Spotlight
Season 2024
BBC Northern Ireland weekly current affairs programme.
Where to Watch Season 2024
15 Episodes
- Our Dirty War: The British State and the IRA
E2Episode 2Our Dirty War: The British State and the IRAStakeknife was a super-spy, a secret agent working for both the British and the IRA. He walked a precarious tightrope in an undercover war where exposure meant death. Operation Kenova, the long-running investigation into Stakeknife and the so-called dirty war, which is now coming to a close, brings Peter Taylor back to Northern Ireland. He revisits the chilling IRA interrogation tapes he initially uncovered and talks again to grieving families devastated by the loss of their loved ones to the IRA’s brutal interrogators and killers. - 30 Years Behind the Mask
E3Episode 330 Years Behind the MaskThirty years after they declared ceasefires, the UVF has moved against the leaders of its east Belfast unit - standing down and replacing them in a move that may signal loyalist groups are moving away from paramilitary activity. There are calls for the appointment of an intermediary to aid that process, but Conor Spackman hears others saying they have seen this before. - Blood on the Dance Floor
E4Episode 4Blood on the Dance FloorAn unsolved murder in a ground-breaking gay bar. Darren Bradshaw was a young, gay police officer enjoying a night out when a republican gunman walked into the crowded bar, shot him next to the dance floor and escaped into the night. The killing came at a pivotal time for both the gay scene in Northern Ireland and the peace process. The murder shattered the gay scene as rumours swirled about who knew he was in the bar and who may have betrayed him. Jordan Dunbar hears from the DJs, drag queens and police officers who were there – and who helped the LGBT community rebuild. - Killer Secrets
E5Episode 5Killer Secrets As Troubles inquests are shut down, Mandy McAuley investigates why the government stepped in to stop the release of information about the involvement of state agents in several murders by Mid-Ulster UVF. Testimony from inside the gang raises new questions about the role of state agents. - The Lough Neagh Monster
E7Episode 7The Lough Neagh Monster Toxic algae, sewage spills and pollution – all in a major source of Northern Ireland’s drinking water. Environmentalists and users of Lough Neagh contend the largest lake in the UK or Ireland is dying. Patrick Fee investigates the Lough Neagh crisis and tracks down polluters. - I Am Not Okay
E10Episode 10I Am Not Okay Mothers reveal to Tara Mills the challenges of living with their sons with autism, who are being violent towards them. They tell Tara they feel judged and blamed by the system that is meant to protect them and feel there is no safety net. Extraordinary personal videos. - My Son in a Warzone
E11Episode 11My Son in a Warzone A custody battle in the shadow of war. David left home at ten months old and never came back. Spotlight investigates the story of a mother separated from her child by a looming war and her fight for custody with a father defying the UK authorities. Patrick Fee follows the trail of the boy to Beirut. - Kelly: The Body Below the Bridge
E13Episode 13Kelly: The Body Below the Bridge The body of 23-year-old Kelly Lynch was found in a canal on St Patrick’s Day. What happened isn’t clear, and Irish police have decided to review the case after her parents raised questions about their handling of the investigation. Were clues missed? Conor Spackman reports. - The Sewage Scandal
E14Episode 14The Sewage ScandalA crumbling sewage system, thousands of illegal spills, and it’s only getting worse. Patrick Fee lifts the lid on Northern Ireland’s sewage pollution scandal and the government-owned company illegally discharging raw sewage into rivers, lakes and seas.
