Actor, host, provocateur and now Radio Times cover star, Alan Cumming is one of television’s most singular talents. Gareth McLean’s interview with him is every bit as sharp, candid and entertaining as you might expect.
Reflecting on the current political climate and the importance of visibility, Cumming tells us: “Art can’t save the world but art can change minds. I wouldn’t do what I do if I didn’t believe that” – a remark that feels resonant as the UK approaches a summer filled with Pride celebrations.
The timing is apt, too, with anticipation growing around Tip Toe, the latest drama by Russell T Davies in which Cumming stars. Together, Davies and Cumming represent a tradition of British television that has long been shaped and enriched by LGBTQ+ voices.
Indeed, in this week’s issue, Patrick Mulkern speaks to Brian Hodgson, the sound designer who joined the BBC in 1960 and worked on Doctor Who. Hodgson recalls that while old-fashioned attitudes existed, the reality often told a rather different story.
“The head of Programme Operations said he would never employ any homosexuals,” Hodgson remembers. “Had he stuck to that, he wouldn’t have had a department, because two-thirds of us were gay.”
A reminder, if one were needed, of the huge debt British TV owes to LGBTQ+ writers, performers, producers and creatives.
You may also notice a few changes to the typography in our listings pages this week, which we hope will make planning your viewing and listening a little easier on the eye.
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Also in this week’s Radio Times:
- Strictly dancer Amy Dowden and actor Adeel Akhtar take a trip into their family history in Who Do You Think You Are?
- John Travolta makes his directorial debut in a story that taps into his love of flying.
- Charlie Higson welcomes a new Bond offshoot – and ponders who might play 007.
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Authors
Shem Law is the brand editor of Radio Times, and the 20th person to hold that esteemed position in over 100 years. He wasn’t allowed a television growing up, but over the years he has rather overcompensated for that fact.
