What’s new to watch on BBC iPlayer?

This week on BBC iPlayer (9 – 15 March) we’re laughing it up for a good cause with Comic Relief, hosted for one last time by Sir Lenny Henry, live from Media City in Salford.

We’re also headed across the Atlantic with Zara McDermott for revealing documentary The Idaho Murders: Trial by TikTok.

There are new series of Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr, and of Forensics: The Real CSI, plus we’re in Manchester with full sets and highlights from the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.

What’s coming new to BBC iPlayer this week?

Comic Relief

Red Nose Day is back, live from Media City UK, Salford. It’s the UK’s biggest night of comedy and entertainment, so make sure you don’t miss it!

The epic three-hour fundraising favourite will entertain the nation with hilarious sketches, live performances, big surprises and stunning music while raising much-needed cash for good causes at home and across the world.

Joining Sir Lenny Henry (for one last time live in the Comic Relief studio) will be Romesh Ranganathan, Maya Jama, David Tennant, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Rosie Ramsey and Paddy McGuinness.

The Idaho Murders: Trial by TikTok

When four University of Idaho students were murdered by an unknown attacker in November 2022, Zara McDermott first read about it on social media. The small American college town of Moscow is home to just 25,000 people, most of them students, and hasn’t seen a homicide in seven years. For six weeks, the police said they had no suspects, no motive, no weapon, and had found no signs of forced entry into the house.

The students, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen, had all been stabbed to death. Zara, like millions of people all over the world, became obsessed with the case and scoured social media looking for clues and theories as to what happened; as days turned in to weeks, global interest in the case snowballed, racking up nearly two billion views on TikTok worldwide.

Zara heads to Moscow, Idaho to find out about the tragic murders and the global online manhunt that followed their deaths.

Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr

Meet the ten novice interior designers embarking on the ultimate crash course in interior design. Host Alan Carr sends them off to a former convent in Norfolk, where they must transform nuns’ cells into single bed B&B bedrooms, demonstrating their signature style.

Judges Michelle Ogundehin and Abigail Ahern will decide who wins Stand-Out Space and who will be the first to leave.

Forensics: The Real CSI

Multiple cameras follow serious crime investigations in real time, revealing the crucial role cutting-edge forensic science now plays in bringing criminals to justice.

The news series begins with a grisly case, as West Midlands Police are called after staff working in a tip yard make a discovery: a decomposing body in a freezer which has been brought in for disposal following a flat clearance. A forensics team attends the scene, and the body and freezer are both removed for forensic tests.

The team must first identify the body, a process that eventually leads the police to a surprising discovery: one of the deceased’s friends has known about his death for quite some time.

BBC Radio 6 Music Festival

From legendary artists to breaking new acts, the 6 Music Festival returns, with highlights from cross the festival and live sets from The Smile, Gossip and Young Fathers.

What’s new to watch on BBC iPlayer now?

How To with John Wilson

Filmmaker and “anxious New Yorker” John Wilson returns for a third series in which he films fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give advice on relatable topics in this series. Topics this series include how to find a public restroom, how to clean your ears, and how to watch birds.

Newark, Newark

Newark, Newark follows pugnacious Nottinghamshire chip shop manager and exhausted matriarch, Maxine, as she tries to ride out her divorce. Starring Morgana Robinson, Matthew Horne, and Beverly Callard.

Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370

Ten years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared with 239 passengers and crew on board on 8 March 2014, this documentary looks at whether new radio technology may finally help locate the missing aircraft and asks what lessons can be learned to make aviation safer.

How the BBC Began

The story of the BBC’s development of impartiality – starting with the General Strike of 1926, when the BBC was only three years old. In this major national crisis, John Reith, as its general manager, judged that his battle to prevent it being taken over by the government as an organ of propaganda was more important than a strict adherence to impartiality.

Discovering the Music of Antiquity

An investigation into an old papyrus discovered in a storeroom of the Louvre museum has revealed that it was a very ancient Greek score. But how can we know who composed it? How do we interpret this music? And where do we find the ancient instruments to play it?

Things You Should Have Done

Things You Should Have Done is a hilarious, offbeat, dysfunctional family-sitcom from the unique comedy mind of Lucia Keskin.

Self-confessed stay-at-home-daughter, Chi (Lucia), is suddenly forced to fend for herself when her parents die. Chi will inherit the house on condition she completes a list of ‘Things You Should Have Done’ left by her parents (everything from ‘Pet a dog’ to ‘Get a job’). Meanwhile Chi’s highly strung Auntie Karen (Selin Hizli) wants nothing to do with her dependent pest of a niece, but very much wants the house she feels is rightfully hers!

