December 2007 Archives

There’s buckets of good telly on over Christmas - be it on BBC1, ITV1, BBC2 & Channel 4 or any of the myriad digital channels.

Mark and I will be watching lots, of course, but may not be commenting too much on it (although each of us will attempt to pop in later in the week).

In the meantime, we wish all our readers a very happy Christmas.

And if you need some extra reading material to get you in the mood for When Maria Met Joseph on BBC1 tonight, why not peruse the interviews with Connie Fisher and Lee Mead, as published in last week’s print edition of The Stage?

The Green Green Grass (Friday 9pm, BBC1)

The final outing for Boycie and Marlene this series. I can’t deny that I’ve become rather attached to this Only Fools spin-off, and nobody is more surprised about that than me. It isn’t big, it isn’t clever, but it is fun, and more importantly, it can be funny. A lot of the charm lies with our central characters, and John Challis wears Boycie like trusty old suit. Hopefully more mishaps for the husband and wife team are in the offing.

Jamie at Home Christmas Special (Friday 9pm, C4)

I’ve been a bit down on lil Jamie Oliver over the last year, but this could actually be an indispensable weapon in your arsenal against the Christmas dinner onslaught. Okay, so most of us don’t have a wood-burning oven in the back garden, but the hints and tips on offer here are quality, and the food looks a bit nice. Jamie, as it’s Christmas, I’ll cut you some slack – you’re not a bad lad really.

The Friday Night Christmas Project with Girls Aloud (Friday 10pm, C4)

A seasonal outing for the popular Channel 4 show with Justin Lee Collins and Alan Carr. The duo look back over moments from the 2007 series, with able assistance from Girls Aloud, who about the perfect guest hosts for this show. I’ve taken time warming to The Friday Night Project, but now I couldn’t imagine C4 without it.

Strictly Come Dancing Final (Saturday 5.50pm, BBC1)

Well, after Gethin was well and truly robbed last week, I’m not sure I can bring myself to watch this. I guess that will teach him not to be photographed in the papers with a beautiful opera starlet and turning his legions of female fans against him. Ah well. That aside, the standard at this stage of the competition is undeniably high and as Matt and Alesha battle it out, there’s going to be some top skill on display. The results show is on at 9.25pm, and there’s a special edition on Christmas Day.

Oliver Twist (Saturday 7.15pm, BBC1)

The end of what I felt was a hit and miss series, but nevertheless still highly enjoyable. It’s the final act as evil Bill Sikes goes on the run with little Oliver and Fagin gets some unwanted attention from the rozzers. It’s all so… one note, with Tom Hardy and Timothy Spall doing just about what you’d expect – I’d certainly expect better of Spall.

Parkinson: the Final Show (Saturday 10.15pm, ITV1)

Required viewing as TV legend Michael Parkinson looks back over 36 years of his favourite interviews. On the list are Muhammad Ali, Richard Burton, and I would imagine Emu might just get his beak in there somewhere.

Charles Dickens and the Invention of Christmas (Sunday 3.40pm, BBC1)

We take so much about Christmas for granted, so it’s always good to examine the roots of those things we hold so dear. In this lovely little documentary, Griff Rhys Jones looks at how the traditional family Christmas was practically invented by Charles Dickens in the pages of A Christmas Carol. Brilliant.

Coronation Street (Sunday 7.30pm, ITV1)

The words “hen night” and “Liz McDonald” are surely a storyliner’s dream, but Liz doesn’t really get to be the centre of attention at her own party. Michelle puts on a brave face in the aftermath of recent revelations about Ryan, and Carla lets slip to Maria about her recent face-suck with Liam. It’s going to be the best Weatherfield Christmas ever!

Heartbeat (Sunday 8pm, ITV1)

I’m not normally one to recommend an episode of Heartbeat, but felt moved to do so with this evening’s trip to Aidensfield. Tonight sees the departure of long-serving bobby Phil Bellamy as played by Mark Jordon since the show began back in 1992. I’m not a huge fan of Heartbeat, but there’s no denying these characters have great affection amongst the millions of fans out there, and it would be churlish of me not to draw attention to this momentous occasion.

• Strictly Come Dancing score sheet: Week 12, the final [84Kb PDF]

Whose crazy idea was this, having decent telly on in such a busy run-up to the festive period? Don’t they know that we have to try and get next week’s paper out despite two days next week bing public holidays? Speaking of which, there’s all the shopping and such to do, and the organising of Christmas special interviews and the like…

Which is a pretty poor excuse, I admit, for not having a semi-final review last week. Second week on the tort I’ve come up short, I know. My apologies. But grab your score cards from the link above, because tomorrow sees the FINAL!

