The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Katie & Koli How are the characters
KATE & Koji proved to be just the tonic we needed in early 2020.Launching just days before the national lockdown was ordered, the ITV studio sitcom played out in the early throes of the pandemic, providing much-needed laughs to millions holed up at home.
The premise: an unexpected and sparky friendship between Kate, the owner of an old-fashioned seaside cafe, and Koji, an African asylum seeker-qualified doctor (played by Brenda Blethyn and Jimmy Akingbola, respectively).
“You never know how it’s going to be received, but we’re delighted with the way it went down,” boasts Blethyn, 76, of its favoured reaction. “On average, we had (just under) five million viewers!”
“People were very pleased because everyone was a bit stunned in March (2020),” agrees co-star Barbara Flynn, 73, who plays Kate’s arch nemesis, Councillor Bone.
“Lots of people said how much they enjoyed it because they were at home and didn’t know what to do with themselves,” she reasons. “It was something nice that the whole family could enjoy.”
Now two years on, the hit comedy is back for a second season. Right when we need it the most.
Returning to the latest six-episode run, alongside Blethyn and Flynn, is Blake Harrison as Kate’s handyman nephew Medium; while Okorie Chukwu will take over the role of Koji from Akingbola.
Guest stars include Chizzy Akudolu, Claire Skinner, Susie Blake and Martin Marquez.
So where we can expect to find the characters this series?
Much like the rest of us, they’re navigating life after the pandemic, Blethyn explains: “We meet them again as lockdown has just finished and Kate is being rewarded for her efforts looking after people.
“She’s been cooking food for the vulnerable, and Medium has been delivering for her, and they’ve won an award for it.”
But it quickly goes downhill, shares the Vera star, “as (in the next episode) her foot has a row with a curb ramp and Koji has to take over in the cafe, which is pretty irritating to Kate.
“She just sits back and moans – or criticises. But she knows he’s doing his best; she knows his heart is in right place.”
As for Koji, he is still working illegally as a doctor in the cafe and still awaiting a decision on his
documentary tells the story of that day, the events that led up to item and the siege that followed and which lasted 25 days. Crucially though the programme also notes that, although we haven’t seen a riot like it since, over the past 30 years Britain’s prison population has risen by 74 per cent.
Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig (C4, 9pm)
Sandi whisks comedian, and friend Sara Pascoe away on a trip to the wilds of Scotland’s east coast, and we tag along as they visit a magical escape, deep in the forest of Glen Dye. After trying out the open-air woodfired bath, the pair head to Elie, in the East Neuk of Fife, where they stay at an awardwinning architectural home, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking an equally beautiful beach. The pair head to the breathtaking Isle of May, before visiting a tiny, 16th centurycastle in the remote Glen Isla.
Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities of the World (STV, 9pm)
The veteran actress has become almost as famous for her globetrotting adventures as her thespian pursuits, and indeed she’s packing her passport once again for this colourful offering. It follows Joanna as she visits the world-famous locations of Paris, Berlin and Rome, but the twist is, she gets up close and personal with bits of the cities your average tourist never gets to see. Expect a few naughty stories as she goes behind the scenes at the Moulin Rouge in the City of Love, which marks the end of her French adventure. Before that she gets an unusual view of the place via a majestic hot air balloon ride.
The Apprentice (BBC1, 9pm)
Lord Sugar takes a back seat for this episode as his most trusted advisors step into the spotlight. They will subject the remaining candidates, summoned to the heart of the City of London, to the most rigorous scrutiny. Each candidate will go head-to-head with the business brains as they try to prove their plans are worth backing. Expect lots of tough talking before Lord Sugar gives them a grilling back in the boardroom. Only two can progress to the final, the rest hear those fateful words...
FRIDAY
Comic Relief (BBC1, 7pm)
Make a note in your diaries or on your apps: at 7pm, the only place to be is in front of a TV screen, watching as the curtain goes up on this year’s fundraising extravaganza, live from MediaCityUK in Salford. Sir Lenny Henry will be joined by a glittering array of celebrities, including Zoe Ball, Paddy McGuinness, Alesha Dixon and David Tennant, as the stars of stage, screen and movies assemble for an epic three-hour comedy special. Prepare to be entertained with hilarious sketches, live performances, big surprises and stunning music: all in a celebration of Comic Relief. Along the way, there’ll be the incredible and inspiring stories of the people supported by some of the charity’s projects in the UK and around the world.
Inside Culture with Shahidha Bari (BBC2, 7.30pm)
Climate change is the most challenging crisis of our times, and here, Shahidha Bari investigates the role the arts can play in exploring and processing it. She chats to Antony Gormley about his work and how the global art industry can lower its carbon footprint, and visits poet and performer Kate Tempest to talk about the importance of resilience. Shahida also gets together with writer and curator Ekow Eshun and comedian and environmental economist Matt Winning to debate what happens when art meets science.
Grayson’s Art Club (C4, 8pm)
What do you get if you bring together one of the country’s best-loved contemporary artists, his wife, a bunch of celebrity guests and the great British public? This brilliant, feel-good art show is the answer. Back for it’s third outing, the opener’s theme is Love, and Grayson and his wife Philippa will be urging the public to get creative (and romantic) and send in their artworks. Grayson will choose his favourites and chats with some of the talented amateurs whose pieces will eventually feature in a major national exhibition. So, no pressure then. Plus, comedian Bill Bailey drops in for a natter, and Chinese contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei will also be putting in an appearance.
Grantchester (STV, 9pm)
When Lester Carmichael, half of the husbandand-wife team behind the Carmichael’s cleaning goods brand, is found dead, Will and Geordie are quickly on the case. However, they soon find the victim’s private life was far from spotless, and was a regular visitor to a local suburban brothel. So, were those running the latter business responsible, or was his wife involved in his death? Meanwhile, Will is drawn to Maya, and the arrival of Geordie’s niece Bonnie makes him feel further away from Cathy as ever.
Ireland’s Great Small Music Festival: Other Voices (BBC4, 10pm)
St Patrick’s Day was yesterday, and while some celebrators may be recovering yet others might have put off plans until the weekend. Either way BBC4 seems like the place to be tonight, with classic Irish pop performances at 9pm and then this, as Annie Mac celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Other Voices Festival in the West of Ireland. Featuring interviews with and performances by Sam Fender, Sigrid, John Grant, Villagers, Dermot Kennedy and Kay Young, as well as archive sets from Arlo Parks and Fontaines DC.
Comic Relief at the Movies (BBC2, 10pm)
The fundraising extravaganza has seen plenty of movie icons drop by over the years, including Borat, Bond and Mr Bean – and that’s just ones beginning with B. However, it also hasn’t been afraid to spoof a few boxoffice smashes either. While tonight’s Comic Relief broadcast takes a break for the news, BBC2 tides us over with a look at that times that the Red Noses have gone to Hollywood. Here’s hoping French and Saunders’ cutting takes on Mamma Mia and its sequel make an appearance.