It’s Monday, and that means another trawl through the schedules to find the morsels of TV goodness that will make our mouths water.
Come Dine With Me (Monday 4.30pm, C4) is the kind of show that makes me pine for those long lost days of studentdom and the blissful laziness of being a freelance hack. Back then, the most taxing issue of the day was pondering if it was still acceptable to fancy Carol Vorderman (and indeed, that very subject still vexes me today). In this week long celebrity extravaganza, a selection of actors, presenters and writers will turn up at their compratiots’ houses throughout the week to be served a three course dinner by that day’s designated host. Tonight, Rowland Rivron serves up some Coq au Riesling, and throughout the week, Linda Robson, Anneke Rice, Toby Jones and domestic legend Aggie off of How Clean is Your House? will return the favour. There are many kitchen disasters along the way, and it’s fun to see what happens when the judging takes place.
TV Today favourite Still Game (Monday 9pm, BBC2) takes a bow on its fifth series tonight, and with the hit and miss Saxondale heaving its way to one more episode next week, Jack and Victor will be sorely missed. It’s gratifying to see that in an age where an industry is hailing the death of the traditional sitcom, it’s refreshing to see a product that seems to have no problem in being funny in a very straight down the line way. And when a spin-off from a cult BBC Scotland sketch show (the sublime Chewin’the Fat) can better the Steve Coogan juggernaught in the ratings by a reasonable margin, it has to be doing something right.
Islamic Art at the V&A (Tuesday 7.15pm, Five) maintains the ailing Five’s growing reputation as a haven for art and culture and gives the channel a highbrow sheen that leaves ITV1 looking positively thuggish in its outlook. This tidy little piece provides a preview of what is being touted as the finest collection of Islamic art that will grace the new Jameel gallery at London’s always-impressive Victoria and Albert museum. If Five isn’t careful, we’ll soon be having Brian Swell presenting “When Painters Go Bad!”.
Much of Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole in My Heart (Wednesday 9pm, BBC2) was improvised by a cast including Sally Hawkins and Daniela Nardini and that can leave this thought-provoking drama with a disjointed feel. That being said, this tale of a personal shopper’s descent into shopping addiction hell as she apes the lifestyle of a wealthy client will hit a nerve in its bleakness, made all the more striking against the tawdry backdrop of Manchester’s Trafford Centre (a truly goliath-like shopping mecca that, on personal experience, should put you off shopping for life).
Another recommendation for Five with The Hotel Inspector (Thursday 9pm, Five). These Kitchen Nightmare inspired shows are essentially the telly equivalent of eating a pot noodle (dirty and nutritionally questionable, but somehow you can’t help yourself). Here, award-winning hotelier Ruth Watson turns up at ramshackle hotels and B&Bs and sets about getting them up to scratch. What I like about this is that Ruth looks so prim and proper and speaks with such gentleness, that when halfway through a show the F-word is launched from her mouth, even the audience sits up to attention. Guiltily compelling.
The TV Today hanky will be out on Friday as we prepare to say farewell to one of the greatest drama series to grace the world’s screens. The West Wing (Friday 9.30pm, More4) finishes its run with a double-hander of the final two episodes, seeing incumbent pres Matt Santos getting his feet under the Oval Office desk, while Jed Bartlett rides off into the sunset. I have laughed and cried through all seven series of this remarkable body of work, and have never subscribed to the view that things went downhill following the departure of showrunner Aaron Sorkin during season four. It might have become more sentimental towards the end, but The West Wing was never less than outstanding, and it’s like shall rarely be seen again. I’m tempted to long for the occasional TV movie to see where things can go, but the romantic in me prefers to preserve it as a perfect snowflake of fantastic TV.
when will come dine with me back?on ghe tv