Midsomer Murders (Friday 8.30pm, ITV1)
The return of an old favourite that some may feel is long past its best, but remains an enjoyable bit of fluff for a cold January night. As DCI Barnaby and sidekick DS Jones investigate the murder of a local photographer with an eye for the ladies, revel in the fact that if you’re watching this, you’ll be missing Big Brother. Surely the best recommendation anybody needs to tune in.
Lilies (Friday 9pm, BBC1)
The first episode of this period drama about the lives of three feisty Liverpudlian sisters was enjoyable enough, but whether that’s sufficient to sustain an audience remains to be seen. This week, Iris is swept off her feet by a charismatic magician, but Dadda isn’t impressed. Don’t worry about this being set in First World War Liverpool, there’s no danger of a guest appearance from Danielle Lloyd.
Harry Hill’s TV Burp (Saturday 6.10pm, ITV1)
Oh, thank the maker! Something to inject a bit of sunshine and silliness in what has been a fairly depressing week for British television. Harry Hill returns with the majestic TV Burp. It’s silliness all the way as Mr H casts his cheekily irreverent eyes over the week’s TV schedules, and gives us all a good opportunity for a big old belly laugh. And the best news of all is that The Burp is going to be around for the next 13 weeks. Fans of Hill should also check out his sometime partner Al Murray who brings his Happy Hour to ITV at 10pm.
The Culture Show (Saturday 7.20pm, BBC2)
As a flipside to the Burp coin, The Culture Show is back for a new run, taking a more sober view than Hill’s slapstick. It means its no less as enjoyable, and these days the usually balanced mix of subjects provides a much more digestible choice than the now bloated Late Review.
Dancing On Ice (Saturday 6.40pm, BBC1)
ITV continues to give us some unashamedly enjoyable TV that’s perfect for this time of year as Dancing on Ice returns for a second series. You know the form, it’s just like Strictly, only with skates and ice in the equation. Celebs pulling the blades on this year include Ulrika Jonsson, Emmerdale legend Emily Symons, Stephen Gately and Phil Gayle from the Big Breakfast news and weather.
Climate Change – Britain Under Threat (Sunday 8pm, BBC1)
Considering the vile weather we’ve experienced this week, this documentary is required viewing. Thankfully it avoids scare-mongering tactics, mostly down to the sage presence of David Attenborough. Prepare to be depressed by some of the things you hear.
24 (Sunday, 9pm, Sky One)
Day Six, and Jack is back in a still great US show that should clearly be on a terrestrial channel. Kiefer Sutherland is on fine form as the anti-terrorist agent who’s had enough bad karma on the five previous days to last several lifetimes. Let’s hope that when he’s off duty he has a nice, low-key hobby, like bee keeping. Or knitting.
Family Guy (Sunday 11.30pm, BBC2)
Forget The Simpsons, this is where the best-animated action is to be found on television. Seth MacFarlane’s comedy is sharp, silly and very, very funny. These episodes from series four were first shown on BBC3, but worth checking out nonetheless.
