theartsdesk Q&A: Lucie Shorthouse is flying high with 'We Are Lady Parts' and 'Rebus'

An actor's progress from Cambridge Footlights to 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie', a female Muslim punk band and crime-fighting in Edinburgh

Lucie Shorthouse is enjoying some high-profile TV action with her roles in Channel 4’s We Are Lady Parts, about the adventures of an all-woman Muslim punk band, and in BBC One’s reincarnated Rebus.

Best of 2023: TV

BEST OF 2023: TV How many streaming services are you willing to pay for?

How many streaming services are you willing to pay for?

TV viewers can hardly complain about a lack of choice these days, though they might baulk at funding an ever-lengthening list of subscriptions.

Enemy of the People, Channel 4 review - murder and corruption in the age of digital media

★★★★ ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, CHANNEL 4 Murder and corruption in the age of digital media

The death of a famous Finnish footballer triggers a violent chain reaction

Presented to you by Channel 4’s industrious Walter, Enemy of the People is a punchy Finnish drama which makes some smart and timely observations about life in the age of digital money and poisonous social media.

Disturbing Disappearances, More4 review - headstrong 'tec tackles Pied Piper mystery

★★★ DISTURBING DISAPPEARANCES, MORE 4 Headstrong 'tec tackles Pied Piper mystery

Abducted children case unlocks a tortuous family history

This five-part policier is the finale of the current Walter Presents French season, and takes us to the town of Montclair on France’s eastern border. The opening self-contained episode, occupying a chunky two-hour slot, took for its theme the legend of the Pied Piper. In this, you may recall, the children of Hamelin were lured away by the titular itinerant musician and drowned.

Spiral of Lies, Channel 4 review - bodies, fibs and bad karma in Biarritz

★★★ SPIRAL OF LIES, CHANNEL 4 Bodies, fibs and bad karma in Biarritz

The past returns to haunt the not-always-truthful Audrey

Not to be confused with the matchless French policier Spiral, Spiral of Lies (or J’ai Menti in its native tongue) is a twisty tale of murder, guilt and deceit, playing out over a 16-year time period. Camille Lou pulls off the quite impressive feat of playing the main protagonist, Audrey Barreyre, as both a reckless 19-year-old and a lawyer in her mid-thirties, who finds herself forced to confront the fallout from the mistakes made by her younger self.

The Change, Channel 4 review - beguiling feminist comedy with a stellar cast

★★★★ THE CHANGE, CHANNEL 4 Bridget Christie creates a menopausal heroine for women of all ages

Bridget Christie creates a menopausal heroine for women of all ages

Young women who were riveted by Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones columns in the 1990s are now probably of the age where the menopause is, or has recently been, a bigger concern than landing your own Mr Darcy. Which is why Bridget Christie’s The Change (Channel 4) has arrived with ideal timing.

The Undeclared War, Channel 4 review - how would the UK cope with a devastating cyber-attack?

★★★ THE UNDECLARED WAR, CHANNEL 4 Peter Kosminsky's drama probes GCHQ techno-spooks

Peter Kosminsky's drama probes the secret world of GCHQ's techno-spooks

As the world lurches ever deeper into multiple manifestations of chaos, writer-director Peter Kosminsky’s new drama about cyber-warfare taps into the prevailing climate of unease. Based around the top secret operations of GCHQ at Cheltenham, it takes us backstage as the UK is struck by a crippling cyber attack which brings airports, cashpoint machines, email servers and online shopping to a screeching halt.

Suspect, Channel 4 review - a stylised remake of a Danish psychological drama

★★★ SUSPECT, CHANNEL 4 James Nesbitt stars in stylised remake of a Danish psychological drama

James Nesbitt returns as another troubled policeman with a dark back-story (and matching eyebrows)

Suspect has a simple premise: a detective goes on a routine visit to a mortuary where an unidentified young woman has been taken after being found hanged. Suicide is the initial judgment: the cop, Danny Frater (James Nesbitt), grills the pathologist (Joely Richardson, pictured below) about the case and starts to leave. Then he pauses, policing instincts a-twitch, and uncovers the body’s head.

Chivalry, Channel 4 review - Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani's sharp Hollywood satire

★★★★ CHIVALRY, CHANNEL 4 Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani's sharp Hollywood satire

Sexual politics in the post-MeToo world

It was inevitable that someone would soon tackle the question of how does Hollywood start behaving in the post-MeToo world, but few would have put money on a comedy drama starring Steve Coogan, the creator of Alan Partridge. But here it is, a whip-smart satire he co-wrote with Sarah Solemani, who also stars as Bobby, the indie filmmaker who is the polar opposite of his old-school (for which read, attracted only to women half his age) film producer Cameron.

Ruby Tandoh: Cook As You Are review - truly a trailblazer

Accessibility and compassion are the beating heart of this brilliant cookbook

Ever since her appearance on The Great British Bake Off in 2013, Ruby Tandoh has been a breath of fresh air to the food industry. Unafraid to use her voice and stand up not only for herself but for the marginalised communities she is a part of, she writes at the intersection of politics and food and has been unapologetic about calling out elitism in the industry.