The BFI & Radio Times Television Festival announces star-studded line-up

By James Hibbs

Published: Tuesday, 05 April 2022 at 12:00 am

The BFI & Radio Times Television Festival is returning to London’s Southbank this year, and the first raft of exciting events, screenings and panels has been announced.

Sally Rooney fans are in for a treat, as they’ll have a chance to nab tickets to a panel and Q&A with the cast and creatives behind the Normal People writer’s next TV adaptation, Conversations with Friends. Joining the panel for the highly-anticipated series are Alison Oliver, Joe Alwyn, Lenny Abrahamson, Emma Norton and Catherine Magee, who will congregate at the BFI IMAX.

There is also the thrilling opportunity for festival-goers to be among the first in the world to see the premiere of Prehistoric Planet, an Apple TV+ series from Jon Favreau in which Sir David Attenborough and other leading natural history film-makers re-create the last days of the dinosaurs. The epic series will be screened right where it belongs, on the giant BFI IMAX screen.

Another exciting Q&A comes from the cast and creator of BBC series The Outlaws, which is gearing up for its second season. Fans will have a chance to see an early screening of the first two episodes, before the Q&A featuring Stephen Merchant, Eleanor Tomlinson, Gamba Cole, Clare Perkins, Darren Boyd and Jessica Gunning.

Meanwhile, some of the cast and creatives for one of last year’s biggest TV hits, It’s A Sin, will gather for a panel and Q&A to celebrate the extraordinary series. The panel will be made up of writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, executive producer Nicola Shindler and cast Omari Douglas and Callum Scott Howells.

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It’s A Sin
Channel 4

If you’re desperately waiting for the next season of Call the Midwife, the festival has got you covered, with a panel and Q&A exploring the show’s success with creator and writer Heidi Thomas, executive producer Pippa Harris and key cast members.

Before His Dark Materials returns for its third and final season, the cast and creatives will be taking part in a panel & Q&A all about how they brought the thrilling fantasy drama to life – featuring exclusive footage and a few surprises for fans.

Other panels and Q&As are set for All Creatures Great and Small, with Nicholas Ralph, Callum Woodhouse, Rachel Shenton, Anna Madeley and Melissa Gallant, and for Starstruck with Rose Matafeo, Emma Sidi and Nic Sampson. The festival will also play host to A Toast to Toast, a fond tribute to Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown with Matt Berry, Arthur Mathews, Michael Cumming, Doon Mackichan and Harry Peacock.

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Ella Bright in Malory Towers
BBC

Meanwhile, there will be a preview for a new, exciting and mysterious BBC series Malory Towers, featuring a panel and Q&A with Ella Bright, Danya Griver, Sienna Arif-Knights and Beth Bradfield, and a BFI IMAX screening of Prince: Purple Passion and Pomp, a bespoke compilation of the musical super-star on the small screen.

The festival will be held at both the BFI’s Southbank base and also in its nearby IMAX cinema.

More exciting panels, exclusive premieres and special guests for The BFI & Radio Times Television Festival will be announced soon.

The BFI & Radio Times Television Festival runs from 20th to 22nd May 2022 and you can get tickets here. Radio Times subscribers can book tickets from 12th April, and they will be on general sale from 13th April.

Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub for the latest news. 

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