TV and Culture Guide: What to Watch, Read and Listen to in February
There's plenty to look forward to on- and off-screen throughout February
On TV
THE BIG IDEA WORKS
BBC One and BBC iPlayer
We're looking forward to the new series of County Durham entrepreneur Sara Davies' The Big Idea Works, starting on 3rd February. Her crack team of highly-skilled experts will return to see if they can make more dreams of aspiring inventors come true – from a mess-free birdfeeder to a sugar-detecting pen for diabetics.
Catch Up
THE APPRENTICE
BBC One and BBC iPlayer
The Apprentice returned on 30th January with 18 new candidates battling it out for Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment and mentorship. They include Carlo Brancati, a hair transplant consultant from Middlesbrough, and Keir Shave, a telemarketing company owner from Leeds.
In Cinemas
BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY
In cinemas from 14th February
Releasing in cinemas on Valentine’s Day, Bridget is back… finally. While we don’t think we’ll ever forgive Yorkshire-born writer Helen Fielding for killing off Mark Darcy, we can’t wait for Renee Zellweger to return as Bridget. This time, the fact that her new boyfriend is more than 20 years younger than her isn't the only thing causing problems.
Streaming Now
WICKED
Prime Video and Apple TV+
It’s official! Wicked is now on streaming platforms so you can sing all the lyrics at the top of your lungs without anyone sh-ing you. So whether you’ve been holding off on your visit to Oz until you could do so from the comfort of your sofa (unlikely) or you’ve been waiting to defy gravity unlimited times until part two is released later this year (obviously), now’s the time!
For Valentine’s Day
ANYONE BUT YOU
Streaming on NOW
The 2023 hit Anyone But You is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. When Bea and Ben’s sizzling first-date chemistry quickly turns cold, they are horrified to find themselves reunited at Bea’s sister’s wedding. Attempting to make Ben’s ex jealous, they pretend to be a couple, but soon find their fake flirtations turning real. Reviving the 2000s romcom cliché, this is exactly what fans of the genre have been missing in recent years.
BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY
Streaming on Amazon Prime
This Pride and Prejudice retelling focuses on single thirty-something Bridget, who endeavours to change her life and find love, entering a love triangle with handsome cad Daniel Cleaver and dashing barrister Mark Darcy. Utterly relatable to the clumsy and cringe women of the UK, it’s proof that someone can love you ‘exactly as you are’. Watch it now before Mad About The Boy hits cinemas.
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU
Streaming on Disney+
Including arguably the best usage of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You ever, the film follows high school bad boy Patrick who is encouraged to date reclusive Kat by new student Cameron, so that he can get around her father’s strict dating rules and ask out Kat’s sister. A retelling of The Taming of the Shrew, romance blossoms – despite everything Kat hates about Patrick.
WEATHER GIRL
Rachel Lynn Solomon
Weather Girl follows TV meteorologist Ari who teams up with her sports reporter colleague Russell to hatch a plan to get their feuding bosses, who happen to be exes, back together. As they play cupid, they begin to fall for each other, though they both harbour secrets that they hide from the newsroom – Russell has a young daughter and Ari battles with depression. But, if they let their guards down, they might just learn that they can be loved even on their cloudiest days. Charming and super cute, whilst also crafting realistic, rounded characters and touching on the important subject of mental health, this is a great contemporary romcom.
MY ABSOLUTE DARLING
Gabriel Tallent
This book is a romance if you squint hard, I promise! We follow Turtle, a hardened teen girl growing up on the fringe of her community with her volatile father on the northern Californian coast. Convinced of an impending catastrophe, her father insists on shunning any ‘outsiders’ and drilling her in survival tactics. But when she saves a local boy hopelessly lost in the woods, Turtle begins to realise there’s a whole world out there that’s being hidden from her, and her new relationship might just be the thing to tip her father over the edge. Hard and unforgiving, this book questions the idea of survival at any cost.
LITTLE WOMEN
Louisa May Alcott
The treasured classic follows the lives of the four March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) from the innocence of childhood into the tribulations of womanhood during the American Civil War. Though the sisters branch out to follow their separate dreams, their bond is the absolute heart of the story. This book will make you cry and we’ll be re-reading it every year for the foreseeable (for the swoonworthy character of Laurie, if nothing else!).
REFUGE
William Kinread
In another gripping tale by William Kinread (the concluding part of his trilogy), Ian Sutherland helps a pair of siblings who are in North Yorkshire claiming asylum. As usual, things aren’t plain sailing and he soon finds himself in a difficult situation. In this page-turner Ian takes on Kosovan thugs, a warlord and his nemesis. We loved Luger and Escapement, and this third novel is a fantastic conclusion. This is the perfect book for any thriller-loving reader and if you have connections to Yorkshire you’ll recognise many of the locations where the action takes place.
LADIES WHO LAUNCH
Rochelle Humes
We’re loving this new podcast sharing the journeys of women who have made their mark in the business world. Host Rochelle Humes learns the challenges and successes that come with being a female entrepreneur. Tune into episode two to hear Jo Malone’s story.
JEFF BROWN’S SPORTING GREATS
BBC Sounds
In this new BBC Sounds series, Jeff Brown talks with former footballers Alan Shearer and Gary Bennett, boxer Savannah Marshall, and Sir Brendan Foster (amongst other sporting legends), about their journeys into professional sport. Hear from Shearer in the first episode!
ARM’S LENGTH
Sam Fender
As we all eagerly await his forthcoming third album, People Watching on 21st February (and the St James’ Park gigs in June for those lucky enough to get tickets), we’re playing Arm’s Length on repeat. Sam says his new single ‘originally came from one of those magic moments where you’re just messing around, and a song literally falls out of the sky. It’s about being avoidant and flighty. But also, just a simple pop song, which I love’.