In each episode, Chi tackles something from the list and is unleashed on the locals of Ramsgate, who bring something new to Chi’s understanding of life but leave wishing they’d never met her.

Gangnam Project

From the city that catapulted K-pop juggernauts like BTS and Blackpink to global stardom, Gangnam Project is a brand-new dramedy that offers audiences an exclusive glimpse behind the curtain of what it takes to become a K-pop superstar.

A spirited Canadian Korean teen Hannah, obsessed with K-pop, accepts a job as an English tutor at an elite Korean entertainment company, but gets more than she bargained for.

Darren McGarvey: The State We’re In

A new three-part series with social commentator, prize-winning author and rapper Darren McGarvey takes a tough but compassionate look at Britain today, delving into the justice system, education and the health service.

A known campaigner on social issues from a working class background, he brings his own perspective, insight and analysis – along with humour and humanity – to the series Darren McGarvey: The State We’re In.

With privileged access to prisons, schools and hospitals, the writer and rapper takes an unflinching look at the state of the UK’s public services, but also visits some radical and ground-breaking examples – which could offer inspiration on different ways for state services to evolve – here in the UK and beyond in Scandinavia.

Prisoner

Danish drama series revolving around the lives of four prison officers, whose personal challenges intertwine with the complexities of their workplace: a prison plagued by bad press, hierarchy issues and a drug trade.

The Rescue

Chronicling the story that transfixed the world in 2018 – the daring rescue of 12 boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in northern Thailand. This film shines a light on the high-risk world of cave diving, the astounding courage and compassion of the rescuers and the shared humanity of an international community that united to save the boys.

The Way

Ambitious, powerful and surprising, The Way imagines a family caught up in a civil uprising which begins in their small industrial town.

Fleeing unrest, the Driscolls are forced to escape the country they’ve always called home and the certainties of their old lives. Will they be overwhelmed by their memories of the past, or will they lay their ghosts to rest and take the risk of an unknown future? Directed by Michael Sheen and created by Sheen, James Graham and Adam Curtis.

High: Surviving a Dubai Drugs Bust

A deal too good to be true struck in a nightclub: what could go wrong? Karl’s party boy trip to Dubai turns from a dream into a living nightmare when police search the boot of his rental car and find a kilo of drugs. Based on a remarkable true story.

Boarders

Boarders is a high energy, coming of age comedy drama which follows the lives of five talented black inner-city teenagers navigating their way through an alien world – the British public school system.

Following a problematic viral video involving a student, the teens are offered sixth form scholarships to St Gilbert’s, one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious schools, in an attempt to rehabilitate its image. They soon find themselves in a world they can only describe as something out of Harry Potter, surrounded by lush playing fields, cloistered grandeur and complex social rules which they must decipher quickly in order to survive. They will go on a journey as they learn about themselves, their identity and what it’s like to live alongside the one percent – which they discover is nothing like life as they knew it.

Sort Your Life Out

Stacey Solomon and her crack team are back to help more families transform their homes with a life-changing declutter, budget friendly makeover and supersized spring-clean.

First up in the new series is the Bufton family, where single dad Craig has been bringing up his young daughters, six-year-old Merywen and four-year-old Wren, after their Mum Lois passed away from cancer four years ago. Supported by Lois’s close family, dad Craig feels now is the right time to tackle the clutter in their home and make a positive change for his daughters.

Martin Compston’s Norwegian Fling

Martin Compston with friend and co-presenter Phil MacHugh gets immersed in modern Norway, in this new six-part series in which they travel almost 2,000 miles along the length of Scotland’s nearest Scandi neighbour.

Their journey begins as they arrive in Norway’s capital city, Oslo. It’s the first step of an epic journey that will explore the differences and similarities between Scotland and Norway. They try roller skiing with Olympic gold medallist cross-country skier Ragnhild Gløersen Haga and champion roller skier Ragnar Bragvin Andresen, meet Norway’s youngest MP, Maren Grøthe, at the Storting, Norway’s parliament, and enjoy a first-night tipple in their digs for the night, a remote cabin.

Miners’ Strike: A Frontline Story

This is the story of 15 men and women and one life-changing year on the front line of the most divisive conflict of a generation: the 1984 miners’ strike.

This documentary tells the story of this year-long conflict by combining archive footage with deeply personal testimony from striking and working miners, their families and the police – with many speaking for the first time.

