The IT Crowd (Friday 9.30pm, C4)
Let’s make sure that every Channel 4 continuity announcer knows that it’s pronounced I.T., not It, okay? Possibly not the best comedy to come out of Channel 4, but I’m glad they kept with it as it has a good pedigree. And it’s better than Hyperdrive, so that’s a bonus in anybody’s book. It’s still not Black Books though, is it?
Ultimate Caving (Friday 9pm, BBC1)
Gwen Humble. In a cave. Ain’t TV great?
The Edinburgh Show (Friday 11pm, BBC2)
As Edinburgh begins to wind up for the year, Lauren Laverne is happily on hand to give us the wink on what else is still to be enjoyed in the Scottish capital.
Dr Who and the Daleks (Saturday 3.20pm, BBC2)
A curio for the Time Lord in this first of two big-screen outings from the 60s and starring Peter Cushing as Dr Who (sic). It’ll confuse the heck of the kids, but it’s great fun, and the Daleks in colour for the first time look fantastic.
Dance X – The Final (Saturday 8.30pm, BBC1)
This just hasn’t set me on fire in the way that Joseph, and The X Factor did last week, but a final is a final, whichever way you look at it. And there’s nary a clash with The X Factor this week, so the ratings may pick up a touch. Expect the full post-match analysis at some point from Scott.
The X Factor (Saturday 7.40pm, ITV1)
Damn you, Simon Cowell, but I am most definitely in for this new series of amateur warbling, although last week did seem to focus way too much on the nutters rather than the talent. I’m trying to work out what Dannii Minogue is bringing to the table (apart from killer cheekbones), but it’s still entertaining nonetheless. Dermot is doing fine, but the big test will be when things move into the live studio rounds. All in all, the saviour of winter Saturdays is here (the Beeb has the spring sown up with Doctor Who).
British Film Forever (Saturday 9.15pm, BBC2)
This edition of the documentary series should be something of a crowd pleaser as it looks at the history of horror in British cinema. If there’s one thing Brits did well in the movies, it was horror, and naturally, Dracula and The Wicker Man both get a look in.
The Chase (Sunday 8pm, BBC1)
Awww, the last ever episode of The Chase as it disappears from the schedules forever with not much of a fanfare. I don’t know, it just all seemed a bit too over earnest, with lots of laboured acting from Gaynor Fay and the rest of the creaky cast. Still, I’m always sad to see drama canned from the schedules, even if it hasn’t struck a chord with audiences.
Crisis at Jimmy’s Farm (Sunday 8pm, BBC2)
Although highly watchable, I find something quite depressing about Jimmy’s Farm. Everything seems all soooo difficult, and while I’m sure there are real trials to overcome, I can’t help thinking that a lot that goes wrong for pig farmer Jimmy Doherty might be laid a little thick for the sake of the cameras. Or maybe that’s just a natural suspicious streak coming out in the wake of the recent TV scandals. Four episodes catch up with the last 12 months on the farm. Oink!
The Man Who Lost His Head (Sunday 9pm, ITV1)
Ah, bless Martin Clunes, he really has made a niche out of playing curmudgeonly fish out of water, as typified in Doc Martin. I had to look twice at this to make sure it wasn’t just a Doc Martin Bank Holiday special, but no. It just looks like it is. Clunes plays a museum curator sent to New Zealand to negotiate the return of an ancient Maori mask. Could it be that he might find himself falling in love with the country and stop being such a miserable sod? Oh. Hang on.
I really like the I.T Crowd, but that may be because I've been there (i have a Comp Sci degree...)
And Hyperdrive isn't *that* bad... tho it's no Red Dwarf, so I wish people would stop comparing it!