The production company behind the hit Manchester-based BBC crime series The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime has confirmed it will be making its return to our screens in 2022.
Filmed over the course of two years, it’s fair to say that the hugely-popular documentary series had the nation gripped when it first aired back in March 2021, as it explored real instances of organised crime in Manchester, and the team of detectives trying to put a stop to it, with each episode covering cases as they happen.
What set the show apart from other similar series’ was its exceptional coverage of live police investigations.
It really was an unprecedented access to the Greater Manchester Police.
Millions of viewers tuned into the first episode of the series, which saw police receive a call after a man was taken from his home by an armed gang in front of his wife and children, before being held hostage, tortured, and only released after a £34,000 ransom was paid, and then millions more caught the second episode too, which documented an incident and spate of criminal activity covered multiple times in the national press back in 2018 and 2019.
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Yet despite the success of those first two episodes, without any prior warning, the series suddenly disappeared from TV guides, and when the next week rolled around on the day the show usually aired, many people were wondering where it had gone.
More recently, the existing episodes were also removed from BBC iPlayer.
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The first episode of The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime / Credit: BBCThe second episode of The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime / Credit: BBC
The reason for the show disappearing off air wasn’t something the BBC seemed massively keen to talk about, despite many people asking, but in an answer to someone’s inquisitive question on Twitter back in May 2021, BBC iPlayer did reveal that: “The first two episodes were self-contained narratives [and] there are three remaining episodes that are planned later in the summer which follow one complete story.”
The summer may have passed, but now, the show’s producers have finally confirmed it will be making its long-anticipated return in 2022.
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Minnow Pictures explained in two separate tweet replies: “It will return this year [2022], date TBC, and we do need to wait for stories to conclude.”
They also added that “there are delays due to ongoing investigations.”
It will return next year, date TBC. We do need to wait for stories to conclude
The subject and storylines for the upcoming episodes are currently unconfirmed.
There have been rumours that the show’s second run will focus on grooming gangs in Rochdale, although the BBC are yet to shed any light on whether this is true, or when exactly it is that thw series will air.
The broadcaster has been simply asking people to “keep an eye on the programme page for dates nearer the time.”
Featured Image – BBC
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Tesco shoppers urged to use up £16.5m-worth of Clubcard vouchers before they expire this month
Emily Sergeant
Tesco is urging Clubcard members to check if they have any vouchers that need to be used up, as millions are set to expire at the end of this month.
Clubcard Vouchers, which are always valid for two years from issue, need to be exchanged before the clock strikes midnight on the last day of this month (30 November), and can go towards everything from the cost of the weekly shop, to pay for fuel, or to pick up a new Tesco Mobile deal.
What’s more is that shoppers can also exchange the remaining vouchers for double their value too -with more than 100 Clubcard reward partners.
You can even take advantage of some all-new reward partner deals as well.
These include the new ‘Tesco Tuesdays’ offer with Cineworld, giving Clubcard members the chance to get cinema tickets for Tuesday showings for just £5 (£2.50 in Clubcard Vouchers), and the amazing new triple value voucher offer with PizzaExpress, meaning £10 of Tesco Clubcard vouchers can be redeemed for a code for £30-off food at the popular pizza chain.
According to Tesco’s stats, if the soon-to-be expired vouchers were all used for ‘Tesco Tuesdays’, it would be enough to get 6.6 million cinema tickets at Cineworld, and if they were exchanged at PizzaExpress, they could secure a whopping £49.5 million of reward codes.
Clubcard members can earn Clubcard points in a variety of ways, including using their Clubcard when they shop or purchase fuel at Tesco, or when they charge electric vehicles at Pod charging facilities at Tesco stores.
Today, it’s believed that more than 24 million UK households have a Tesco Clubcard.
“We don’t want anyone to miss out on making the most of their Tesco Clubcard Vouchers, and with some great new offers with Clubcard Rewards this really is a great time to use those vouchers up,” commented Shama Wilson, who is the Tesco Group Membership and Loyalty Director.
“So it really is worth checking in the Tesco app to see if you have any vouchers expiring.”
Featured Image – Tesco
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Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of special ‘Christmas Cracker’ and New Year’s shows
Danny Jones
Britain’s beloved Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of massive end-of-season specials to ring in the new year, announcing a number of their famous ‘Christmas Cracker’ and festive parties.
They’re also holding a ‘Big Fat Bingo of the Year’ (we don’t see any trademark issues whatsoever…), including one for NYE.
As one of the best nights out, not just in the North but in the country, they’re hoping to send you into 2026 singing, dancing, laughing, and hopefully with some lasting memories and maybe a prize or two.
Confirming the latest raft of shows starting this month, you can expect all the usual Bongo’s madness and more, plus all the bells and whistles, as well as plenty of tinsel and holiday cheer.
We’d love a new hoover for Christmas, to be fair. (Credit: Press shot)
Returning to Albert Hall as it regularly does throughout the rest of the calendar, Bongo’s Bingo is promising to give Manchester a Christmas and New Year’s period they’ll never forget.
As they put it, the hosts will be “transporting everyone back to the time when coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme, because the halcyon days of turkey with all the trimmings, mini bottles of Babycham and not a naughty elf in sight are BACK big time at Bongo’s Bingo.”
Bloomin’ ‘eck, they don’t half know how to get a crowd fired up even before they’re in the room, do they?
Set to deliver all the best festive tunes, “dodgy Santa Clauses” – their words, not ours – as well as plenty of foil hats fresh from the Christmas cracker, they’ll be partying with us Mancs multiple times throughout December, not to mention a bonus show at the end of November as we fully swap autumn for winter.
As for the ‘Twixmas’/’Christmas gooch’ period (again, not our words…), the format will then switch to the Big Fat Bingo of the Year, with quiz elements featuring all the biggest memes, tunes and cultural moments of 2025.
You can see the full list of Bongo’s Bingo festive dates for 2025 down below:
Bongo’s Bingo Christmas Cracker and Big Fat Bingo of the Year dates
Christmas Cracker
November – Fri, 28
December – Sat 6 Dec (day and night), Sat 20 Dec, Sun 21 (day), Mon 22 and Tues 23
Big Fat Bingo Of The Year
Sat, 27 Dec (day and night), Sun 28 (day) and NYE 2025
If you’re interested in booking onto Bongo’s Bingo this Christmas and/or New Year’s, you can find out more information and grab your tickets right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
27th January 2022 