Inseparable Sisters

An uplifting insight into the lives of seven-year-old conjoined twins, who weren’t expected to live more than a few days. Cared for by their devoted father, the girls have defied all medical expectations and now attend mainstream primary school.

Though conjoined, the girls have developed very different personalities and interests. It’s a story that shows the challenges they face in their daily lives, from hospital visits to simply finding clothes they can wear, told through the eyes of their ever-committed father.

Kin

The critically acclaimed eight-part series continues the story of the Kinsella family, who are now at the top of the crime game in Dublin, but their triumph has incurred the enmity of an enemy even more dangerous than Eamon Cunningham, and where once there were unbreakable bonds of blood and family, there is only suspicion, distrust, and resentment.

Bring the Drama

New series opening up the world of screen drama to eight people who have always dreamt of becoming professional actors but have never had the opportunity. Hosted by actor and comedian Bill Bailey, eight aspiring actors are mentored over six weeks by renowned casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry as they fulfil their TV dream on set of some of the UK’s most loved dramas.

Drugs Map of Britain

The show that cuts through the headlines to explore the real world of users and dealers in the UK today returns with a new series, which explores Viagra, THC Vapes, Monkey Dust, and Crack.

The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth

This documentary combines first-hand testimony with previously unseen archive to chart the in-depth story of the Columbia space shuttle tragedy in 2003, when the shuttle disintegrated during re-entry to Earth.

Rick Stein’s Food Stories

This new 15-part series follows Rick Stein as he embarks on a mouth-watering cookery pilgrimage around the UK to explore what we all like to eat today.

From farm to fork, he explores age-old traditions and modern tastes across the country, including visits to the Lake District, Argyll, Belfast, The Gower Peninsula, Bristol, Yorkshire and many other incredible locations.

Death in Paradise

We’re back with the team on the idyllic Caribbean Island of Saint Marie with more ingenious murders to solve. In the series’ landmark 100th episode, Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) celebrates 50 years of police service before coming face to face with a surprising enemy.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World

They’re back and more fierce than ever! RuPaul invites global Drag Race glamazons from around the world to start their engines and compete alongside celebrated UK Drag Racers for the coveted title of Queen of the Mothertucking World.

For the first time in Drag Race UK herstory, the winning Queen will also receive a cash prize.

Our Flag Means Death

Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi star in the second series of the period comedy loosely based on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet, a pampered 18th-century aristocrat who abandoned a life of privilege to become a pirate.

As he adjusts to life without wealth, Stede struggles to find new purpose on the Republic of Pirates – until he meets a powerful new foe.

Six Nations 2024

Honours to win, tackles to make, tries to score. Pride is at stake in the legendary international rugby union tournament beginning on iPlayer with live coverage of Wales vs Scotland at the Principality Stadium.

MOBO Awards 2024

The annual MOBO Awards celebrate black music, culture, and excellence, with iconic live performances and collaborations in Sheffield. Standout talent from music, film, and sport present prizes to the hottest acts.

Domino Day

New series following Domino Day (played by Siena Kelly), a young woman on all of the dating apps. But Domino isn’t swiping to find her soulmate – she’s swiping to hunt.

A young witch with extraordinary powers, Domino is desperately seeking a community who can help her understand who she is, but she doesn’t need to look far, as a coven of witches is already tracking her every move, convinced they have to stop her before her powers destroy everyone and everything around her.

When a dangerous figure from Domino’s past comes back to haunt her, will it be a fresh start for them all, or a final showdown?

The Apprentice

The Apprentice returns for series 18 and this time it’s bigger and better than ever as Lord Sugar’s candidates battle it out for a whopping £250,000 business investment.

This year’s candidates kick things off in the breath-taking Scottish Highlands. Under the watchful eye of Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell, the teams are tasked with hosting a corporate away day.

There’s chaos in the kitchen and tours that don’t run to schedule. Back in the boardroom, for one candidate, it’s the end of the road.

The Traitors Australia

Rodger Corser returns as host in this delicious game of deception.

20 players, an exciting mix of charismatic everyday Aussies and some much-loved famous faces, will meet for the first time and band together to win up to a quarter of a million in solid silver bars. Moments after getting acquainted, three players will be selected as the traitors, the other 17 will be the faithful.

Only the Traitors know who’s who, and by night they will meet together in Traitors Tower to murder an innocent faithful.

Here We Go

The Jessops return for a second series, as we continue to follow their successes and failures as they try and navigate life’s many challenges.

In the second series life is changing for the Jessops. Sue is downsizing and having a big clear-out, Amy is back from Norway and pining for the fjords, and Rachel’s started her new university course.