Each couple will be dancing five dances: their favourite ballroom dance, their favourite Latin, a freestyle, a group Viennese waltz, and the judges’ choice. I have no idea what order they’ll be in, or which they’ll be doing (although the usually reliable Wikipedia page says Alesha will be dancing the Waltz, the Cha-Cha and the Jive and Matt the American Smooth, the Salsa and the Quickstep).

So for the final, you have five rows (numbered, with breathtaking originality, 1-5) and you can just write in what dance they’re doing.

Enjoy!

PS: Read a good interview with all four judges, courtesy of The Guardian

It looks like curtains for the orange blobs, as BBC Three is the latest channel to get a full rebrand.

You can get a sneak preview of the makeover at the BBC’s new microsite, which has one of those annoying Flash-only interfaces that look cool when shown to the people signing the cheques, but rarely make for a useful experience for the end user. Personally, I found the ‘accessible’ version much easier to navigate, although the (currently very empty) gallery still requires Flash.

So, what does the preview Tell us about the new-look BBC Three? Apart from “Gosh, that logo reminds me of Heart FM”, of course…

I’ve just come back from a Disney Channel UK event at the Electric Cinema in London’s Portobello Road. As a Christmas treat, we had a singalong version of High School Musical 2 (to which none of us really sang along — well, it was a big cinema, few people, and it’s far more fun laughing at Zac Efron prancing around the golf course looking for all the world like he’s in a 1980s-era Cliff Richard video). We were also shown the first episodes of new animation Phineas and Ferb, which looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s certainly a lot of imagination going into the first few scripts, but time will tell whether the novelty of a pair of ingenious stepbrothers whose pet platypus is really an undercover spy will wear off. And that’s not a sentence I ever imagined typing…

A very quick piece today as there are still presents to be wrapped and a goose to buy, but a news story has just appeared on the wire that’s worth mentioning (and it comes as an early Chrimbo pressie – sort of).

The vogue for time warp TV it seems is continuing unabated with the news that Swap Shop will return to Saturday morning childrens’ television in the New Year – under the stewardship of Basil Brush and Barney Harwood (oh well, it was looking so good).

So I’ve cast an eye over the Christmas Day schedules of BBC1 and ITV1, and, personally speaking, I found BBC1’s star to be shining a little brighter than its commercial rival.

So now to channel hop and look at the line-ups offered by the more sedate and intellectual BBC2 and Channel 4 (yes, you did read that correctly). By the very nature of Christmas Day TV, these broadcasters don’t really have much choice but to PUT their heads down and just get on with it. Let the big boys fight over their toys, and often this can lead to some richer, more interesting viewing fare. Sometimes…

Last week I sounded a somewhat positive note on the virtues of BBC1’s Christmas Day schedule, and now it’s time to turn my attention to the yuletide treats offered up by ITV1.

Sad to say on first glance, I’m not that sold on the first half of the day, and things don’t really get going until after tea. The early part of the morning is taken up with the usual low-rent kiddie fare that we know the little ones won’t be watching. There’s a spark a little later with the repeat of a Creature Comforts Christmas special (10.10am), which will raise half a smile (if I haven’t sloped off back to bed by that stage).

Apologies for the brevity of this week’s preview — Mark’s come down with the lurgy, so I’m having to fill in.

Abigail’s Party Night Monday, BBC4 from 8:30pm
Culminating with a welcome repeat showing of Mike Leigh’s 1977 Play for Today, we start with half an hour of Abigail’s Party Pack (a reminder of the late 1970s middle-class culture that was so devastatingly portrayed. Sandwiched in between, we have All About Abigail’s Party, an exploration of the origins and ongoing success of the play itself.

Birth of the Spice Girls Monday, Living 10pm
Timed to coincide with the UK tour of Baby, Scary, Sporty, Plastic and Bonkers Posh and Ginger comes this documentary on the girl group’s early years. Featuring a brief cameo by a certain newspaper for the performing arts, just to prove that amazing things can happen if you respond to a recruitment ad in The Stage, as well as early rehearsal footage.

Oliver Twist Tuesday, BBC1 8pm
Just days after the glorious Cranford ends, we have another glorious BBC costume drama. This time, the action runs across five consecutive nights, with one of Dickens’ best known stories retold in three and half hours of glorious telly. Timothy Spall takes on the mantle of Fagin, with Tom Hardy and Sophie Okonedo as Bill Sikes and Nancy. Lionel Bart this ain’t — it’s far better than that, with a script by Sarah Phelps and direction by Coky Giedroyc that will, by Saturday, leave us all asking for more.

