Jack Smith is no stranger to the courtroom. He counts mob bosses, public officials and war criminals among those he has put behind bars. But no case he has been involved with has been as high profile as the one he is bringing against the former, and possible future, President of the United States - Donald J. Trump. In the last week, he made a very rare public appearance announcing his charges against Trump, unsurprisingly leading to a volley of criticism from the man he will face down in court. A young man from upstate New York, made his way first to Harvard Law School and then, New York City, 250 miles away from his home town. Here he embarked on the impressive legal career that has led to his appointment as Special Counsel. Mark Coles speaks to his old sports teacher and colleagues about his distinguished career so far and why he will not let anything get in his way of presenting the strongest possible case against President Trump. Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Georgia Coan, Kirsteen Knight and Isobel Gough Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: James Beard

Former High Court judge Baroness Hallett is no stranger to a high-profile case, having previously chaired an inquiry into the 2005 London terror attacks. But her most recent appointment as chair of an inquiry looking at the UK's response to the pandemic could be her biggest job to date. In the past few weeks she’s been stuck in a legal battle with the Government after refusing to withdraw her order for them to hand over unredacted material for her investigation. The first female Chair of the Bar Council, Baroness Hallett didn’t come from the usual privilege associated with the top tier of the legal profession. She grew up as the daughter of a policeman and a secretary, moving around a lot in her childhood and going to various state schools before getting a place at Oxford where she went on to specialise in criminal law. Mark Coles speaks to friends and peers about her extraordinary legal career and why she will not sway over Government demands when the COVID inquiry starts next week.Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Georgia Coan, Octavia Woodward and Samantha Haque Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar

Suella Braverman, the current home secretary and former attorney general, has found herself making the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the last few weeks. After a row over a speeding fine, and data showing record levels of net migration on her watch, her poll ratings have dipped. However, she is still a popular figure among many in her party, and despite losing out on the last leadership contest in 2022, she appears to still have her sights on the top job. Some Conservative MPs have accused her of undermining Rishi Sunak's authority and making a bid for future leadership of the party during the National Conservatism conference. Presenter Edward Stourton finds out about the life and career of Suella Braverman, the Harrow born barrister who came from first generation migrants. CreditsDallas Created by David Jacobs Warner Horizon Television, a subsidiary of Warner Bros James O’Brien/LBC RadioNational Conservatism Producers: Georgia Coan and Octavia Woodward Editor: China Collins Sound Design: Rod Farquhar

Succession - the dark comedy following an American media family - has won 13 Emmys, 5 Golden Globes and a BAFTA. As it draws to a close, we take a look at the life of its creator, a British writer who has co-written some of the best television of the last 20 years including Peep Show, The Thick of it and Fresh Meat.From the border town of Oswestry, Shropshire to the toast of Manhattan and LA, Jesse Armstrong has had an extraordinary journey.Mark Coles hears from his family, friends and colleagues (including Chris Morris, Isy Suttie, Paterson Joseph, David Mitchell and Susan Soon He Stanton), finding out how Armstrong was able to write such rich worlds that bring the pain and absurdity of life in such a colourful fashion. CreditsThe Hollywood Reporter Succession Created by Jesse Armstrong HBO Peep Show Objective Productions/Channel 4 The Thick Of It BBC Comedy Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Jordan Dunbar, Georgia Coan and Nathan Gower Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Design: James Beard

Enter the murky world of one of the most dominant men in Russia. From selling hotdogs to running a private army and meddling in the US elections, from Syria to Ukraine- who is this man in the shadows?One of the most powerful figures you may not have heard of - Yevgeny Prigozhin.Once a hotdog seller in St Petersburg, this former prisoner has risen to become a friend of Putin and his private army is now one of the main Russian players in the invasion of Ukraine.Along the way he has catered to celebrities at his top end restaurant, allegedly run a centre for internet trolls, been accused of meddling in the US elections and financed a mercenary army - the Wagner group - based worldwide. But is his time up? As the situation for his mercenaries gets worse in Ukraine, Prigozhin has started lashing out publicly at the Russian state.Could this be the last course for the man once named 'Putin's Chef'?Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Jordan Dunbar, Georgia Coan Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele

