We used to enjoy watching celebrities go off-piste — but now those moments are called “content” and have lost their frisson

Some shows thrive despite being slated by critics — because sometimes terrible telly is just what we need

Fifty years on from their explosive debut single “New Rose”, THE DAMNED have evolved from punk pioneers to national treasures. But as a new album pays tribute to Brian James, their fallen co-founder, bandmates Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies – along with sundry eyewitnesses and ne’erdo-wells – recall the volatile beginnings, creative vision and incorrigible spirit of The Damned’s groundbreaking first act. “It was CID, villains and the Captain in a nurse’s outfit,” hears Peter Watts

Screwball escapades on the Lower East Side; bittersweet glory on Broadway; trauma in Tehran; and more…

25 BEST DRAMAS OF 2025

12 DECEMBER FRIDAY