Square Eyes: 27 November-1 December

Jackanory
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 4:30pm BBC1 (also CBBC)
At last, the quintessential series of my youth returns. Except, where once we would have been satisfied with an actor sitting on a makeshift set, with just a few line drawings to accompany their reading, now we have John Session (and, next week, Ben Kingsley) immersed in 3D CGI worlds as they narrate stories which are then acted out. It’s an odd mix, and doesn’t really excite the audience as to the magic of storytelling in the same way as the original series — if anything, it’s a not-altogether-sucessful mash-up of Jackanory with its spin off show, Jackanory Playhouse. The new special effects mean that it’ll be far from a weekly event, too, which is a shame.

Random Quest
Monday 9.00pm BBC4
As part of BBC4’s ongoing science fiction season, we have this understated new drama, based on a short story by John Wyndham. Samuel West stars as Colin, a research physicist who is knocked unconscious during an experiment and awakes to find himself in a parallel universe. While that plot may have been used by virtually every science-fiction show of recent years, Random Quest predates them all. Still, even with able support from Shaun Parks and Kate Ashfield, it never quite shakes the sense of déjà vu that sci-fi fans may experience.

Tsunami: The Aftermath
Tuesday 9.00pm BBC2
A drama set around the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami was never going to be easy to do — some may question whether such catastrophic loss of life is a suitable subject for entertainment at all. There was also the matter of whether it was right to film in locations that had been directly affected, and the decision to pay local extras far less than Western supporting artists (for more background, read Mark’s post from June this year, and the comments below it).

Rather than taking an antiseptic dramadoc approach, writer Abi Morgan’s script revolves around a number of archetypes, each of whose stories are based upon masses of research. All qualms aside, this is an amazing piece of drama whose effects will stay with you.

EastEnders and Coronation Street
Monday to Friday, BBC1/ITV1
Some big storylines featuring the top soaps’ key actors this week. In Albert Square, Pauline Fowler is in hospital after the fire at number 45, but the big news is that it’s YAIBW week —, yes, it’s Yet Another Ian Beale Wedding. Which, if all his previous ones are anything to go by, mean that tears won’t be far behind.

Up in Weatherfield, Wendi Peters get the chance to step beyond the faux comedy of Cilla Battersby-Brown’s usual persona, when her character gets some shocking health news. And as is usual in the world of soap, she doesn’t confide in her husband, Les, straight away — which, naturally, thrusts him into the arms of best friend Yana.

Best storyline of the week, though, sees the departure of Bradley Walsh from Corrie, as Danny Baldwin reaches breaking point after discovering the betrayal of his wife and son. Walsh’s final scenes are not easy watching, especially if you’re afraid of heights. Who would have believed when a cocky game show host and comedian turned up on the cobbles, that he’d leave such a huge hole when he finally left? One can only hope that, after Friday’s climactic scenes, Danny will be able to return one day…

Picture: Toni Collette as Kathy Graham, Samrit Machielsen as Than and Tim Roth as Nick Fraser in Tsunami: The Aftermath. Photo: Kudos Film and Television