Observer TV reviewsTelevisionReviewA trio of crime dramas from France, the UK and Canada, with a warm and wise sitcom for dessert Philharmonia (Channel 4) | All 4 Alex Rider (Amazon Prime) Cardinal (BBC Two) | iPlayer The Other One (BBC One) | iPlayer Three highly singular murders kicked off new drama series of wildly varying mood this first week of joyous June lockdown. You may raise an eyebrow at the necessity of a corpse to hook you into a few hours’ telly – but, well, folk surely fretted mildly in the 1930s at another “‘samey” opening chapter to one of Agatha’s, until they rapidly got over themselves.

Top 10sHistory booksTheresa Breslin's top 10 books about the Spanish inquisitionOne of the darkest periods in Spain's history provides rich pickings for writers, says the children's author, inspiring novelists from Jean Plaidy to Philippa GregoryScottish author and librarian Theresa Breslin has written over 30 books for children. Ranging from historical fiction to tales of modern life and from fantasy and science fiction to school stories, Breslin's books for young adults include the Carnegie medal-winning Whispers in the Graveyard, starring a dyslexic main character, and Divided City.

ChurchSpace founders Day Edwards and Emmanuel Brown. Photograph: ChurchSpaceChurchSpace founders Day Edwards and Emmanuel Brown. Photograph: ChurchSpaceThe New Face of Small BusinessEntrepreneursDay Edwards and Emmanuel Brown match chefs and locals with underused commercial kitchens and event spaces As children, Day Edwards and Emmanuel Brown understood the difficulties involved in serving one’s faith. Edwards saw her pastor mother’s struggles as she built her congregation in Austin, Texas, moving from one location to the next, laboring to cover the overhead and pay rent.

Big BrotherAs the original reality TV show makes a comeback, we explore its bleak new palace that is packed full of pigeons. Just don’t try to go in the smoking room In all its various guises, Big Brother has now been around for more than two decades. And on Sunday night, after stints on both Channel 4 and Channel 5, the original and apparently unkillable reality format will make its long-awaited debut on ITV.

SEMANTIC ENIGMASWhy are ships always female? David Woodward, Dover, UK Ships are frequently or even usually female, but not always. In particular, in the Second World War the German battleship Bismarck, and another ship built to the same specifications, were regarded as being so magnificent that they were described using male terms. Jeremy Reynolds, London This sexist practice may be dying out especially among people who actually use ships.