Putin vs the West: At War

The inside story of a decade of clashes, as told by the Western leaders who traded blows with Putin. The second series details Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which stuns the world. At the United Nations Security Council, the Russian ambassador is in the chair when the news breaks, sparking an extraordinary exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart.

We hear from the presidents, prime ministers and top officials who were in the room for the crucial moments as they grappled with how to respond.

Amityville: An Origin Story

A paranormal conspiracy rooted in grisly real life murder. Discover the dark undercurrents that started a legend – a heady mix of death, supernatural obsession and horror movies.

In 1975, when George and Kathy Lutz move into their suburban dream home, a cascade of terrifying, unexplainable events drive them out in just 28 days. Those closest to the terror share their stories.

David Mitchell’s Outsiders

David Mitchell – hovering over proceedings like a pedantic headmaster – challenges six intrepid comedians to spend a week living in the great outdoors, where they will face daily challenges that teach them important and valuable life skills.

Featuring Ed Gamble and Lou Sanders, Kerry Godliman and Toussaint Douglass, and Jessica Knappett and Jamali Maddix.

Eurovision Song Contest 2024 – The Draw

The Eurovision year kicks off as Liverpool hands over the contest to Malmo home of the 2024 Edition. There is a look back at the memorable moments from last year’s spectacular contest in Liverpool and it will feature the draw which will determine which semi-final UK audiences will be able to vote in. The Semi-final draw is hosted by Swedish presenters Farah Abadi and Pernilla Månsson Colt.

Wilderness with Simon Reeve

On his toughest journeys yet, Simon Reeve travels through some of the most remote landscapes on Earth in search of the people and the wildlife of the planet’s greatest wildernesses. In the first episode he explores the second largest rainforest ion the world, in the Congo, before journeying to the ice fields of Patagonia, the remote tropical reefs and jungle islands of the Coral Triangle, and the parched southern African desert the Kalahari

Señorita 89

The explosive behind-the-scenes scandals of Miss Mexico 1989 continue to simmer, as TV stations, cartels and politicians vie to influence and exploit the competition. The new series begins with Isabel having been crowned Miss Mexico and living the life of a beauty queen in a five-star hotel. Jocelyn and Angeles accept their fate and are sent to jail. While Jocelyn unexpectedly finds protection from La Madrina, a narco boss, Angeles does not.

Pep Guardiola: Chasing Perfection

How and why has Pep Guardiola been able to revolutionise football?

This documentary offers a deep dive into Pep’s relentless pursuit of perfection and the methods and motivations that have led him to leave a lasting imprint on the beautiful game. Fascinating interviews with his inner circle, including his right-hand man Txiki Begiristain, uncover Pep’s journey from a small town in Catalonia to the awe-inspiring Camp Nou and the importance of his pivotal relationship with managerial guru Johan Cruyff.

Revenge: Our Dad the Nazi Killer

Hundreds of Nazi war criminals fled to Australia after World War Two hoping to start over and avoid prosecution. Not all of them found the refuge they had sought; quite a few died prematurely in freak accidents or by taking their own lives, or at least that was how their deaths were reported.

In this real-life murder mystery, three Australian Jewish brothers investigate whether their father and uncle, the sole survivors of a large Eastern European family, may have been involved in these mysterious deaths.

Fresh Cops

Back on the beat with Leicestershire’s youngest cops, familiar faces and new recruits reveal the challenges of frontline policing, and how their friendships and camaraderie get them through even the toughest shifts. The series kicks off with a grade one call-out for 26-year-old PC Jake Bull. At the end of series one, Jake was seconded to join the child exploitation unit, but a year later, he’s back doing what he loves best: response.

Gladiators

Contenders ready? Gladiators is back! Bradley and Barney Walsh host the iconic competition show, re-imagined for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Get set for all the classic, action-packed battles alongside jaw-dropping new events and 16 mighty Gladiators.

Four contenders must face our resident superhumans across five brutal events before going head-to-head in the legendary Eliminator. Who has the will and the skill to conquer the infamous Travelator and win a place in the quarter-finals? In this round, Legend makes a statement on Hang Tough, Sabre gets her claws out in the Ring and contenders feel Viper’s venom on Collision Bridge.

Bad Education

The new generation of Class K return to Abbey Grove for a new series with drama teacher Stephen Carmichael (Layton Williams) and PE teacher Mitchell Harper (Charlie Wernham) overseeing a class including glamorous gossip Usma, wannabe roadman Inchez, himbo Harrison, clueless slacktivist Jinx, eccentric Warren and energetic hustler Blessing.

