November 2007 Archives

Coronation Street (Friday 7.30pm, ITV1)

God loves a tryer, and there are none who try harder than Coronation Street veteran Jim McDonald. Just when you think he’s out (or back in prison again), they pull him back in (or release him from prison). Jim is out again tonight, this time legitimately, and it seems he’s turned over a new leaf, telling son Steve that his hell raising days are over. Sounds a bit dodgy to me, and with ex-missus Liz all set to tie the knot with Vernon, it can only mean that there will be trouble ahead.

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – the Final (Friday 9pm, ITV1)

We usually stay clear of reality TV around these parts, but I can’t deny that this year’s I’m a Celebrity has been thoroughly enjoyable. The mix of personalities in the camp has been key, and highlights just how precarious the celeb based reality genre can be. It’s all left to chance, but thankfully, I’m a Celebrity got it just right this time out. I could talk about Janice Dickinson and Lynne Franks all day, but the real stand out is Biggins, who has shown what a genuinely marvellous human being he is. Good humoured and caring, I hope he’ll come out triumphant tonight – and maybe somebody will cast him in something that reminds us just how good an actor he is.

Robin Hood (Saturday 7.15pm, BBC1)

I probably shouldn’t do this, as I don’t want to upset anybody, but yet again, Jonas Armstrong is acted off the screen by tonight’s guest star, Gavin and Stacey’s Matthew Horne. He makes a very convincing court fool, but he is a natural comedian, so that’s to be expected. I still think Michael Praed and Sean Connery might have something to say about Armstrong’s supposed claim to being the best screen Robin Hood. But take heart, he’s certainly not the worst – Jason Connery and Kevin Costner quite happily take care of that. I will stop this, I promise, because the show itself is getting better all the time, so he must doing something right. I’m just not sure what.

The Company (Saturday 9.40pm)

This espionage mini-series started off well, and now the action moves forward to the Hungarian uprising of 1956 and the invasion of the Bay of Pigs in 1961. It all takes itself very seriously in that fabulous Spooks kind of way, and looks absolutely fantastic. Michael Keaton and Alfred Molina are on fine form in the thesping stakes, with only Chris O’Donnell providing the weak link. Concludes next Saturday.

Saturday Live Again! (Saturday 9.40pm, ITV1)

Channel 4’s Friday and Saturday Live shows were a seminal part of the 80s boom in so-called alternative comedy and was responsible for launching the likes of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Harry Enfield and Jo Brand onto the scene. It was essential viewing, and ITV has revived the format for this one-off extravaganza hosted by Marcus Brigstocke. There’ll be turns from Lee Mack, Mitchell and Webb and Jimmy Carr, as well as an appearance from original host Ben Elton. Perhaps there will be a little bit of politics…

Cranford (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

After last week’s unbearably sad ending, things carry on apace in the sleepy village of Cranford with the usual mix of wit, manners and lots of lace. Miss Matty, getting over the loss of her sister, is suddenly confronted with an old flame (Michael Gambon) and realises there might be more to life yet, while Mr Carter (a note perfect Philip Glenister) clashes with his icy mistress. Glorious and as perfectly perfect as a drama should be.

Who Gets the Dog? (Sunday 9pm, ITV1)

Just when you think ITV are starting to get it together, they throw this out in the pre-Christmas schedules – a one off comedy drama starring Kevin Whately and Alison Steadman. They play a couple going through a divorce, the settlement of which seems to revolve around who gets custody of the family dog, Bounder. Thud! Hysterically average.

Sad news, I’m afraid. Following the death of her father from lung cancer earlier this week, Kelly Brook has pulled out of the competition. Kelly had originally intended to keep going in the series, but understandably she found it too hard going. Our thoughts to her and her family.

That means that we will be down to five couples this week, and the Christmastime final will be fought between two couples instead of three.

This is the week where all the remaining couples are now performing two dances each week, and so the score sheets have had another redesign to suit.

• Strictly Come Dancing score sheet, week 9 [PDF]

And a couple of other links: The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Cancer Research UK.

See you back here after the shows.

Back in the day when Channel 4 was nobbut a slip of a TV channel, long before the world was aware of Shilpa Shetty, Jade Goody and premium rate phone line scandals, it launched Max Headroom on the world.

There’s a lot to worry about in Broadcast’s report about the new series of Grange Hill (registration required). For a start, the changes in Children’s commissioning mean that the series is going to be aiming at a much younger audience — and that means introducing primary age kids, and dropping the sixth form. Ongoing storylines are also passing by the wayside, with more standalone episodes.

There will be fantasy sequences as well:

One episode of the forthcoming season involves a child becoming a skateboarding superhero freedom fighter and is filmed like a graphic novel.

This could be awful. On the other hand, Lime Pictures, the Phil Redmond-headed group that makes Grange Hill, has been doing something similar with Hollyoaks for some time, and after several dodgy attempts are now successfully playing with fantasy as a dramatic device very well.

Personally, I would rather see Grange Hill shift upwards in age appeal and move out of CBBC into the new Switch programming strand for older teens. But there is one bright spot in the new, more cartoony drive to the drama: the restitution of the original, and still the best, theme tune.

As always there are lots of news items, opinion pieces, photographs, spoilers and general media scuttlebutt about the fortunes of British television’s favourite Time Lord.

All right everybody, listen up, because this is important! One of the drums we bang with alarming regularity around these parts is the current state of children’s television. And as we all know, the industry is hitting crisis point as ITV and Channel 4 no longer fund children’s programmes and the BBC is cutting funding by 10 per cent.

In a joint press release today, BBC Worldwide (the corporation’s commercial arm), ITV and Channel 4 confirmed that Project Kangaroo, a multi-broadcaster video-on-demand application, will launch in 2008.

TV Today covered the initial announcement back in June. Today’s announcement adds some meat to the bones of what we discovered then.

The Sarah Jane Adventures (Monday 5pm, BBC1)

The season finale of what has been a quite brilliant series. They say children’s TV is dead, but this gem provides a glimmer of hope for the future. Some old enemies are causing problems for the legendary heroine and her gang of teen sidekicks, but the biggest problem comes from an old friend (no, not that one). And watch for the air punch moment at the end with a brilliant cameo appearance. Don’t be away for long, Sarah.