This weekend the controversial President of Turkey faces one of the most important elections ever for his country and the wider Middle East region. But how did the son of a Black Sea coastguard rise to live in a thousand-room palace? And how will he cope with one of the biggest political challenges of a career spanning more than twenty years?Mark Coles hears from Turkish and British guests who know Recep Tayyip Erdogan well. And for more on the Turkish leader, the two part series, Empire of Erdogan, is available on BBC iPlayer.Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Jordan Dunbar Researcher: Olivia Woodward Sound Engineer: Rod Farqhuar Editor: Simon Watts Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele

South African opera star Pretty Yende is performing her biggest gig yet at the Coronation. She was personally selected by the King to sing at the service in Westminster Abbey.Growing up in the small rural town of Mpumalanga, Yende’s passion for opera began when she saw a British Airways advertisement featuring the Flower Duet by Delibes. She asked her teacher about it, who advised her to join the school choir.Abandoning her initial plans to become an accountant, Pretty Yende went on to study at La Scala in Milan before making her Metropolitan Opera debut in New York in 2013, in the role of Adèle in Rossini's Le Comte Ory. A last-minute substitute, Yende had only weeks to prepare for the part. She tripped as she went out on stage, but picked herself up and carried on, going on to receive a standing ovation. Mark Coles talks to family and friends about one of the rising stars of opera. Credits: Title: I Feel Pretty (from the musical West Side Story) Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Music by Leonard Bernstein.Presenter: Mark Coles Production Team: Georgia Coan, Julie Ball, Osman Iqbal Editor: Simon Watts Sound: Neil Churchill Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele

The country girl who won the heart of a prince: Queen Consort, Camilla, will be crowned Queen at the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey. The BBC’s Royal correspondent, Jonny Dymond, talks to friends and royal authors about her life so far.Presenter: Jonny Dymond Producers: Sally Abrahams and Diane Richardson Researcher: Louise Byrne Sound: James Beard Editor: Simon Watts

The Russian journalist and Cambridge-educated historian Vladimir Kara-Murza has been a long-time opponent of President Putin's regime. A dual national who also holds a British passport, he was instrumental in getting the Magnitsky Act passed in now over 30 countries, in a campaign led by financier Bill Browder. The legislation enables governments to sanction Russians engaged in corruption or human rights abuses. He has been a thorn in the side of Putin ever since. More recently he has also spoken out against Russia's war in Ukraine. He was poisoned in Russia, and almost died, twice, in 2015 and 2017, suffering long-term health consequences. Yet he returned to Moscow from the US last year, because he didn’t think he had any right to call people onto the streets into action in Russia if he was sitting safely in America. He was arrested soon after his return, and this week was sentenced to 25 years in a Russian penal colony. But as he wrote from prison: 'the night is darkest before the dawn, but what do you know, the dawn may be just around the corner.' His friends however fear for his life. Presenter Mark Coles speaks to some of those who know him best: Bill Browder, the head of the global Magnitsky Justice Campaign; University of Cambridge historians Dr Clare Jackson and Prof Hubertus Jahn; fellow Russian opposition figure Vladimir Milov, and the BBC's former Moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford. Producers: Arlene Gregorius and Georgia Coan Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele

Physicist Dr Nicola Fox, who grew up in Hertfordshire, is the new head of science at the US space agency NASA. Only the second woman to hold the post, Dr Fox is a world-renowned expert on the Sun, who'd previously overseen one of the most important missions to study its scientific mysteries.In her new role, Nicola Fox will be responsible for hundreds of NASA projects, including returning humans to the Moon and exploring Mars. Outside of work, she enjoys karaoke... and fashion with a space theme.Mark Coles speaks to Nicola Fox’s friends, family and fellow scientists about how she landed ‘the best job on the planet’. Presenter: Mark Coles Production team: Diane Richardson and Georgia Coan Editor: Simon Watts Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar