Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Features

<p>David Attenborough standing in front of the House of Commons, where peregrine falcons roost</p>

in focus

‘Even David Attenborough was surprised’: The making of Wild London

The 99-year-old naturalist explores his hometown of London in a one-off New Year’s Day special on BBC One. Louis Chilton speaks to some of the people behind this remarkable glimpse into the city’s hidden ecosystems

<p>Ricky Gervais laughs onstage during his latest Netflix comedy special 'Mortality'</p>

Comment

Ricky Gervais doesn’t care about his legacy in crass Netflix special

<p>‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘The Drama’, ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘The Odyssey’ lead our 2026 preview</p>

2026 Culture Guide

20 movies to look out for in 2026, from The Odyssey to The Drama

<p>‘Stranger Things’ will conclude on New Year’s Day</p>

Comment

The online revolt over Stranger Things is proof of a modern TV dilemma

Features & Reviews

<p>Stranger Things</p>

In the end, Stranger Things lost its way in a maze of sci-fi bunkum

<p>Kitchen-cabinet drama: James Nesbitt and Minnie Driver in ‘Run Away’</p>

James Nesbitt brings much-needed heft to Harlan Coben’s Run Away

<p>Idris Elba in the second season of ‘Hijack’, ‘Pride & Prejudice’, starring Emma Corrin, Freya Mavor and Olivia Colman, and Joseph Fiennes as Gareth Southgate in ‘Dear England’</p>

2026 Culture Guide

20 TV shows everyone will be talking about in 2026

<p>It was at Worthy Farm on 25 June 2000 that David Bowie regained his crown as the reigning monarch of contemporary music</p>

Extract

The ‘accidental brilliance’ behind David Bowie’s Glastonbury gig

<p>Partridge and his ‘Christmas crackers’ in ‘Knowing Me, Knowing Yule’</p>

Flashbacks

Alan Partridge at 30: ‘You can trace a lot back to Noel Edmonds’

<p>Geese, the Brooklyn-based band behind this year’s ‘Getting Killed’</p>

Comment

2026 is set to be the Year of Geese

In Focus

Brigitte Bardot courted controversy until the end

<p>‘Life is beautiful, man’: Diego Calva stars in the BBC’s flagship drama ‘The Night Manager’</p>

Interview

Babylon’s Diego Calva on playing a villain in The Night Manager

<p>Get a jumpstart on your new year's resolution to read more with these picks for January</p>

boks of the month

What to read this January, including Julian Barnes’s final book

<p>‘Sentimental Value’ director Joachim Trier with his stars Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård</p>

The Saturday Interview

Stellan Skarsgård: ‘Truthfully, you can never be a good parent’

<p>Jim Howick: ‘I read the scripts with a sense of dread’</p>

Interview

Here We Go’s Jim Howick: ‘I’m a walking indignity’

<p>Stranger danger: Millie Bobby Brown in ‘Stranger Things’</p>

Comment

How will Netflix solve its glaring Stranger Things problem?

The Saturday Interview

<p>Top of the pops: (L-R clockwise from bottom left) Brandi Carlile, Perfume Genius, Turnstile, JADE and PinkPantheress</p>

The Saturday Interview

JADE, Brandi Carlile and McKinley Dixon on their cultural highlights of 2025

<p>‘I think people are missing the relationships they had with ER, or 24, or NYPD Blue. It was something you could rely on’</p>

The Saturday Interview

Kiefer Sutherland: ‘After 24, the roles I anticipated didn’t come’

Rising Stars

<p>‘It was awful timing. It was the biggest opportunity I’d had in my career. And we weren’t allowed to talk about it’</p>

Interview

Archie Madekwe: ‘It’s easy to get lost in the bigger picture – that’s when you fall into narcissism’

<p>Petticrew stars in a classic tale of forbidden love set against the backdrop of the Troubles</p>

Interview

Lola Petticrew: ‘Calling it the Troubles minimises what it really was’

Tom Blyth

Interview

Tom Blyth: ‘The Hunger Games taught me I don’t act to get attention’

<p>Sadler won the Best Scripted Comedy Bafta for her show</p>

Interview

Kat Sadler: ‘I don’t care if Such Brave Girls makes you uncomfortable’

Roisin O’Connor’s Good Vibrations podcast

Good Vibrations with KT Tunstall

KT Tunstall reflects on the ‘unwelcome side’ of her early fame

Ella Eyre is a guest on Roisin O'Connor's Good Vibrations podcast

Ella Eyre: ‘I’ve had to unlearn what I was shown early in my career’

Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi: ‘There have been days where I thought I was done’

Zara Larsson is the latest guest on Roisin O'Connor's Good Vibrations podcast

Zara Larsson ‘didn’t expect’ reaction to support slot for Tate McRae

News

The Countdown

<p>Tom Cruise and Michelle Monaghan in ‘Mission: Impossible III’</p>

The Countdown

15 times a director walked away from a blockbuster

<p>Overrated?: Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘There Will Be Blood’ and Cillian Murphy in ‘Oppenheimer’</p>

The most overrated films of the 21st century

<p>Glast from the past: A snapshot of the famous festival from 1982</p>

17 of the weirdest things we’ve seen at Glastonbury

<p>Not even music’s greats are immune to writing absolutely terrible songs</p>

13 worst songs by brilliant artists, from The Beatles to Taylor Swift

Independent TV

King details importance of harmony with nature in new documentary

Rare footage captures penguins swimming at hidden angle

Thomas Skinner breaks down in tears in front of Lord Sugar

Wild cat feared extinct seen on camera after nearly 30 years in hiding

Explore news for you

Visit the USA

Art Me Up: A Gallery Guide to Miami’s Thriving Arts Scene

Sounds of the South: Exploring the Evolving Music Scene of Atlanta

Memphis to Maryville: Urban Adventures in Tennessee

<p>Scratch the surface or Orlando’s theme park scene and discover a world of culture and adventure experiences </p>

Discover Orlando’s hidden treasures beyond the parks

Entertainment deals

<p>Bag discounts on 4K, OLED and smart TVs</p>

Best TV deals for November 2025, from Sony, Samsung and more

<p>From tell-all memoirs to historical novels, there’s something for every taste </p>

Best Audible deals for January 2026 – how to save £20

<p>A fast and reliable internet connection means fewer dropouts</p>

Hyperoptic promo codes for January – the best broadband deals

<p>Upgrade your tablet with my pick of the best iPad offers.</p>

Best iPad deals for November 2025, selected by an expert

indy100

sport

Snowboarder hopes to become first with MND to compete in Winter Paralympics

Snowboarder hopes to become first with MND to compete in Winter Paralympics

tv

Elon Musk slammed as he brands Stranger Things Volume 2 scene ‘unnecessary’

gaming

GTA 5's Ned Luke has been swatted again and the police now know him by name

celebrities

Zara Larsson responds to racist abuse aimed at her boyfriend

gaming

Michal Kicinski acquires GOG from CD Projekt and gamers point out same thing

gaming

Michal Kicinski acquires GOG from CD Projekt and gamers point out same thing

tv

Heated Rivalry season 2 confirmed - everything we know so far

tv

The Stranger Things finale trailer has dropped – and fans are worried about one beloved character

Sponsored

<p>PlayStation 5</p>

Save money on quality refurbished tech from Back Market

Christmas at The White Company: Seasonal scents and thoughtful gifts

Simplify managing your business finances with Sage AI cloud accounting

Bettervits: the collagen supplement we’re adding to our basket