As the cost of failure in TV gets ever higher, particularly in drama, it is no surprise when commissioners turn to the past to fill tomorrow’s schedules. Some of these second-life shows become huge hits.

Poldark returned from 1975 to score as one of the biggest new dramas of 2015. Some reboots, such as Doctor Who, become such an established part of the TV landscape that it’s hard to believe they ever went away. Others, such as ITV’s revival of Stars in Their Eyes last year, misfire.

Coal Hill School has been a regular site of alien activity since Doctor Who began in 1963, and all those years of time-travel have caused the barriers between time and space to start wearing dangerously thin, and something frightening is waiting on the other side.

This young adult drama is being created by young adult writer Patrick Ness, and will star The Night Manager, Happy Valley and Mr Selfridge actor Katherine Kelly as a Coal Hill teacher.

Witless – BBC Three

Starring Him & Her actress Kerry Howard, this show follows two women who enter witness protection after witnessing a gangland shooting. However creating a ‘new you’ is harder than you might think. Leanne leaps at creating herself as the ultimate diva, while Rhona finds every lie terrifying. 

Churchill’s Secret - ITV

This one of TV film stars Harry Potter actor Michael Gambon as Winston Churchill. In 1953 Winston Churchill has the first of several strokes which was kept secret from the world. Told from the perspective of his young nurse, Churchill fights to recover, all the while holding tight to the reins of the nation, refusing to relinquish his Prime Ministership.

1. London Spy

Available on BBC iPlayer

The show ended in revelatory fashion this week on BBC 2. Written by Tom Rob Smith, it tells the story of Danny, played by Ben Whishaw (James Bond), who falls in love with a mysterious man, Alex (Edward Holcroft – Kingsman: The Secret Service, Wolf Hall.) After Alex disappears Danny begins to look into the life of his partner, revealing a twisted tale of murder, betrayal and espionage. A fantastic supporting cast including Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling enhance this tense thriller.

From classic comedies such as Only Fools and Horses, to new favourites Celebrity Juice and Peep Show, it's clear that we all enjoy indulging in a good bit of telly during the holidays.

Television is at its core a visual medium and the cameraman exists at the very heart of it.

Tim Palmer, a cinematographer working predominantly in TV drama, and BAFTA winning documentary cameraman Steve Robinson turned the viewfinder on themselves to deliver an RTS craft skills camera masterclass.

The session was chaired by former Yorkshire Television high flier Helen Scott.

Revered or feared by everyone at this time of year, the Christmas TV season is almost upon us. While we have a few weeks to wait before we're settling on the sofa with a selection box, the schedules are being announced and there is much to look forward to.

A new series based on iconic DC Comics characters is coming to Sky 1 in the new year.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow follows the success of Sky’s recent acquisition Supergirl, which launched with a consolidated audience of 1.64 million- the channel’s biggest launch audience in two years.

Birmingham-born writer Phil Ford – the co-creator, with Russell T Davies, of CBBC series Wizards vs Aliens – discussed his career in front of an audience of RTS Midlands and Writers’ Guild members in October.

Ford was quizzed by BBC One Midlands Today presenter Joanne Malin at the BBC Academy in Birmingham, with the conversation covering his TV work and valuable insights into the craft of writing.