Coronation Street (Monday 7.30pm, ITV1)

If there’s one thing that Coronation Street does better than any soap, it’s a good bitch-fight, and there’s a cracker. Carla Connor, ignoring her feelings for brother-in-law Liam has been getting back on the romantic horse, but is shocked tonight when a stranger walks into Underworld and opens a can of whupp ass on her. Ah, clearly the scorned wife of her current squeeze, Tony. Oops! Guest starring Susie Amy (oh well, never mind).

Monarchy: the Royal Family at Work (Monday 8.30pm, BBC1)

Considering that this little fly-on-the-wall documentary has caused so much kerfuffle this year and nearly brought the BBC to its knees, it had better be good. And at first glance it seems that this five-part series could actually deliver the goods. Whether the quality of the documentary will be allowed to crawl out from under the dark cloud of controversy and shine on its own merit remains to be seen, but Monarchy is going to be well worth a look, one way or another.

Boy A (Monday 9pm, C4)

A quite harrowing and moving piece of drama about Jack, a young man released from prison following a murder he committed at the age of 10. Now free at 24, he struggles to forge a new life for himself with a new identity in an unfamiliar world. Stunning really, with Andrew Garfield a revelation as Jack, and Peter Mullan providing his usual quality turn as the lad’s probation officer.

Spooks (Tuesday 9pm, BBC1)

As always, we here at TV Today towers will be settling down to our weekly dose of espionage madness from our friends at MI5. After last week’s ridiculously tense episode, we’re back down to earth tonight as Ros and Adam are undercover at a TV broadcast that is hijacked by a pressure group. Will our heroes be able to keep everybody safe and preserve the peace deal between the US and Iran?

Dawn French’s More Boys Who Do: Comedy (Tuesday 9pm, BBC4)

I’ve avoided this up until now as the concept of Dawn French interviewing comedians about what it is to be funny is a bit dull. But tonight, Rob Brydon offers his insights into his craft and talks at length about his childhood and days as a struggling performer. He’s a fascinating subject as, in all his TV work, he’s always doing something interesting, and this is no exception. It’s not blisteringly good TV, but it is entertaining.

Jericho (Wednesday 8pm, ITV4)

With a handful of episodes commissioned that will probably tie off the series, it’s probably worth taking a look at this most interesting of American dramas. While Heroes pulled in all the gushing praise in the genre stakes, Jericho quietly got on with telling good, solid stories about the population of a post-apocalyptic town. It can be quite grim, but it’s absolutely brilliant.

Heroes (Wednesday 9pm, BBC2)

The final three episodes and Heroes kicks into high gear in the run up to what looks set to be a cracking finale. Disparate plot strands are still as disparate as they ever were, but the connections are getting taughter, with Hiro catching up with big bad Sylar. Strap yourself in for a bumpy, exciting ride towards the explosive conclusion in a couple of weeks.

Lead Balloon (Thursday 9.30pm, BBC2)

Thankfully, the difficult second series hasn’t been much of a problem for Jack Dee with Lead Balloon. Rick Spleen is still as loathsomely lovable as ever, squirming his way in and out of excruciating social situations. Tonight he has to persuade home help Magda to take the rap for the comic’s own speeding misdemeanour and hence get three points slapped on her licence. Spleen isn’t quite in the league f comedy greats like Basil Fawlty or Captain Mainwaring (far from it, actually), but he passes half an hour in entertaining manner – just resist the urge to turn over at those torturous moments that come so frequently.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Thursday 10.05pm, More4)

Okay, I know this is only four episodes from the end and there’s nothing after that – it’s still brilliant (and back on form after a dip in recent weeks). If the stories had focussed on character in this manner from the word go, Studio 60 might still be around, but the damage was done with too much navel-gazing about the process of making television. But with pregnant Jordan rushed into surgery and Tom’s brother taken hostage, the emotional heart of the show is beating loud and clear. Finally.

30 Rock (Thursday 10.50pm, Five)

Thursday night is definitely comedy night, and 30 Rock is top of the pile. Why then is it shown in such a late slot? The show deserves much better (it actually deserves an audience, which it ain’t going to get here). There’s too much going on to pick a plot to follow as everything comes thick and fast, but rest assured, you won’t regret tuning in to the behind the scenes hi-jinx on another comedy sketch show.

Who would have thought, after the first two weeks of Series 5 and we’d all seen each contestant dance one competitive dance, that after half the contestants had been eliminated we’d have more men still in the competition than women?

To be fair, there wasn’t that much in it, with four gentleman celebrities competing against three ladies. But it does show that initial judgements about who will succeed and who will fall by the wayside can often be premature.

Mind you, I did predict before this week’s show that it would be an exciting one to watch. I’m glad to say that’s one prediction that turned out to be true.

In the Doctor Who episode Human Nature, John Smith (who we, the audience, know to be the Doctor) tells his sweetheart that his parents were named Sydney and Verity. It was a gentle wink to the fans of the series, who knew that the driving forces behind the series coming to air in 1963 were Canadian Sydney Newman, who had joined the BBC as Head of Drama a year earlier, and Verity Lambert, who died yesterday.

Ugly Betty (Friday 9pm, C4)

It’s Ugly Betty so you know the drill, but tonight’s instalment of froth and fizz from the corridors of Mode features a cameo from one Victoria Beckham as um, Victoria Beckham. Never mind, eh? Wonder if she’ll be miming her lines? Enjoy brand new Betty while you can, with the WGA strike still rolling on and production shut down, there’s only a couple of episodes left before they run out.

The Armstrong and Miller Show (Friday 9.30pm, BBC1)

After my blasting of the woefully shoddy The Omid Djalili Show, it’s a totally different story on Friday night, thankfully, with Armstrong and Miller. It’s good to see some solidly funny sketch comedy for a change, and this has more hits than misses. The big hit of the series are the spitfire pilots with their clipped street slang lines, and this kind of comedy isn’t a million miles away from Mitchell and Webb’s equally top material. In fact, Armstrong and Miller could be the reformed older brothers of the more anarchic Mitchell and Webb.

Comedy Showcase: Kevin Bishop (Friday 10.30pm, C4)

I’m not a huge fan of Star Stories – it always feels a little too pleased with itself. But that doesn’t deny the talents of Kevin Bishop, who gets his own sketch show in the last of the Comedy Showcase pilots. Sadly, it falls a little flat, which is a shame, as it seems a series has already been commissioned. It’ll be interesting to see what Bishop can achieve with a full series to let the material breath, so I’m hoping the failings of the pilot are just a false start.

