The BBC is into Shakespeare this autumn. Starting next Monday, they will show four modern adaptations of Shakespeare plays: Much Ado About Nothing by David Nicholls, Macbeth by Peter Moffat, The Taming of the Shrew by Sally Wainwright, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Peter Bowker.

ShakespeaRe-told places the plays in modern settings. In the studios of South-West TV, weathergirl Hero falls in love with dashing reporter Claudio. If this sounds a bit like Bridget Jones, Macbeth smells of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, with King Duncan as manager of a restaurant. The series comes with its own website, where you can write reviews or win a complete BBC-Shakespeare DVD Box in a quiz — only open to UK residents . Also, the BBC must have been following our discussion on early modern detective plots, since they accompany the series with a Shakespearean Murder Mystery Game! All information is on the BBC Shakespeare website.