What not to miss in the week ahead
THRILLER
Next Of Kin
Archie Panjabi swaps the glossy legal drama The Good Wife to play London GP Mona Harcourt, whose charmed life with her political lobbyist husband Guy (Jack Davenport) is destroyed when a bomb goes off in the capital on the same day that her brother Kareem is abducted and murdered in Pakistan.
The situation escalates when Mona realises that her brother’s son Danish – known as Danny – has vanished from university and is being linked to both the bombing and the murder of his father. With the family facing accusations and becoming embroiled in a tangled web of betrayal and conspiracy, Mona finds herself confronted with the ultimate dilemma: how far would you go to keep your family safe?
Monday, STV, 9pm
DRAMA
Kiri
Sarah Lancashire returns to Channel 4 with a powerful new four-part drama about the abduction of a young black girl named Kiri (played by Felicia Mukasa), who is soon-tobe-adopted by her white foster family, and the trail of lies, blame, guilt and notoriety that follows.
Lancashire plays Bristol-based social worker Miriam, who allows Kiri to have an unsupervised visit with her biological grandparents. But when Kiri disappears during the visit, the fingers of suspicion and blame from the police, the press, and even her colleagues, point firmly at Miriam. As the media spotlight around the story intensifies, Miriam, as well as both sets of families, are forced to ask the toughest questions, not just of themselves, but of each other. Also starring Lia Williams and Steven Mackintosh as Kiri’s foster parents and Lucian Msmati as Kiri’s grandfather, Tobi.
Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm
MUSIC
The Voice UK
X Factor alumnus Olly Murs joins will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones and Jennifer Hudson on the judging panel as the singing show returns to STV. Emma Willis presents the action, beginning with the blind auditions where hopefuls are trying to impress the judges based on their singing voice alone.
Today, STV, 8pm
CRIME
Vera
There are four new mysteries for DCI Vera Stanhope to solve and Sunday evening viewers to enjoy as the popular detective drama returns with Brenda Blethyn once more asking the awkward questions.
Based on the novels of Ann Cleeves, and set around Newcastle and the spectacular Northumberland countryside, the first feature-length story begins when Vera is called to a murder scene when the charred remains of a body are discovered in an abattoir incinerator. With limited forensic evidence, she is disturbed to identify the body as DC Harry Fenton, a respected police officer from the Northumberland & City Fraud Unit. In order to solve the case Vera and her team have to delve into the life of the seemingly model officer.
Tomorrow, STV, 8pm
DRAMA
Silent Witness
After surviving capture and being buried alive by a Mexican cartel in the cliffhanger finale of the last season, Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) is struggling to come to terms with life back home in the new series of the forensic crime show.
Whilst on leave she seeks out fellow pathologist Sally Vaughan (Emma Fielding) for support. However, a few days later and troubled by the failure of Sally to return her calls, Nikki heads to her house only to find that it has become a crime scene and Sally is nowhere to be found...
As ever, the plot strains credulity further as Nikki is asked by NCA Investigator Guy Bernhard to help by employing the chief suspect in Sally’s disappearance, pathologist David Cannon (Julian Rhind-tutt). ■
Monday and Tuesday, BBC1, 9pm