Spooks Tuesday, BBC1 9pm
And so the current series draws to a close. Truth be told, the effects of switching to a serial format rather than a series of discrete episodes hasn’t been as great as the start of series PR may have implied, but it certainly has helped the series cut down on the more extreme flights of fancy, which always makes for more gripping storytelling. We’re promised news of what really happened to Zaf, and there’s the distinct possibility that at least one of the already diminished Section D team may not live to see a seventh series…

[Heston Blumenthal’s Perfect Christmas] Wednesday, BBC2 8pm
A table full of invited celebs tuck in to a range of bizarre dishes concocted by the ‘culinary alchemist’, including a dish made from gold, frankincense and myrrh, and nitro ice cream made from reindeer milk. You’re not going to pick up any pointers for next week’s big roast (BBC2 has Nigella for that) but watching other people eat has rarely been so entertaining.

First off, apologies for the lack of a full review for last week. It was a culmination of bad things — my Sky+ box decided that it doesn’t want to work any more, while I was out at a Christmas theatre show, so I got to see neither one of the more controversial dance-offs of the series, nor Vincent and Flavia’s Argentine tango. Gutted.

Anyway, it’s semi-finals week this week, with each of the remaining three couples doing their one remaining dance from the Strictly repertoire, plus an Argentine Tango. Given Flavia’s expertise in the latter, one can only hope that Matt fares better this week than he did last. Only not too much, as I still want a Gethin/Alesha head-to-head in next week’s final.

As usual, score sheet below — see you after the shows!

• Strictly Come Dancing score sheets, week 11 [PDF]

Coronation Street (Friday 7.30pm, ITV1)

There’s a notion that Corrie might move to a trial 8.30pm timeslot sometime in the New Year. What a terrible idea. But that’s by the by, as tonight, devil child David Platt accepts a job offer from the oft mentioned, rarely seen Uncle Stephen. Is the poor boy finally on the road to being a well-adjusted teenager? Nah, don’t be silly!

Have I Got News For You (Friday 9pm, BBC1)

Richard Madeley hosting HIGNFY? This is either genius waiting to happen or one big studio-based car crash. The jury is out.

Fanny Hill (Friday 9pm, BBC2)

The ratings smashing BBC4 production of Fanny Hill gets an airing on BBC2, and for this, we can all be thankful. It’s a good, solid Andrew Davies turn, and well worth giving a look.

Robin Hood (Saturday 7.15pm, BBC1)

Tonight’s piece of swashbuckling flummery is all concerned with some coded messages about the movement of royal treasure, and the Sheriff turning Locksley into a garrison town. It’s all great fun as always (look, I never said it wasn’t, I just don’t think the lead is up to much), and a perfect antidote to the crooning over on the other side.

The X Factor Final (Saturday 7.15pm, ITV1)

I’ve come and gone with this year’s singing shenanigans with Simon Cowell, but it seems the consensus is that this has been something of a vintage year for the venerable old competition. Certainly there have been some characters along the way, and the judges’ banter, on and off-screen, has been very entertaining. Personally I’m still mourning the loss of Niki, but tonight should be a two horse race between Rhydian and Same Difference – I’m not even sure what the other boy is called.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Saturday 7pm, BBC4)

This 1982 Trevor Nunn RSC production of the Dickens classic was rightly feted on its original run, and this attempt to put it on camera was a great success. Now BBC4 dusts down the VT and for the next two weekends, settle down to enjoy this brilliant piece of musical drama all over again. Roger Rees takes the title role, heading a huge cast that includes Alun Armstrong, Bob Peck and David Threllfall. Perfect pre-Christmas entertainment.

Cranford (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

My great hope is that some bright spark might see potential in the wonderful Cranford to think about doing an occasional visit in the future to this delightful village. That might sound a note of blasphemy to the original source material, but there is so much rich material here it would be a shame to think we may never visit Miss Matty and co in this incarnation ever again. This final episode has everything that has made the series such appointment TV, from the high character comedy to the depths of heart-wrenching tragedy.

