid to make money. Logan Paul rejects these criticisms and insists he can be trusted.
Return to Paradise
DI Mackenzie Clarke鈥檚 made a name for herself in London. Now she鈥檚 back in the last place she wants to be 鈥� her hometown of Dolphin Cove. An Aussie twist on Death in Paradise.
- Watch Return to Paradise on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: Return to Paradise's Anna Samson and Lloyd Griffith on the idyllic spin-off and the joys of playing complex characters "you're not allowed to do that stuff in real life"
- Watch Death in Paradise on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Watch Beyond Paradise on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
Moonflower Murders
As Susan Ryeland is less than perfectly happy with the realities of running a hotel in Crete, she eagerly takes up an unexpected financial inducement to help solve the puzzle of a missing woman.
- Watch Moonflower Murders on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Watch Magpie Murders on 大象传媒 iPlayer now and add to your Watchlist
Loaded: Lads鈥� Mags and Mayhem
In 1994, editor James Brown spotted an opportunity to create a general interest men's magazine in a world fixated on yuppies and the New Man. With a team of bucky young hopefuls, they birthed Loaded, a magazine that went on to define the lad culture of the 90s.
Fungi: The Web of Life
Much of life on Earth is connected by a vast, hidden network that we are only just beginning to understand. Out of sight, between the world of plants and animals, another world exists, the kingdom of fungi. Through the eyes of passionate biologist and writer Merlin Sheldrake, Fungi: Web of Life travels the world, exploring the secret world of fungi. Narrated by Bj枚rk.
Hunting Mr Nice: The Cannabis Kingpin
Howard Marks, aka Mr Nice, was one of the world鈥檚 most prolific cannabis smugglers. At the height of his illegal operations, he was trafficking tens of millions of dollars鈥� worth across the globe. For the first time, this series brings together Marks鈥� criminal inner circle and the law enforcers who spent years tracking him down, to tell the ultimate cat-and-mouse tale.
Boybands Forever
Produced by award-winning Mindhouse Productions and from BAFTA-winning producers Louis Theroux and Nancy Strang, Boybands Forever (3 x 60鈥�) tells the inside story behind the success of some of the UK and Ireland鈥檚 most celebrated popstars during the 90s and early 00s. Featuring searingly honest interviews with the artists themselves, as well as the music label bosses and managers behind their ascent to fame, the series is a thoughtful look at the boyband phenomenon of that time and the cultural landscape it emerged from.
Only Child
Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh star as father and son, Ken and Richard Pritchard, in new comedy series, Only Child. Featuring domestic and inter-generational differences and neighbourly squabbles, Only Child is told through the lens of Richard and Ken鈥檚 comedic relationship.
- Watch Only Child on 大象传媒 iPlayer add to your Watchlist now
- Read more: Only Child - Gregor Fisher, Greg McHugh and the cast reflect on the new comedy series - "there's a real clash of characters"
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light
Wolf Hall returns with the thrilling final instalment of Hilary Mantel鈥檚 magisterial trilogy, based on the life and death of Thomas Cromwell.
The Mirror and the Light opens in the heartbeat after Anne Boleyn鈥檚 death, as the young queen鈥檚 blood is sluiced from the scaffold and Thomas Cromwell picks his way across the wreckage to take up his position as principal councillor to an unpredictable king.
- Watch Wolf Hall on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist now (new episodes every Sunday)
- Read more: Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light - Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, cast and creatives on returning after ten years for an unforgettable final act
Our War: 10 Years On
Marking the end of the British campaign in Helmand, the groundbreaking, award winning 大象传媒 Three series Our War told the story of the Afghanistan war through the words and pictures of the soldiers themselves.
Storyville: Queendom
A Storyville documentary following Gina, a queer artist from a small Russian town, who stages radical performances in public that become a new form of art and activism 鈥� and put their life in danger.
Asia
A continent steeped in beauty and intrigue. From the vast Gobi Desert to the jungles of Borneo, and from the polar wilderness of Siberia to the coral seas of the Indian Ocean, discover the breathtaking extremes of Asia with Sir David Attenborough.
- Watch Asia on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: Sir David Attenborough鈥檚 Asia - Everything you need to know about the ground-breaking series
The Rap Game
Krept, Konan and DJ Target are back with a new series of The Rap Game UK and this year鈥檚 contestants are bringing the fire!
Shetland
The dark side of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Uncovering secrets and lies from the past - detective drama starring Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O'Donnell. The new series begins Tosh persuades DI Calder 鈥� now a resident of the Isles 鈥� that something is wrong, when her friend doesn鈥檛 get home one night.