Robin Hood (Saturday 7.15pm, BBC1)

You know, I can’t help thinking that I may have been too harsh on Robin Hood in recent weeks. True, Jonas Armstrong is still out of his depth as Robin, but at least there’s a bit more derring-do and swordplay on display than there was last year. It’s also nice to see Marion released from the castle and allowed to be a full-time outlaw – it always seemed a waste of resources to have her cooped up so Guy could make doe-eyes at her. All in all, enjoyably silly, but still with reservations.

The Company (Saturday 9.40pm, BBC2)

A sometimes laboured, sometimes brilliant drama, based on the novel by Robert Littell, charting the activities of the CIA over a period of decades. It’s got a great cast, with Alfred Molina, Michael Keaton and Chris O’Donnell (finally getting some work) heading things up. The period detail looks great, and this is definitely a more sedate and considered approach to the espionage genre as opposed to the more high-octane shenanigans in Spooks.

White Diamond: a Personal Portrait of Kylie Minogue (Sunday 8pm, C4)

Whatever the reason for the nation’s obsession with the princess of pop, she’s an enduring icon for a generation. This documentary was filmed in the period following Kylie Minogue’s diagnosis with breast cancer and follows her on the road to recovery and her sumptuous Showgirl tour this year. This is an incredibly personal piece, not least because it’s filmed by Kylie’s close friend and stylist, Will Baker. With her appearance in the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special, it seems Kylie is back on top, and this film is a fine place to start the celebrations.

Cranford (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

Gasp! It’s the icy Lady Ludlow’s garden party, quite positively the most tip-top, scrumptious social event in the Cranford calendar. The resultant hullabaloo has an excess of lace and bonnets flying around with as much abandon as the catty one-liners. And do I spy Michael Gambon striding into town, upping the calibre of the cast even more? Yes I do, and it seems Miss Matty is all a fluster at seeing him. Just who is this mysterious stranger? If you haven’t caught up with the charms of Cranford, make sure you do. You’ll be missing a treat!

I have a feeling this could be a good week. The two weakest stars remaining after Kate’s departure last week, John and Kenny, are both back in disciplines where they’re likely to feel comfortable. The former has a samba this week, while the Scottish rugby player seems to do better with ballroom dances, and this week dnaces an American Smooth.

As ever, this week’s score sheet is below. Don’t forget to come back after both shows to share your verdicts!

Strictly Come Dancing score sheet - week 8 [PDF]

Apologies for the late running of the Strictly Come Dancing review express: let’s blame leaves on the line or something. After all, the train company I commute with uses that excuse all the time, so it’s got to be valid, right?

Anyway, the delay means that this review is going up after the reactions to this weekend’s show calmed down a bit. On the internet after Sunday’s show, you’d have believed that a major humanitarian crisis had been averted, when really all that happened was a poor (but improving) dancer left the show.

There was a mixed bag in more ways than one this week: for the first time this series, every couple were performing a different routine.

Oh. Apparently, yesterday saw the celebration of World Television Day.

Um…

So how was it for you?

In the last few days, my TV viewing habits have thrown up a new love and new hate, both from Auntie Beeb. Saturday’s The Omid Djalili Show sadly took my Saturday night viewing experience to an all time low, while Sunday’s Cranford was a delightfully silly but hugely enjoyable piece of fluff.

I don’t think it’s said often enough, but I like Graham Norton. No, I do, and after the weekend, I like him even more. In Sunday’s Observer Magazine, Barbara Ellen interviews the presenter and chat show host in some detail.

Nigella Express (Monday 8.30pm, BBC2)

Okay, so ten episodes in and it’s time to pop back to see how the sex-kitten of the culinary world is getting on. With a little bit of hindsight and retrospective distance, much like last night’s deliciously delicious Cranford, Nigella Express is the most post-modern, self-aware TV show on the box right now. That’s the only explanation for the stagey moments of Nigella catching up on correspondence, replying to e-mails, fiddling with her Blackberry, wandering around the city with a blissful, beatific look on her porcelain features, all while rustling up a quick dinner for twenty people. If I thought for one second that the production team had been taking this show seriously, then I’d have to do something rash and go and watch Food Poker. Or The Omid Djalili Show.

Exodus (Monday 10pm, C4)

An interesting piece of “drama” that sees Bernard Hill starring in an updated take of The Bible story, directed by Penny Woolcock. It’s quite a rum affair, but all the more watchable for it, with Hill leading a cast of around 600 non-actors from the Margate area, where the piece was filmed in a derelict funfair.

50 Years of the Today Programme (Monday 11.20pm, BBC2)

It seems a shame to stick this on in such a late slot, but it’s already been shown on BBC4, so I can’t really complain. Whatever we think of Today, it’s still something of an institution, even if the presenters descend into self-parody far too often these days. This is a great retrospective and well worth a look if James Naughtie and John Humphrys are your companions for your morning ablutions.

Holby City (Tuesday 8pm, BBC1)

It’s a terribly dull night on the telly this evening, so there’s nothing for it, I have to activate the Emergency Holby Protocols to fill an hour of my time. Not that it’s an issue, and I know some of you are probably mystified at my continued tolerance of a show I should probably hate, but I just can’t help myself. It’s just a terrifically solid, line and length piece of TV drama that, one way or another, always manages to hit the spot week in, week out.

Spooks (Tuesday 9pm, BBC1)

Spooks is the perfect piece of drama to settle down with on a dark winter evening. Pour a glass of red wine, get yourself some nice little nibbly things and snuggle down on the sofa, safe in the knowledge that for the next 60 minutes, nail-biting entertainment is assured. Yes it’s silly, but who cares? This week, Adam and Ros board a plane headed for Iran where one of the passengers is carrying a circuit board vital to the Iranian nuclear programme. Either that, or he nicked Ros’s copy of Double Agent’s for Dummies.

Flight of the Conchords (Tuesday 9.30pm, BBC4)

I have been told that this HBO offering about a New Zealand folk duo is a bit good. Having not seen it (look, I can’t watch everything, okay, and with Food Poker to make fun of, I’m really busy at the moment) I can’t attest to its quality. However, to appease some of my more vocal friends, here it is, getting a Square Eyes seal of approval.

