Thanks to the watchdog’s liberal pre-election advice, drawling condescension will pass as impartiality

‘Tonight I’ll be asking the most important question of all – who was St George and why do we celebrate him?” Supposing a UK channel wanted to prove that politicians make such abysmal current affairs presenters that there is nothing for regulators to worry about, it could hardly do better than hire Jacob Rees-Mogg.

After a year presenting State of the Nation on GB News , its presenter comes across, oddly on a station that increasingly betrays some interest in professional standards, as fully as unendurable as he was in the days when, as a cabinet minister, he’d leave crested notes on civil service work stations. “Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon. With every good wish, Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP.”

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In this week’s newsletter: Navigating the ever-changing world of streaming services is head-spinning, so here are our favourite shows on every one right now

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This week it’s a return to our “a show for every streamer” format, where – yep – we recommend a show to watch for every streaming service. We last did one of these two years ago , and since then the landscape has dramatically shifted. Some streamers have been folded into others (BritBox is now part of ITVX in the UK), some have rebranded (goodbye IMDb TV, hello Amazon Freevee), some have shuttered (RIP Sundance Now), and some, confusingly, have rebranded then shuttered (so long Lionsgate+, formerly Starzplay, we hardly knew thee). And tellingly very few new streaming services have emerged, suggesting that an industry that has had to reckon with the unsustainable levels of growth it had previously encouraged.

Still, even if streaming is in a period of contraction, there’s still an awful lot of services around. Here are our picks for the must watch shows on each of the major streamers, from Apple to ITVX (note to our international readers: this is a guide for UK streaming sites, but hopefully most of the below is available in some form to you too):

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Investigation urged into alleged bid to turn Rai into propaganda channel for ruling parties before elections

The European commission has been urged to investigate alleged attempts by Italy’s far-right government to turn the public broadcaster, Rai, into a “megaphone” for the ruling parties ahead of the European elections.

The appeal from the European Green party came after the Italian parliament’s supervisory committee for Rai approved a measure allowing the broadcaster’s news channel to televise political rallies in full and without any journalistic mediation in the run-up to the vote in early June.

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The university student has hired a defamation lawyer after the TV network incorrectly named him without confirmation from police

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The Sydney man Benjamin Cohen, who was wrongly named on air by Seven News as the Bondi Junction killer, has hired a lawyer and is seeking damages from the network.

The university student has engaged defamation lawyers and issued a concerns notice to Seven, his solicitor Patrick George of the law firm Giles/George has confirmed.

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Grace Keeling says TV needs more authenticity and better representation if it wants to attract younger viewers

TV should “move with the times”, take risks and be less “polished” in order to attract younger audiences, the TikTok star Grace Keeling has said.

Record numbers of young viewers are switching off traditional television in favour of short-form content, according to the media regulator, Ofcom, with Enders Analysis revealing a 30% decline in 16- to 34-year-olds watching TV shows with their parents.

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The boss of the broadcast regulator has expressed concern about how the chase for audience ratings is harming the industry

Television has become more “exploitative and cruel”, according to Michael Grade , the chair of the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom.

“The exploitation dial has been switched up more and more for ratings,” said the peer and former chair of the BBC board. “It makes me mad. I really don’t like it or enjoy it.

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Exclusive: ITV is considering taking paid ads from parties on its streaming platform where ban does not apply

Some viewers are already irritated by the adverts interrupting shows on the ITV catch-up service.

But even they could soon yearn for the halcyon days of shampoo or insurance commercials after being presented with the faces of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.

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A judge is set to hand down his verdict in Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson. Here are all the other connected cases

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More than three years after Brittany Higgins alleged on The Project that she had been raped, the defamation case stemming from that broadcast may be about to come to an end.

A judge is set to hand down his verdict in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson on Monday.

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The presenter on his love of architecture, being too shy for TV, and losing his dad aged seven

Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in 1974, George Clarke is an architect and television presenter. After gaining a first-class degree from the School of Architecture at Newcastle University and a postgraduate diploma from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, his media career began in 2005 as the host of Channel 5’s Build a New Life in the Country. He has since launched a string of architectural franchises on Channel 4: George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations, Amazing Homes and Old House, New Home, as well as campaigning for better social housing. His children’s book, How to Build a Home , is out now.

This was taken in the garden of Oxclose, our estate in Washington . That wasn’t my bike – I must have seized the opportunity to sit on my sister’s while she wasn’t looking. Hence the cheeky expression. There are more photos of me on a bike than not as a child, and, to this day, two wheels – well, a motorbike – remains my preferred mode of transport.

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