Square Eyes: 22-24 September

High School Musical Disney Channel, Friday 6pm (repeated throughout the weekend)
Yes, it’s finally here — the record-breaking sequel to the record-breaking TV movie. There’ll be a fuller review in a Square Eyes special later today, but for now, let’s just say it’s annoyingly infectious while never quite reaching the warm innocence of its predecessor.

EastEnders BBC1, Friday 8pm
So who has been tormenting Ian with the suggestion that dead ex-wife Cindy might actually be alive? He finds out tonight…

A Bucket o’ French and Saunders BBC1, Friday 9pm The problem with the hybrid clip-show-plus-new-sketches format is that, while the trips down memory lane are able to cherry pick highlights, the new elements are just as patchy as ever, and look mighty inferior as a result. Still, the sight of Dawn French as a gurning Andrew Lloyd Webber (a sketch already available on the BBC’s YouTube channel) demonstrates that the pair can, on occasion, reach the point of genius again.

QI BBC2, Friday 9pm
It seems like far too long since the last series of this gloriously highbrow comedy quiz, but here we are at last with a fifth run. Quizmaster Stephen Fry dispenses dry, off-the-cuff humour like nobody else on the planet, while Alan Davies revels in his status of one who “rushes headlong like a puppy into the wall of ignorance.”

Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays BBC4, Friday 9pm
This story of Factory Records isn’t a full obituary of the late Tony Wilson, but it does celebrate his character and that of the city he loved.

The World’s Greatest Elvis BBC1, Saturday 6.55pm and 9.30pm
A curio in the pantheon of Saturday evening talent shows, as Vernon Kay hosts a competition to find the best Elvis tribute artist (ETA for short). Just pointing it out so that you can avoid it.

How to be a Good Prime Minister BBC4, Saturday 7pm
It’s just as well that the BBC Trust have ruled out closing BBC4 as part of its cost cutting, as recently there have been nights where I would happily watch nothing else. Saturday is a case in point: this look at what it takes to be a good premier is followed by three examples of the channel’s best: The Thick of It Special: Spinners and Losers, Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe Guide to TV (a repeat of Tuesday’s show, itself a compilation of best bits from Screenwipe itself) and Flight of the Conchords Special, first shown on Tuesday as a prelude to the full series that starts next week.

Nureyev: from Russia With Love BBC2, Saturday 9.30pm
A fascinating look at the life of one of the world’s greatest ballet dancers, specifically covering the period before he defected in 1961. Featuring never-before-seen footage shot by Nureyev’s lover Teja Kremke, this is a must-see for anyone with even a passing interest in the performing arts.

Elton John: Me, Myself & I ITV1, Saturday 9.40pm
The musical legend looks back at his own life. The publicity for the show emphasises that modern technology will be used to “transport Elton back in time”, so this is unlikely to be your standard talking heads video. Notably, it’s directed by James Strong, who these days is more accustomed to directing Ood, Daleks and Kylie Minogue in Doctor Who, so if Elton’s notoriously monstrous temper shows up he should be well prepared…

Agatha Christie’s Marple: At Bertram’s Hotel ITV1 Sunday 9pm
If you want an accurate and authentic adaptation of the books, stick with Joan Hickson reruns on UKTV Drama (The Body in the Library is on Saturday at 2pm, while at the same time on Sunday you can see Hickson’s version of At Bertram’s Hotel). ITV’s version, dramatised by Tom MacRae takes numerous liberties with the script, including creating a role for Martine McCutcheon as a cheery Cockney hotel maid. As ever, Geraldine McEwan is delightful as the spinster sleuth, but I can’t help feeling she deserves a better vehicle.

Stuart: a Life Backwards BBC2 Sunday 9pm
Alexander Masters has dramatised his own biography of Stuart Shorter, a homeless alcoholic he befriended, with tremendous sensitivity. Benedict Cumberbatch (Hawking, To the Ends of the Earth) stars as Masters, but it’s Tom Hardy (Cape Wrath) who makes Stuart, and the drama as a whole, stand out. Over on the Guardian’s TV blog, Alexander Masters writes about the techniques involved in adapting his book for the screen.