Cooking the Books (Wednesday 6.30pm, Five)

What the…?! Just when you think Food Poker has taken TV to an all time low, along come Five to prove us wrong, as Jeremy Edwards hosts a show in which TV chefs come and cook stuff from their own recipe books. Look, I can do that myself in my own home, I have all the books anyway. Why do I need to watch a Hollyoaks refugee to tell me how to do it?

Match of the Day Live (Wednesday 7.30pm, BBC1)

Go Croatia! Go Croatia!

Heroes (Wednesday 9pm, BBC2)

To celebrate Steve McClaren leaving his job as England manager (fingers crossed, eh?), why not give yourself a treat with an episode of Heroes? There might be a bit of treading water going on here, but we are only a couple of episodes off the great finale, so that’s understandable. It’s still great TV, whichever way you look at it.

The Street (Thursday 9pm, BBC1)

It’s ratings might not be setting the world on fire, but that’s not the point, and a perfect advert for why the BBC should stay exactly where it is, doing what it does so well. There is no way that ITV would ever commission a drama like The Street in the current climate, and most definitely not an episode as poignant and well-crafted as this. Vincent Reagan features in this episode as family man demolition worker, Charlie, who finds himself developing feelings for gay colleague Tom (a surprisingly excellent Will Mellor). Brilliantly written and acted, it doesn’t get much better than this.

30 Rock (Thursday 10.40pm, Five)

Forget Californication, preceding this at 10pm (sorry, but I refuse to believe that even David Duchovney can get that much casual sex just by walking through the door of a 7-11), 30 Rock is the comedy where it’s happening on Five (and indeed, the US). It’s criminal that this doesn’t get bigger audiences both here and on home territory, and I fear that Tina Fey’s work of genius is the next Arrested Development in waiting.

As we head towards December, the traditional end-of-year lists start to be collated.

We tried doing an online survey last year, but I made the mistake of including “write-in” elements in some categories, which resulted in a fan-led effort to have Richard Armitage labelled the “unsung hero of the year”. Considering the praise and public profile he had received during 2006, it kind of rendered the whole enterprise useless.

If we do the same thing this year, we’ll build in more protections to ensure that such hijacking won’t recur.

The full survey will be launched next month, but for now, I’d like to open nominations which Mark and I will consider when drawing up our shortlists.

In particular, we’re looking for your ideas for the TV event of the year. This could be a TV series or one-off show — but it could equally be something behind the scenes. Anything which had an impact on British television will be considered.

Either use the comments below, or email them to tvtoday@thestage.co.uk. The best entries will form part of our 2007 poll.

(And don’t worry, Loppies — I already have ‘Lee winning Any Dream Will Do’ down on my list, so you can put your thinking caps on for something different…)

Children in Need (Friday, from 7pm, BBC1)

Normally I avoid this like the plague, but for a daftie like me, there’s a very good reason to stay in and endure the fund-raising extravaganza (which to be fair, is all in aid of a good cause). Sometime around 8pm, there will be an historic moment for Doctor Who fans with a very special mini-episode called Time Crash. It features David Tennant’s tenth Doctor coming face-to-face with Peter Davison’s fifth Doctor. I’m so excited about this I could weep. It’s my Doctor, appearing in new Who in a frothy little piece written by Steven Moffat that promises to be fun (but let’s remember, this is not a sketch). Also on offer is a turn from the Hotel Babylon cast with a new manager – Sybil Fawlty, while the EastEnders cast go back to the 70s, and there’ll be an appearance from Lee Mead. Oh, and reclusive actor John Barrowman sings. Or something.

Angelo’s (Friday 11pm, Five)

Sharon Horgan writes and stars in this promising comedy from Five, and true to form, they stick it on at 11pm where it’s got about as much chance of gaining an audience as Food Poker has of winning a Bafta. Shame, as this tale about a London café and the characters that pass through it has a nice feel. Horgan plays a police officer who pops into the caff with her copper hubby Dave, to talk about their marital woes. Also in the cast you’ll find Paul Kaye and Miranda (far too good for Hyperdrive) Hart.

Sherlock Holmes Weekend (Saturday/Sunday ITV3)

The World’s Greatest Detective gets an extended airing this weekend with a raft of the always-excellent Jeremy Brett dramatisations presented for Baker Street Irregulars everywhere. Also on offer are two new documentaries looking at Holmes and Conan Doyle’s legacy. Elementary My Dear Viewer has Richard E Grant looking at our enduring fascination, while Dr Watson actor David Burke discusses the life of Conan Doyle in The Shackles of Sherlock.

The Omid Djalili Show (Saturday 9.30pm, BBC1)

Mmmmm, very odd scheduling this – the talents of British-Iranian comedian Djalili can’t be denied, but this feels like such a bad fit not just for BBC1 but for the Saturday timeslot. Djalili is quite edgy, but it feels like some of the comedy here is a little watered down, as if afraid that Auntie is looking over his shoulder. One to watch to see how it develops, but I don’t think this has the legs, which is a shame.

Downfall (Saturday 9pm, C4)

I think I’ve recommended this before in a previous Square Eyes, but genius is genius however many times you’ve seen it. Downfall documents the last days of Hitler, and thanks to a stunning and jaw-dropping performance from Bruno Ganz, the Fuhrer is presented in a disturbingly sympathetic light. Brilliant.

Cranford (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

A star-studded cast assemble to bring Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels about Cranford. Judi Dench, Philip Glenister, Francesca Annis, Imelda Staunton, Greg Wise, Barbara Flynn, Alex Jennings… Now that’s what I call a tasty collection of thesps. It might be a bit too soapy for some who like their costume dramas pure, but I don’t mind that one little bit bit, and this tale of a rural Cheshire market town is utterly charming from start to finish. A nice way to spend Sunday nights in the run-up to Christmas.

Kenny Everett – Licence to Laugh (Sunday 10pm, ITV1)

A retrospective portrait of the influential and much-missed comedy performer, full of fond recollections from friends and colleagues, including Billy Connolly, Barry Cryer and, of course Cleo Rocos. The interviews are interspersed with clips of the great man in action. Watching this, one has to wonder what Everett would have made of modern television. Not much, I’m betting…

The Blair Years (Sunday 10.15pm, BBC1)

And so it begins, the great unravelling of a Prime Ministerial career that spanned a record breaking decade. It’s still too early to say just how TB will be remembered, but this is an interesting little start to understanding just what happened behind the closed doors of Number 10 – and Tone himself pops in to offer some insights.