The new series begins with Mitchell risking losing Kayleigh after spending their life savings on a wedding venue mix-up. Class K come to the rescue, promoting a boxing match at Abbey Grove with dramatic consequences for Warren.

Liar: The Fake Grooming Scandal

Twenty-two-year-old Ellie Williams was jailed for lying about being trafficked and raped by a vicious Asian grooming gang. Now, for the first time, the truth about Ellie’s claims can be laid open.

This hour-long film features never-before-seen police footage of her and hears for the first time from the officers at the heart of the case, the specialist detectives who treated Ellie as a victim of serious crime until they realised they were investigating something very different. It examines why her allegations resonated, and the devastating impact they had in Barrow.

Silent Witness

Nikki and Jack investigate a murder bearing all the hallmarks of a notorious serial killer when Silent Witness returns from 8 January. When Nikki meets Charles Beck, the pathologist who conducted the original post-mortems, she discovers his wife was the suspected fifth victim of the serial killer, but nobody believes him when he claims he knows where to find her body.

Call the Midwife

It’s 1969 and more babies are being born in hospital than ever before when we return to Nonnatus House for a new series from 7 January. Pressure on maternity beds remains extremely high across the country but Poplar is coping better than most due to the work of Nonnatus House and the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters. The series begins with Sister Julienne caring for an expectant mother who has cerebral palsy, while Nonnatus House’s new midwifery training scheme sees the arrival of four new pupil midwives.

Tell Me Lies

Lucy and Stephen’s relationship quickly becomes entwined in an addictive entanglement that will forever change not only their lives, but the lives of everyone around them. Tell Me Lies is a story of toxic love, ruthless ambition and shocking betrayal, based on the 2018 novel by Carola Lovering.

Streets of Gold: Mumbai

Meet the glamorous super-rich of Mumbai, India’s most fashionable city. Incredible wealth and extreme poverty live side by side in a sun-drenched city bursting with opportunity. In this new three part series, narrated by Sunetra Sarker, we explore some of India’s wealthiest people and how it once reigned as the planet’s largest economy for most of the last two millennia.

SOS Extreme Rescues

Saving lives in a place like no other takes an emergency response like no other, and in the brand new documentary series SOS Extreme Rescues, the realities of rescue missions in Eryri – also known as Snowdonia – are laid bare.

In this place, epic mountain ranges and dense forests sit alongside miles of coastline. On top of that, this awe-inspiring part of north Wales attracts millions of tourists each year. But whether it’s a local or first-time visitor in danger, the 12 part series highlights the hard work and collaboration it takes when more than 17 dedicated local emergency and rescue teams to join forces to help those in danger and save lives.

The Agency: Unfiltered

They’re back! Hit BBC Scotland series The Agency: Unfiltered returns for a shiny new second series. With 10 new episodes, the series promises to be bigger, bolder, and more binge-worthy than the first.

The Agency: Unfiltered offers viewers an exclusive glimpse into the realities of working in the world of influencer marketing, where glamour and drama go hand-in-hand. In series 2, we continue to go behind the scenes at Aquarius Creative, Scotland’s largest influencer agency, and get a deeper understanding of the lives of its co-founders, Amy and Kirsten, as well as the influencers they represent.

The Tourist

The Tourist series two sees Elliot (Jamie Dornan) and Helen (Danielle Macdonald) travel to Ireland to find answers about Elliot’s identity, but instead they are forced to face the dangerous consequences of his past actions.

The Traitors

Get them before they get you. 22 strangers, one castle, £120k – Claudia Winkleman hosts the ultimate reality game of trust and treachery. Let the mind games begin.

Stream the first 3 episodes of The Traitors series two from Wednesday 3 January.

What We Do in the Shadows

The vampires return to Staten Island to find their mansion on the verge of total structural collapse — and with no money to repair it.

Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster

Sir David Attenborough investigates the discovery of a lifetime: the giant skull of a prehistoric sea monster, known as a pliosaur – the Tyrannosaurus rex of the seas!

Waterloo Road

The staff and students of Waterloo Road return for a new series from 2 January. As the school comes to terms with the death of a student, headteacher Kim Campbell vows to restore Waterloo Road’s reputation.

Dragons’ Den

Dragons’ Den returns for series 21 on 4 January and this time business moguls Gary Neville and Emma Grede will be joining as the first ever Guest Dragons. They’ll be sitting alongside Den heavyweights Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies, and Steven Bartlett.