This email is a little different from our usual emails, and it won't be something most of our readers need to hear - but I've come across a few really concerning situations in the last couple months, and I wanted to make sure I put this warning out for those who DO need it (or for those with a vulnerable friend or family member).

​

But first, what we're...

​

• Watching: Simon Reeve's Return to Cornwall - This scenic one-part special sees adventurer Simon Reeve returning to one of England's prettiest and poorest regions. It just premiered today over on BBC Select (which is mostly factual content, but well worth subscribing every now and then for the documentaries and travel shows).
• Reading: The Third Man by Graham Greene - In postwar Vienna, writer Holly Martins arrives to meet his old friend Harry Lime, only to find him dead—until a web of secrets and deception reveals that Lime may not be as dead as he seems. For years, I've thought, "At some point I'll read some Graham Greene," but I never quite got round to it - until I spotted The Third Man on sale this morning and snapped it up. Many will have seen the film version, but the book is a good and surprisingly quick read (just 162 pages).

---

---

Doug Henshall is Not Asking You for Money

Just trust me on this one. The same goes for Martin Clunes, John Nettles, Daniel Casey, David Suchet, and any other British actor you "meet" on social media.

​

Sadly, there's been a recent uptick in scammers pretending to be British actors, and I've encountered a couple of people who absolutely could NOT be convinced that they weren't speaking with the real person - even after being asked by the "actor" to help them out financially or "invest" in an upcoming production.

​

This is made worse by the fact that the scammers have begun to use AI speech and video tools to become really, really convincing. If you didn't grow up around technology and you aren't regularly using some of the most recent tools, I understand how you might think a video message or voice conversation is real - but they're "deepfakes" (which just means they've used technology to make really convincing fake photos, videos, or audio).

​

The people doing this are scammers, often from less developed countries, who use modern technology to find vulnerable, unsuspecting, and kind-hearted people who can easily be separated from their money.

​

Facebook is particularly packed with them, and we see these kinds of accounts commenting on our posts all the time. We block them from our page and report them as often as we reasonably can, but there seems to be a never-ending supply of them. Some directly message people out of the blue, but they usually start with something like this:

​

​

​

They leave thousands of these comments all over relevant posts, just hoping they can get someone (often an older lady) to message them. From there, they chat a bit, eventually progressing to those convincing video/voice messages before spinning their sad tale about why they need your money.

​

In other cases, they ask you to scan a little black and white image called a QR code (DON'T do this) or share personal information like your ID or SSN (again, DO NOT do this). Others ask for gift cards.

​

Nothing good comes from interacting with these fake profiles, and we don't want to see bad things happen to anyone here. This is also something to look out for if you have relatives with dementia or significant age-related cognitive decline, as some studies have suggested that those problems can lead to impairment in a person's ability to recognise when someone is being misleading or untruthful.

​

Stay safe out there!

---

---

Recent News on the Site...

​BritBox March 2025 Premiere Schedule​

---

​Acorn TV March 2025 Premiere Schedule​

​

​New British TV Shows Premiering in the US in March 2025​

​17 Signs You've Watched Too Much British TV​

---

​

"I’ve watched Grand Designs with you. That smile when some eco-glass gets delayed on its way from Antwerp and the nice couple gets pushed over budget. That’s the real you."

​

Jez, Peep Show​

Stream it (US): BritBox, Tubi, Pluto, Plex, Freevee, Roku Channel, Crackle, Hulu

---

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.