The seventh week is when everything changes. Gone are the two dance types per show: this week, all the couples will be dancing a dance that’s new to them, but which has already been featured in the previous six weeks. And brace yourselves — Kate and Anton are dancing a Latin again. You are advised to adopt the posture that Ola used at the end of her Paso with Kenny. That is to say, with hands clamped firmly over your eyes.

Anyway, here are the week 7 score sheets (126Kb PDF). As before, I’ve added the dance each couple will be performing, sourced from the fact-filled (and cross-checked) Wikipedia page for the series. They haven’t been wrong so far this series.

See you back here after each of this weekend’s shows…

Quote of the week has to go to a supposed insider on ITV’s forthcoming teen drama, Echo Beach. The quote has everything: drama, fashion, hyperbole and a healthy dash of self-deception.

As Matt has reported in an exclusive over on the main news page, Tony Jordan has been tempted back to Albert Square to write a new episode of EastEnders to go out in the New Year. This is very welcome news – if there’s one thing that Tony Jordan knows, it’s how to write a fantastic, pot-boiling half hour of ‘Enders.

So the BBC has “foxed” viewers with fake footage of a fox in the rain . Ho ho, did you see what I did there? The footage appeared as part as part of the Alan Titchmarsh series, The Nature of Britain, claiming to show a fox shaking rainwater from its coat. And in yet more TV fakery skulduggery and black ops conspiracy, it has been revealed that the footage was in fact of a fox in captivity being sprayed with a hose, not, in fact, yer actual fox in the wild with yer actual rain.

Do excuse my slightly nervous, bordering on hysterical, laughter at hearing this piece of tabloid scuttlebut.

Lily Allen to star as Doctor Who’s assistant? You are, as they say back home, having a laugh…

I think I’m going to go for a lie down in a darkened room. If I ignore the story long enough, it will go away. Won’t it?

If there was a theme to this weekend’s shows, it was ‘reversal of fortune’. One couple who had faced the dance-off twice ended up on top of the leaderboard; a former leading couple on the leaderboard ended up in the dance-off; and the progress made by one couple last week all came undone. This week’s dances were the Viennese Waltz and the Salsa.

Capturing Mary (Monday 9pm, BBC2)

Mmmm, not sure about this one. The second of Stephen Poliakoff’s recent offerings stars Maggie Smith as Mary, who returns to the house in London where she spent many hours in her youth as a debutante arriving in high society. The young Mary (Ruth Wilson) encounters the debonair Greville White and engages in a battle of wills with the suave socialite. Maggie Smith, as you can imagine, is fabulous, as is Ruth Wilson, and the link with last week’s Joe’s Palace is nicely handled. However, it’s David Walliams’ barely competent performance as White that leaves you slack-jawed in shock that the supposedly great Poliakoff could have made such a schoolboy error of casting. To paraphrase, he should have said: “I don’t want that one.” Capturing Mary is followed by a repeat of last Saturday’s monologue, A Real Summer, starring Ruth Wilson as Mary.

I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here (Monday 9pm, ITV1)

Can somebody wake me up when this is all over please? My one great hope in this for TV gold is Christopher Biggins who can always be relied on for some entertainment when the chips are down. He’s probably the sanest of the lot in the camp, and he gets my support to win.

Secret Army (Monday 9pm, UK TV History)

A very welcome repeat run for a stunning BBC drama classic. Secret Army might be better known in 2007 for having been the blueprint for the bawdy comedy of Allo, Allo!, but this first episode is brilliant. The cast are all note perfect, the plotting is the tightest you’re ever likely to see, and it’s all tense as hell. The series is difficult to watch in places, but it’s always rewarding. One to series link.

The 800 Million Pound Railway Station (Monday 10pm, BBC2)

I must confess to a certain fascination with the progress of the new St Pancras station. It looks amazing, and this six-part documentary series follows the entire process as the showpiece station and hotel starts to take shape. This first part follows the trials of Chief Architect Alastair Lansley as he bares his soul on camera for all to see. Fascinating.

Spooks (Monday 9pm, BBC1)

Getting better and better, Spooks thunders ever on as Adam is involved in the death of a journalist investigating the bombing that began this season. It also seems likely that our winsome hero is about to get some unwelcome attention from the Iranian Special Consul for having shaggied his wife for the last few episodes. You think he’d be grateful – Adam did save his life last week, after all. Audaciously brilliant.

The One Show (Wednesday 7pm, BBC1)

Several months into its run, this is a good time to catch up with the fortunes of Adrian Chiles and his various roving reporters to see if the great experiment has worked. And I’m pleased to say it has, with The One Show sitting very comfortably in the 7pm half hour and building a not too shabby audience just shy of 5 million. That’s no mean feat considering the hefty competition from Emmerdale over on ITV. It just goes to show that with some nurturing, you can create new audiences for existing slots.

How to Look Good Naked (Wednesday 8pm, C4)

I keep watching this hugely enjoyable show, but I still haven’t found out how to do what the programme title claims. I fear I am a lost cause, but Gok Wan gamely carries on revitalising the dreams of the women he encounters in a much healthier way than the two fashion bullies over on t’other side (pssst, I mean Trinny and Susannah).

Coronation Street (Wednesday 7.30pm, ITV1)

Sigh. Jamie and Violet decide to give their relationship another go. I’m finding it hard to care as I can’t really forgive the storyliners for saddling the wonderful Jenny Platt (Violet) with a mare of a storyline for the last year. The last thing this girl needs is getting back into bed with Danny Baldwin Jr, and just think of poor Sean and your unborn baby. Hell hath no fury like a Tully scorned…For more Weatherfield fun, there’s the Coronation Street Wedding Album on ITV1 at 10pm, taking a trip down memory lane of the many Corrie weddings over the years.

The Street (Thursday 9pm, BBC1)

After last week’s great opener, The Street continues to impress, with a return this week for Timothy Spall’s hapless cabbie Eddie. Eddie bumps into an old flame, leading to some excruciating attempts to impress her, while his wife Margie makes a somewhat shocking discovery at home. Thank God for Jimmy McGovern.

Sold (Thursday 9pm, ITV1)

What’s that? Kris Marshall in a comedy drama set around the ups and downs in the cutthroat world an estate agents? Oh. Having taken this under advisement, I think I’ll watch Food Poker instead.

Lead Balloon (Thursday 9.30pm, BBC2)

Jack Dee’s dour comic Rick Spleen returns in a new series, premiering on BBC2 this time out. I loved the first series, but I’m not convinced there’s enough momentum to carry the format through a successful second run. It’s still well written, and Dee, playing an exaggerated simulacrum of his usual down at heel persona, is surprisingly watchable. I’ll be tuning in again – but cautiously.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Thursday 10pm, More4)

I’ve become a little weary of Studio 60. Not that it isn’t watchable and well written, but the mechanics are clearly not working. However, this episode is notable in that it features former The West Wing actress Alison Janney playing herself as a Studio 60 guest host. Which is nice.

The Mighty Boosh (Thursday 10.30pm, BBC3)

The Boosh are back, long live the Boosh! While it’s true that the comedy of Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt is something of an acquired taste, there’s a delightful innocence running through things that makes it very hard to resist. In this third series, the boys are now running a bric-a-brac stall, but fans will be glad to know that Naboo and Bollo are still on hand, and a conveyor belt of increasingly whacky characters are sure to follow. Note to Tittybangbang – you share a channel with true genius. Never forget that…

The Green, Green Grass/ Have I Got News For You/The Armstrong and Miller Show (from 8.30pm, BBC1)

This is how to do comedy scheduling, something that BBC2 seems to have missed with the terrible pairing of The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle and The Peter Serafinovich Show. This has a bit of something for everyone, with some traditional sit-com fare in The Green, Green Grass, biting satire in HIGNFY, and some hit (with a few misses) sketch comedy from Armstrong and Miller. Well done Auntie, you can still get some things right (and just so we all know, some of the people involved in these shows might actually be actors).

Ugly Betty (Friday 9pm, C4)

Enjoy this while you can – Channel 4 is about a week behind the US transmission, and with the show likely to shut down production in the not too distant thanks to the WGA strike, we can probably look forward to season one repeats very soon.

Comedy Showcase: Free Agents (Friday 10.30pm, C4)

Possibly the best of the Comedy Showcase pilots, Free Agents has good pedigree in its leads, Sharon Horgan and Stephen Mangan. The pair play a couple of theatrical agents who end up sleeping together, but find they can’t stand each other. Which is a problem, as there is definite attraction. With, um, hilarious consequences. Watch out for Anthony Head in a scene-stealing turn.

Robin Hood (Saturday 7.20pm, BBC1)

Oh, alright then. You twisted my arm. I don’t have anything better to do, and with a guest appearance from Denis Lawson as a rival sheriff, there should be some fun to be had from Keith Allen.

Poliakoff Night (Saturday, from 7.35pm, BBC2)

Mark Kermode interviews the much-feted writer and director in a Culture Show special devoted entirely to his work. This programme will also feature behind the scenes footage and interviews with many of the actors who have worked with Poliakoff over the years. The evening also includes the final episode of what I consider to be Poliakoff’s finest hour, Shooting the Past, as well as another airing of the Damian Lewis starring Friends and Crocodiles, which was, let’s face it, far away from his finest hour. While Poliakoff’s work is probably past its best judging by recent form, there are probably great things still to come from the man, so he’s thoroughly deserving of a night of programmes.

The Kylie Show (Saturday 9.35pm, ITV1)

My word, has the pop princess really been in the music biz for 20 years? I suddenly feel very old. This isn’t quite An Audience With…, more an extended trailer for Kylie’s upcoming new album, which is no bad thing. It’s good to see a pop heroine back with so much verve after her recent personal trials, and this should be a slick, sumptuous outlet for her talents – and there may even be some oldies thrown in for good measure.

Learners (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

David Tennant must be officially the busiest man in showbiz. Here he manages to fit in another primetime drama on his brief downtime from Doctor Who – the poor lad must be looking forward to playing Hamlet next year at the RSC so he can have a rest. Jessica Hynes writes and stars in this likeable tale about Beverly, a cleaner who has failed her driving test eight times. Then she meets driving instructor Chris (Tennant), who’s a bit geeky, but utterly lovely and soon Bev finds herself falling for him. As you do. It’s fun, if not quite sure what it wants to be, but a teaming of Hynes and Tennant is always going to be worth 80 minutes of anybody’s time.

Heartbeat (Sunday 8pm, ITV1)

Only joking!

My Boy Jack (Sunday 9pm ITV1)

Daniel Radcliffe (sounds familiar, can’t quite place him) stars in this moving drama as Jack Kipling, only son of revered author Rudyard (David Haig). Kipling Senior, wildly patriotic, pulled all sorts of strings to get his son a commission in the Army during the First World War, despite him having terrible eyesight. Sadly, Jack lost his life on his first day in action, and Kipling endured the guilt of what he’d done for the rest of his life This is an accomplished piece, adapted from David Haig’s own stage play, and there is fantastic support on offer from Kim Cattrall as Caroline Kipling. Still not sure where I’ve seen that Radcliffe boy before, though.

There seems to be a vogue at the moment for bringing back former stars of soap operas. Coronation Street flew against tradition and actually had a departed family member turn up for a wedding, with Bruno Langley reprising his role as Todd Grimshaw (no Nick Tilsley, though — now that reunion would have been worth watching…)

Of course, more recently we’ve had news that Bianca and Ricky, aka actors Patsy Palmer and Sid Owen, will be returning to the set of EastEnders. Today, over in our news section, our own Matthew Hemley hears from BBC controller of drama production John Yorke that they’ll be rejoining the soap during a special “Frank week”, joined by Charlie Brooks (Janine) to mourn the passing of Frank Butcher, played by the late Mike Reid.

Are we on the sixth week already? We’re reaching the halfway point of the 12-week series.

Another slight tweak to the score sheets layout this week, in order to allow better use of the space as more and more contestants drop out. As with last week, I’m relying on internet obsessives’ declaration of who’s doing the Viennese Waltz and who’s dancing the Samba. And now, the telephone numbers if you want to vote are included as well.

Have fun — and don’t forget to pop back here after the Saturday and Sunday shows to deliver your verdicts!

Strictly Come Dancing week 6 score sheets (127Kb PDF)

There’s one thing you learn when watching TV dramas set in performing arts schools, and it’s this: Fame costs. And right here’s where you start paying. With, um, grandma’s inheritance. Unless your mother’s spent it.

Okay, so it’s not Fame. And despite the 11pm scheduling on E4, nor is it Skins. It has echoes of both, though. Whether it manages to take the best elements of both, now that’s a different matter.

