Sky – What to watch in April

This April, join us on Sky and NOW for the second chapter of Joel and Ellie’s story of conflict, survival and revenge in the second season of The Last of Us. Also this month, the one and only Joe Lycett takes to the road to find and unite his beloved hometown’s namesakes in Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham. And just in time for the Easter holidays, there’s more Minion mayhem in the family blockbuster Despicable Me 4.

The Last of Us – Season 2

Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

‌Season two’s returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Previously announced new cast includes Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham

It’s no secret that Joe Lycett adores Brum, but his hometown is having a tough time of it. In his self-appointed role as the second city’s ambassador and, with the blessing of the actual Lord Mayor of Birmingham, everyone’s favourite comedy activist is on a mission to put Birmingham firmly back on the map – in fact, all over the map.

To do that, Joe is heading to North America, home to no fewer than eighteen Birminghams – stretching from Canada’s Saskatchewan province, down the East Coast, through the Midwest and into the Deep South. Joe will explore their history, their collective Brummie cultural commonalities and form official ‘Friendship Agreements’ with as many Birminghams as he can.

At the climax of the series , Joe will invite some of his new Brummie chums back to his own Birmingham for what will doubtless become an annual global event – the International Day of Birmingham.

Chicago Fire Season 13 / Chicago Med Season 10 / Chicago PD Season 12

Chicago Fridays are coming back to Sky and NOW as new seasons of all three arms of the hit procedural series return. Get ready for all-new, edge-of-your-seat emergencies as the firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago’s Firehouse 51, the doctors and medical staff of Gaffney Medical and Sergeant Hank Voight’s Intelligence Unit face intense new challenges on the frontline of the city’s emergency services.

Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story

Pauline Black is the living embodiment of the 2-Tone music movement and a woman who has made her mark on society. She helped shift British society towards diversity with a whole new ethos of anti-racism, sexism and gender politics that we still strive towards today. Her band, The Selecter, had a unique sound and energy defined by Pauline’s distinctive voice and performance. They were a reflection of working-class life in Thatcher’s England, and their music was social reportage. In this new film, featuring unseen archive from the era, we see how Pauline’s life story imitates her art, music and informs her activism as she discusses her experience of adoption, abuse, persona, gender and perseverance. Contributors include fellow The Selecter member Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, film director and DJ Don Letts, Skin (Skunk Anansie), Damon Albarn (Blur), Rhoda Dakar (The Bodysnatchers), Lynval Golding (The Specials), Mykiell Riley (Steel Pulse), artist Sonia Boyce and Jools Holland.

Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood

Rather than focusing solely on the identity of the killer, Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood delves into how the Whitechapel Murders fuelled the rise of tabloid journalism in Britain. The series shines a light on one newspaper in particular – The Star – and its shameless exploitation of the killings to boost circulation and profits, hindering the police investigation to further its own agenda.

Through the eyes of present-day experts, this gripping series immerses viewers in the turbulent Victorian era, offering a unique perspective on how the press manipulated the story for its own gain, ultimately obstructing justice in the process. Through the eyes of present-day experts – including investigative journalists, former detectives, psychologists, historians, a former prostituted woman and author, and forensics experts – this gripping series immerses viewers in the turbulent Victorian era, offering a unique perspective on how the press manipulated the story for its own gain, ultimately obstructing justice in the process.

‌Starring in this drama-led documentary series will be Mark Strepan (New Blood), Moe Dunford (The Dry), Amy Leigh Hickman (Ackley Bridge), Chelsea Halfpenny (Casualty) and Tyger Drew-Honey (Outnumbered).

Despicable Me 4

Gru, the world’s favourite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns for an exciting, bold new era of Minions mayhem.

The biggest global animated franchise in history begins a new chapter as Gru (Steve Carrell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls – Margo, Edith and Agnes – welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr. However, their peaceful existence soon comes crashing down when criminal mastermind Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) escapes from prison and vows revenge against Gru.

Transformers One

Transformers One is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, Transformers One features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.

‌Smile 2

About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

Twisters

Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.

Trap

A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realise they’re at the centre of a dark and sinister event.

‌Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill.