Thinkbox
Monsieur Spade follows retired detective Sam Spade investigating murders in 1960s France; The Way Out traps comedians in chaotic themed escape rooms; Canal Boat Diaries sees Robbie Cumming explore Britain’s waterways by narrowboat.
Monsieur Spade
UK premiere on Saturday 9th May at 9pm on U&Drama
Set in 1963 in the sun-drenched South of France, this UK premiere features Clive Owen as the iconic detective Sam Spade. Long retired in the quiet town of Bozouls, Spade has left behind the grit and danger of San Francisco for a slower, more peaceful life — until that calm is violently disrupted. When six beloved nuns are discovered brutally murdered at their convent, the community is left devastated. As Spade steps forward to assist, unsettling secrets begin to surface, suggesting that the past he hoped to escape may be closing in on him once more. Following a trail of elusive clues, Spade uncovers a disturbing link between the killings and a mysterious child rumoured to possess extraordinary powers. With powerful forces — both local and distant — vying to find the boy, Spade is drawn into a tense, atmospheric investigation that tests his resolve, his instincts, and his sense of justice.
The Way Out
New series starts Tuesday 12th May at 9pm on U&Dave
Brand-New U&Originals escape room comedy entertainment series hosted by Mel Giedroyc and featuring Ed Gamble and Nish Kumar as team captains. Each captain selected their own team members for the series, with Ed Gamble enlisting Chloe Petts and Lou Sanders, and Nish Kumar selecting Amy Annette and David O’Doherty. In each episode of The Way Out, Mel Giedroyc will drop the two teams of comedians into a bespoke, themed escape room with one simple instruction: the winner is the first team to find ‘the way out’. What lies inside each room remains a complete mystery to the teams until the moment the race begins. Each room reveals a unique world of its own with multiple areas, features and mysteries to solve – “Gone Fishing”, “Fire Fighters”, “Shrink Machine” and “Art Heist.” At the end of the series, the win belongs to the team that conquers all four escape rooms with the fastest overall time.
Canal Boat Diaries
New series starts Monday 18th May at 7pm and 8pm on U&Yesterday
Robbie Cumming returns for a brand-new series of Canal Boat Diaries, embarking on his first-ever narrowboat journey through Wales and then into England’s Northwest. Starting in the picturesque town of Llangollen, he explores the UNESCO-listed Llangollen Canal, crossing the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct - an engineering masterpiece. From there, Robbie travels along the tranquil Montgomery Canal before tackling the northern stretches of the Shropshire Union and Trent and Mersey Canals, passing Cheshire’s historic salt towns. With the 19th-century Anderton Boat Lift out of action, the only way to explore the River Weaver is by borrowing an old working narrowboat - but life aboard proves tough in a cramped cabin with no running water. Continuing along the scenic Macclesfield Canal, with its tree-lined banks and graceful snake bridges, Robbie then explores the picturesque Peak Forest Canal before reaching Manchester. Finally, he faces the legendary Rochdale Canal - known as the ‘Everest’ of the canal system, climbing through countless locks into Yorkshire. Along the way, Robbie shares the highs and lows of life aboard Naughty Lass, cooking local dishes in his tiny galley and capturing the beauty, history, and spirit of Britain’s inland waterways.