It’s all going a bit Pete Tong across the Atlantic, isn’t it? Basically, an entire industry brought to its knees by the Writers Guild of America, striking over residual payments from DVDs and online content. Which, as a lad of good Yorkshire breeding, is probably exactly as it should be. It’s a sad indication in the UK that it’s inconceivable for such a situation to arise in British television, showing how weak our unions have become. But that’s a fight for another day…

The big question on everyone’s lips this week was how the series would cope with the loss of Gabby Logan. Of ocurse, the answer was always going to turn out to be “just the same as if anybody else had left”, but some of the midweek courage had been particularly harsh, especially to Kate Garraway.

The question was, would that pressure get to her?

A sad day here at TV Today towers as we note the death of actress Hilda Braid at the age of 78. Braid was perhaps best known as the now legendary Nana Moon in EastEnders and as Florence, Wolfie Smith’s mother-in-law to be in Citizen Smith.

There are two very different views of actor David Tennant on display in newsagents at the moment. He is back in his familiar time traveller’s garb promoting a special Doctor Who episode for Children in Need (written by Steven Moffat, the segment will see the Tenth Doctor coming face to face with the fifth, played by a returning Peter Davison).

On the cover of this week’s issue of The Stage, though, he’s dressed down substantially, in the guise of a driving instructor for the new one-off BBC1 comedy drama Learners, written by and starring Jessica Hynes — who, of course, guest starred with Tennant in the superb Who episodes Human Nature and The Family of Blood.

In one of his only print interviews, Tennant talks about his forthcoming stage turns as Hamlet and Berowne in Love’s Labours Lost for the RSC, his future in Doctor Who — and why he considers himself “the least sexy man on the planet”. The full interview is only appearing in print, but there’s a sneak preview after the jump.

Last night, Dr Martin Ellingham, as has been pointed out in the comments below, didn’t tie the knot with on-off love Louisa in the finale of Doc Martin series three. It saw the ratings pushing the 10 million mark, proving one of ITV’s biggest drama successes of recent years. Doc Martin is in the grand tradition of grumpy, bad tempered docs that have populated television for decades, and audiences just can’t get enough of. And so, to commemorate the end of the series, we present one of TV Today’s infrequent Top 5 lists, saluting the best miserable medics from years gone by.

The Sarah Jane Adventures (Monday 5pm, BBC1)

This, as you know, has been a wholly satisfying and entertaining series, but with the first part of Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?, it achieves true greatness. Gareth Roberts’ script is clever, seeing Maria waking up one morning to find that Sarah (I refuse to call her Sarah Jane as she was rarely called that in Doctor Who) no longer exists, and she’s the only one who remembers her. And just why is Jane Asher living in our heroine’s house? It’s scary as hell too, but with that essential lightness of touch that has typified the show from the start. Glorious!

Autumnwatch 2007 (Monday 8pm, BBC2)

Let’s face it; sitting down to watch a new chunk of Autumnwatch is like pulling on a comfy pair of old socks. Come to that, Bill Oddie almost looks like a comfy pair of old socks, but it doesn’t matter as there’s something so watchable about this BBC2 hit. There’s nothing new or starting here as the show proceeds over the week, but ain’t nature grand?

Doc Martin (Monday 9pm, ITV1)

The last in the current series sees Doc Martin Ellingham finally getting hitched to Louisa after three series of on-off chicanery. It should be a fairly satisfying ending, and with stellar ratings, this won’t be the last we’ll see of the other top-rating doctor on British television. Well, who’d want to turn down spending a few months filming in such a beautiful setting?

Spooks (Tuesday 9pm, BBC1)

Dark autumn nights mean this is prime time to snuggle down in front of the TV of an evening, and the new run of Spooks is proving to be a great companion to share a mug of cocoa with. There’s a renewed confidence to the series this year, even if it does have the hallmarks of 24 running through the on-going story. This week, intelligence points to an Algerian terror attack, but with allegiances all over the place, nobody really knows who’s telling the truth. Brilliant, even if it does take itself a bit too seriously.

The History of the World Backwards (Tuesday 10pm, BBC4)

A rare return to television for former The Mary Whitehouse Experience performer Rob Newman, The History of the World Backwards is somewhat hit and miss, but has enough funny stuff in there to keep the audience chuckling. It’s admittedly one note, but it’s hard to resist gags like Emily Pankhurst leading the revolution for women to stay at home and not go out to work.

Happy Birthday Bafta (Wednesday 9pm, ITV1)

Ah, you can’t beat a bit of blatant backslapping, and with this nod to Bafta’s 60 years on this earth it’s as simpering as you can imagine. The surviving cast of Upstairs, Downstairs reunite to recreate some classic scenes from the legendary series, while Armstrong and Miller attempt to ape greatness and perform Morecambe and Wise’s legendary breakfast-making routine. Which is, um, nice, I suppose. Michael Parkinson and Joanna Lumley host proceedings, and at a base level, this should be of passing appeal to anybody with an interest in television.

Heroes (Wednesday 9pm, BBC2)

I must confess to having fallen behind a little with the labyrinthine US hit, but I have a stack of series linked episodes to crack through in the coming week. It’s perhaps the mid-season slump, but with a guest shot from Malcolm McDowell and some pacier scripting, it seems we’re ready for the run up to the climax. And it still has a cheerleader, so it’s not all bad.

The Street (Thursday 9pm, BBC1)

Decent drama comes to Thursday nights with a second run for Jimmy McGovern’s excellent series set around a particular street and the people who live there. Returning from last time will be Timothy Spall, but generally it’s a new set of characters under the spotlight for this series. This week sees a particularly dark tale with David Thewlis playing twins Joe and Harry, with Harry assuming the identity of his brother following Joe’s death. It’s quite chilling actually, and Thewlis is on his usual, effortless form.

River Cottage: Gone Fishing (Thursday 9pm, C4)

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall returns with a new series from the River Cottage juggernaut, and this time he turns his attention to fish, a preoccupation from the worlds of the environment and food. The posh chef attempts to guide us through the eco-minefield of eating fish in the modern world and shows alternative species that can look good pan-fried in a bit of butter and herbs. Thankfully, Whittingstall is a straightforward host and makes things trip along nicely.

