Panorama - Season 74

First aired: 1/12/2026 7 episodes

Episodes

1. Why Are Vet Bills So High?

Aired: 1/12/2026

More than half of UK households have a pet. We value their fun, love and companionship. But vet bills have rocketed in recent years, increasing by almost 50% since 2020. Richard Bilton investigates why it’s become so much more expensive to go to the vet. He speaks to industry insiders and hears from dog owners and cat lovers who found themselves in a dilemma when the health of their pet was dependent on paying bills that could run to thousands of pounds. A recent report has recommended changes to a market that has become increasingly dominated by large corporate chains and asks if the proposed changes go far enough.

2. Maxed Out: The Credit Card Trap

Aired: 1/19/2026

As the cost-of-living crisis continues, millions are leaning on credit cards to make ends meet. Are regulators doing enough to protect us from getting into debt?

3. Post Office: Who's to Blame?

Aired: 1/26/2026

It’s been called the worst miscarriage of justice in British history. Hundreds of postmasters were wrongly prosecuted after money disappeared from the Horizon computer system. But who’s really to blame for the Post Office scandal? With the public inquiry due to deliver its final report later in 2026, the Metropolitan Police says it is looking at more than 50 'persons of interest'. They include managers, investigators and lawyers. Reporter Andy Verity investigates some of those responsible for decisions that saw innocent postmasters jailed, lives destroyed and reputations ruined.

4. Our Man in Moscow

Aired: 2/2/2026

Panorama follows a year in the life of the BBC’s Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, and his work reporting from one of the most hostile places in the world to be a journalist.

5. Knife Crime - What Happened to our Boys?

Aired: 2/9/2026

Kelyan Bokassa was murdered on a bus in broad daylight in Woolwich in south east London in January 2025. He was 14 years old. A few weeks earlier, his friend, 15-year-old Daejaun Campbell, was also murdered in a knife attack on a nearby street. Both boys were being exploited by criminal gangs. Their mothers tell Panorama they knew their sons were in danger, and that they desperately tried to get help. But they say the authorities failed them. The local council says it's working hard to tackle knife crime, and that it is committed to learning from what happened. So how did Kelyan and Daejaun slip through the cracks of a system which is meant to keep children safe? Reporter Frankie McCamley traces the lives of two lost boys and follows the mothers left behind, who now want answers.

6. Framed For Murder?

Aired: 2/16/2026

Omar Benguit has spent 23 years in prison for murder, but there's no CCTV or forensic evidence linking him to the crime. The main prosecution witness is a proven liar with a history of making false allegations. Panorama reveals how the police built their case around her, even though they had evidence that discredited her account. Reporter Bronagh Munro, who has been investigating the case for ten years, also talks to witnesses who say they were pressured to lie in court and finds information that strengthens Omar Benguit's alibi. The new evidence raises serious questions about the police's original investigation and suggests he may have been framed for murder. Dorset Police say the case has been dismissed twice by the Court of Appeal and that its investigation was thorough, detailed and very complex.

7. The Rising Cost of Health Benefits

Aired: 2/23/2026

One in ten working-age people in England and Wales now claims disability or incapacity benefits. The cost to the taxpayer has increased dramatically over the last decade and now stands at £56 billion a year – four times what is spent on the justice system. Disability benefits have seen the sharpest rise, particularly among young people, and more than half of the overall increase has come from claimants with mental health and behavioural conditions. So what's behind the increase? Reporter Bronagh Munro investigates the spiralling costs and asks whether the health-related benefits system is fit for purpose.