- Watch Shetland on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: Shetland鈥檚 Ashley Jensen and Alison O鈥橠onnell on the new series, guest cast and life beyond the camera 鈥渨e're all together at the weekends鈥�
Lucan
Hampshire builder Neil Berriman discovers he is the son of the nanny murdered by Lucan and starts to investigate. He finds evidence that suggests the aristocrat escaped to Africa. Is a mystery that has bewildered police and investigators for fifty years about to be solved?
Mary's Foolproof Dinners
Mary鈥檚 back, making evening meals effortless. Mary brings a lifetime of culinary knowledge to the table, making dinner a pleasure as she joins a host of famous friends 鈥揵oth old and new.
Mr Loverman
Dapper, charming Barry is hiding a secret 鈥� but it's not what his wife suspects. The seventy-four-year-old wants to live out his final days with his lover 鈥� but is he brave enough to leave his wife? Bernadine Evaristo's life-affirming story about being true to yourself, starring Lennie James.
- Watch Mr Loverman on 大象传媒 iPlayer on 14 October and add to your Watchlist now
- Read more: Mr Loverman's cast, creatives and author Bernadine Evaristo on the new series that is "constantly moving from comedy to tragedy in an emotional rollercoaster"
A House Through Time: Two Cities At War
David Olusoga tells the story of one house and the people who lived in it, from the time it was built until now.
Phoenix Rise
Six outsiders learn the only way they are going to survive school is by sticking together. But can you ever really leave your past behind?
Showtrial
New series. Telling a brand new original story, the latest instalment in the anthology series sees climate activist Marcus Calderwood (Barney Fishwick) left for dead in a violent hit and run. He uses his dying moments to apparently identify his killer - a serving policeman.
- Watch Showtrial on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: Showtrial cast and creatives on the second instalment of the tense legal thriller - "The stakes are really high"
Alma鈥檚 Not Normal
Alma (Sophie Willan) is back in town and desperate for things to be different. She bags herself a talent agent, who turns out to be a bit of a blagger. She buys herself some new wheels, that she can鈥檛 afford. And lands herself an acting role that is completely demoralising. It鈥檚 safe to say, things are not panning out for Alma.
- Watch Alma鈥檚 Not Normal on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: Alma鈥檚 Not Normal's Sophie Willan on writing series two with humour and heart - 鈥淐omedy is both a rebellious act and a survival mechanism鈥�
Industry
Back for a third season, plunge into the unrelenting world of high finance and follow a group of young bankers forging their identities within the sex and drug-fuelled blitz of international bank Pierpoint & Co. Kit Harington joining the cast as CEO of a green tech energy company.
- Watch Industry series three on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist now
- Read more: Industry - Kit Harington joins the cast and creators as they discuss relationships, representation, and real world consequences in season three
The Cleaner
New series. Crime scene cleaning comedy with Greg Davies, Ben Willbond, Rosie Cavaliero, Naveed Khan and Vaun Earl Norman. Wicky finds himself on a job for an old childhood school friend, Justin (Ben Willbond 鈥� Ghosts, There She Goes) 鈥� who it turns out has done rather well for himself.
- Watch all series of The Cleaner on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist now
Charlie Cooper鈥檚 Myth Country
In an era of social media misinformation and online echo chambers, where can we go to separate the news from the nonsense? The happenings from the hoaxes? The facts from the fiction?
This new series will see Charlie search spooky small-town goings on, uncovering eye-witness accounts and elusive evidence as well as staging his own experiments in a bid to bring him closer to the truth. Along the way, he will pay homage to the countryside legends of brilliant Britain and will explore how they have come to define the places and people they originate from.
Ludwig
New crime comedy-drama. Reclusive puzzle-setter, John 鈥楲udwig鈥� Taylor (David Mitchell) sees his life of solitude turned upside down when his identical twin brother, James, disappears without a trace. In a bid to uncover the truth, John reluctantly assumes his brother鈥檚 identity and turns detective. But at what cost? Also starring Anna Maxwell Martin.
- Watch Ludwig on 大象传媒 iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Read more: Ludwig - David Mitchell, Anna Maxwell Martin, and creatives open up about the comedy-drama: 鈥渋t鈥檚 a bit of a dream for me鈥�
Apples Never Fall
Mystery drama. The seemingly picture-perfect Delaney family are forced to re-examine their parents' so-called perfect marriage as their family鈥檚 darkest secrets begin to surface鈥� Featuring a star cast including Alison Brie, Annette Bening, and Sam Neill.
Waterloo Road
The brand new series of Waterloo Road will see the arrival of Jason Manford to the show as he becomes the new headteacher, Steve Savage, a charismatic charmer who impresses everyone he meets and isn鈥檛 afraid to get his hands dirty to achieve the results he wants.