Bones (Thursday 9pm, Sky One)

A new season of the US crime show starring Emily Deschenal and David Boreanaz. It’s not in the league of the likes of CSI, but Bones is an enjoyably fluffy way to spend 45 minutes. As with most of these shows, the central partnership is the key, and Deschenal and Boreanaz have a nice frisson that one can only hope never goes into the bedroom. That way madness (and cancellation) lies.

Coronation Street (Friday 7.30pm, ITV1)

The aftermath of the wedding shenanigans, and it seems everybody is willing to forgive evil David after his crazy suicide bid. Everybody apart from Sarah, that is, who just wants to kill him. Is David just looking for attention, or is he just an evil little sod who gets a kick out of mucking things up for everybody. I’m not sure how far this storyline can go, and surely David has got to the end of the line in crazy stunts? Well, with Tina O’Brien off in the New Year, I wouldn’t bet on it!

The Green Green Grass (Friday 8.30pm, BBC1)

Who would have thought The Green Green Grass would have made it to a third series, let alone a second? It’s not clever by any stretch of the imagination, but it is funny and has two great characters in Only Fools refugees Boycie and Marlene. And every now and then, John Sullivan throws you a line that is just belly laugh out loud funny. In the first of the new series, Boycie decides he needs his portrait painting.

The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz (Friday 10pm, C4)

Channel 4 is 25 today, which does seem to have passed people by a touch, considering all the celebratory repeats have been hidden away on More4. Oh well. One thing this does mean is that exactly 25 years ago today, round about teatime, I was standing in a school playground, freezing cold after a football match and wanting to go home. It was a simpler world back then, one where I didn’t know what Countdown was and whether it was okay to fancy Carol Vorderman or not. This mammoth two-hour quiz, hosted by Jimmy Carr (who else) takes teams of celebrity guests through Channel 4 themed questions. I’m assuming teasers about Shilpa and Jade are to be avoided.

Robin Hood (Saturday 7.15pm, BBC1)

Josie Lawrence and David Bamber guest-star in tonight’s muted (yet enjoyable) slice of derring-do and adventure. Lawrence plays a nurse who is accused of witchcraft, and need help from Robin and the gang. Robin meanwhile, is beginning to smell the rat in the gang’s midst, but will he find out who?

Casualty (Saturday 8.50pm, BBC1)

Say it ain’t so! Josh Griffiths, leaving Casualty? That’s like the ravens leaving the Tower! Finally, after possibly having the worst life of any Casualty character, Ian Bleasdale hangs up that ugly green paramedic uniform. But will he follow his heart? It’s kind of on a roll at the moment is dear old Casualty, but how long will it last? And let’s keep our fingers crossed that Charlie stays, otherwise Holby A&E really will fall to the ground!

Shooting the Past (Saturday 9,40pm, BBC2)

It’s an old Poliakoff, but it’s arguably one his finest pieces of work, and is a great way to get in the mood for tomorrow night’s Joe’s Palace. When a US property developer buys the building housing an extensive and eccentric picture library, the mis-matched staff must fight to save what they hold most dear. Shooting the Past has many of Poliakoff’s signature themes writ large, and if you can ignore Liam Cunningham’s shocking accent, this work is so beautiful and accomplished, it makes you weep.

Joe’s Palace (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

With this and A Room with a View over on ITV, the 9pm hour is a veritable smorgasbord of drama treats. To be fair, Stephen Poliakoff’s last drama outings fell far short of the brilliance he has achieved in the past, and while Joe’s Palace is better, it still feels a bit vague. But I’ll take an off par Poliakoff over anybody. Michael Gambon plays reclusive millionaire Elliot Graham, who can’t bring himself to live in the mansion he owns. Instead, he lets young lad Joe look after the place and sits across the road and watches the various comings and goings. Lovely, but a bit lacking.

Long Way Down (Sunday 9pm, BBC2)

Last week’s first instalment of Long Way Down was hugely entertaining as Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman went through the rigorous preparations for their latest world-spanning adventure. I suspect we saw the best last week as the drama of getting the expedition off the ground was rather compelling, but these two mates are great company to be in and the countryside on display is quite stunning. And as always, there’s always a lurking sense of danger just around each corner, which you rarely get with Michael Palin (brilliant though he is).

A Room with a View (Sunday 9pm, ITV1)

Hot on the bodiced heels of Fanny Hill comes yet another Andrew Davies literary adaptation, and as always, that’s never a bad thing. This time the celebrated scribbler turns his attentions to E.M. Forster’s sumptuous tale or romance, previously turned into a much-talked about film by Merchant Ivory. Rafe Spall and Elaine Cassidy bring the characters of Cecil and Lucy to life, with the impressive cast rounded off by Spall Snr, Timothy West, Sinead Cusack and Mark Williams.

Right you lot, here are this week’s score sheets, as the ten remaining couples battle it out either with a Foxtrot or a Paso Doble. Keen-eyed fans elsewhere on the internet have deduced which dance each couple is performing, thanks to It Takes Two or other coverage throughout the week — so I haven’t included the multiple choice for the dance.

Fingers crossed the fans are correct…

Strictly Come Dancing score sheet, week 5 (PDF)

There were a couple of things that irked me about last night’s National Television Awards, and I’m not including the Kelly Osbourne/Doctor Who thing, as I couldn’t bear to watch the ITV2 aftershow.

For a start, Ant and Dec cried plaintively that “it’s been a tough couple of weeks”. Yes, because the show you hosted was earmarked as having diddled TV viewers out of millions — and no one lost their jobs. They had the temerity to congratulate the Saturday Night Takeaway team as well. Congratulations for what? Not getting the sack for ongoing, persistent and wilful noncompliance that defrauded the general public? That got me so angry, I nearly laughed at one of Sir Trevor Macdonald’s awful, scripted jokes just to cheer myself up.

The other thing was the additional phone vote for Most Popular Talent Show — and not just because the closing deadline was given as the highly nebulous “start of part five” (what’s wrong with picking a specific time and sticking to it?)

Well, that’s according to Kelly Osbourne at last night’s National Television Awards to explain away how David Tennant could bag the Most Popular Actor gong in favour of Charlie Clements off of EastEnders.

Well, at least that’s what I thought she mumbled in a barely audible and awkward manner during the backstage show put out by ITV2. One can only assume, based on Kelly and her brother Jack’s performance at hosting this post awards show, that the Chuckle Brothers were unavailable to take the gig. I mean, really…