Parkinson: the Final Conversation (Sunday 9pm, ITV1)

I don’t think Parky’s tenure at ITV has delivered the greatest moments of his chat career, to be honest, but that could be down to changes in the power the guests have to control what is and isn’t asked. But still, this final chapter of the veteran TV chat master’s career is going to be worth a look. With guests comprising Judi Dench, Jamie Cullum, Michael Caine, David Attenborough, Dame Edna, David Beckham, Peter Kay, Jamie Cullum and, of course, Billy Connolly, it’s an A-list line-up. Will the man himself get to the end of this two-hour extravaganza without shedding a tear? Place your bets now…

I’m sure that most of you will be with me on the perceived wisdom that 2007 has been pretty much an annus horribilis for this business we call telly, both in front of and behind the cameras. It started with the travesty that was Celebrity Big Brother and went downhill through phone line scandals, dodgy regal editing and Bear Grylls booking into a Travelodge or something. Yes, it’s been a rough old 12 months…

So I got to thinking this very day of the things that have given me cheer about the dear old goggle box throughout the year, and it’s sad to say that it’s been a stretch. Doctor Who, of course (predictable, I know), the announcement of To The Manor Born coming back for Christmas, Cranford, a brief fling with Studio 60…

So, Christmas TV isn’t as good as it used to be according to a survey carried out by ANT Software. Oh for the love of…

Yesterday I cast my eyes over the Christmas Day schedules of BBC1 and found them to be pretty tiptop, so I can’t help but feel this survey has been designed to skew in favour of certain areas. Is somebody trying to prove the relevance of the Internet and video on demand based solutions to modern audiences? Oh look, the very thing that ANT Software has a massive interest in…

I’ve waxed lyrical in the past about how I used to love getting the Christmas editions of the Radio Times and TV Times. There was always that thrill when dad got home with them – it meant Christmas was another step closer, and I’d go through the schedules to see what TV treats were in store for the holiday. With so many listings magazines flooding the market these days, I can’t imagine the same nostalgic buzz exists any more, but I still get a thrill of daftie excitement.

And so, over the next week and a bit, I’ll be looking through Christmas Day schedules with a bright yellow highlighter to see what the major channels are offering for our festive viewing pleasure…

Coronation Street (Monday 7.30/8.30pm, ITV1)

Good stuff from Weatherfield tonight as the Connor family get closer to the truth about Ryan’s stalker. This could be a storyline that has huge implications for Michelle and Ryan, not to mention Liam and Steve. The shadows of 2008 can be seen in tonight’s action and who knows where this one will go?

Monarchy (Monday 9pm, BBC1)

Ignore the controversy of this documentary that almost destroyed a corporation, Monarchy is actually a cracking piece of television. The cameras really do get you into areas of the Queen’s life that we’ve rarely witnessed in the past, and it makes for fascinating viewing. The Queen comes off as a stickler for standards, but you can’t help but like her. Tonight is interesting, with Her Majesty playing host to the Blairs as Tony approaches his final day as PM, and she also hangs out with Gordon Brown on the eve of his final budget as Chancellor.

Live at the Apollo (Monday 10.35pm, BBC1)

Say what you will about Joan Rivers, I like her. You might find her offensive and she might step close to the line many times throughout the course of a set, but there’s a ring of truth about everything she says. Yes, some groups might come in for a bit of stick, but Rivers is also incredibly self-deprecating about her character and her life. Her contribution to tonight’s Live at the Apollo is no exception, but if you don’t like her, stay away. Or wait for Patrick Kielty to come on instead.

Spooks (Tuesday 9pm, BBC1)

Eeeek! It’s the penultimate episode, and somebody is out to kill our brave team of spies. With the department practically closed down following Ros’s betrayal, Adam is getting all uppity about not working for the government any more, and Jo turns to journalist Ben for some help. And then the bullets start to fly. Don’t bother turning over for the final episode on BBC3, you won’t find it – it premieres next week on BBC1.

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

My dad loves Ken Dodd. He’s seen him live many times and would do so again given the chance. The question is, does Doddy have any relevance to a modern audience and can Dawn French get to the bottom of this veteran comic’s appeal? Probably not as she isn’t the greatest interviewer in the world, but it’s the strength of her subject that always makes these little chats work.

Can Gerry Robinson Fix the NHS? One Year On (Wednesday 9pm, BBC2)

It’s 12 months since Sir Gerry Robinson brought his management guru savvy to Rotherham District General Hospital, and what a revealing piece of television that was. Scary even. Has the situation changed any in the year since Robinson was there? Has it got better? Are things even more woeful and desperate than they used to be, or are there new problems to frustrate anybody’s efforts to fix the NHS?

Russell Brand on the Road (Wednesday 9pm, BBC4)

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, the love him/hate him figure of Russell Brand heads off on a somewhat manic tribute to his literary hero. Will I want to beat Brand to a pulp yet admire his esoteric skills all at the same time while he travels in Kerouac’s footsteps? Most probably, but I’ll no doubt learn something on the way. He drives me to utter distraction, but somehow I like him immensely. Sigh.

Ocean’s Twelve (Wednesday 9pm, ITV1)

It’s the worst film ever made, so just don’t okay? Actually, do watch it, if only to marvel at how much money went into paying the egos that made this truly dire piece of work.

The Street (Thursday 9pm, BBC1)

This fantastic series comes to an end with the tale of a young parks worker who has fallen for a stranger on his way to work every morning. Toby Kebbell is clearly one to watch as based on his performance as Paul, he’s going to be a big star. Here’s hoping for another run of the best drama series of the year – it might not do huge ratings, but any channel should keep hold of Jimmy McGovern at any cost and let him do whatever he wants. If this is the result, it’s got to be worth it.

Lead Balloon (Thursday 9.30pm, BBC2)

A cracking episode of a comedy that’s sometimes very hard to like, with Rick Spleen forced into looking after his long-suffering wife who is bedridden with flu. Inevitably things spiral out of control very, very quickly, but Jack Dee has become the master of the pained look with a hint of desperation and it’s actually becoming a pleasure to watch his discomfort.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Thursday 10pm, More 4)

If Studio 60 had been this good straight out of the traps, I’d say there’s a good chance it would have run to at least a second season and maybe beyond. It’s in these last few episodes that the balance between character motivated plots and the background fripperies of producing a weekly sketch show has been found. Jordan’s in surgery, Danny is engaged to her, Matt and Harriet are doing whatever it is they do, and Tom’s brother is being held hostage. It’s a whirlwind and thoroughly engrossing. With only one more episode left, I’m going to miss this gang more than I thought possible. Oh well, looks like I’ll starting The West Wing from the beginning (again) come 2008.

Some advance notice for TV Today readers. The Christmas issue of The Stage will feature interviews with the West End stars who got their break from winning TV musical talent shows:

• Lee Mead, currently starring as Joseph in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

• Connie Fisher, Maria in The Sound of Music

• Danny Bayne and Susan McFadden, Danny and Sandy in Grease

The Christmas issue of The Stage will be in the shops on December 20. Get your orders in now!

Rebus (Friday 9pm, ITV1)

Ah, a dark Friday night in the depths of the winter, and to cheer us all up, ITV stick out an investigation for the dourest of dour detectives – Inspector John Rebus. He’s a miserable old soak, but with this series I’ve finally warmed to Ken Stott’s take on Ian Rankin’s popular ‘tec. Although the title of tonight’s tale, Knots and Crosses, is the title of the very first Rebus book, the episode bears no resemblance to that particular tale. Will Rebus smoke and drink his way through the action. Of course. Will he be threatened with suspension at least 70 times? Naturally. Will he come out on top at the end? What do you think?

Ugly Betty (Friday 9pm, C4)

Unless the WGA strike comes to a pretty rapid conclusion, expect Ugly Betty to be in reruns early in the New Year. There are only 13 episodes in the can across the pond, and with this being episode 9, you do the sums. That aside, are we still in love with Betty? I am to an extent, but this season hasn’t been quite the must-see TV it was first time round. It’s all been there, done that. The writers, when they’re back at their desks, have some major work to do next year to keep this ship afloat.

The Tudors (Friday 10pm, BBC2)

There’s still lots of unwieldy SHOUTING from all concerned in this very silly but ultimately enjoyable piece of fluff from days gone by. The Tudors is very slight, but it looks amazing and the cast do get on with it with some gusto. In tonight’s closing episode, Henry still can’t bed Anne, Thomas More has had enough of the heretics, and Wolsey turns to an unlikely ally. Oooer! Can’t we just have Carry On Henry?

Strictly Come Dancing/The X Factor (Saturday 5.45pm/7.10pm, BBC1/ITV1)

I’ve tended to stay away from these Saturday night perennials as there isn’t much to say beyond: some people do stuff, some people say stuff, and then some people vote for them to keep doing stuff. Still, at this stage, with X Factor only a week away from the final and Strictly two weeks away, things can get undeniably tense. I’m still favouring Niki to win, but Rhydian has to be a contender. Same Difference still set my teeth on edge though. Sorry.

Robin Hood (Saturday 7.10pm, BBC1)

I’ll get this over with quickly. This is the part of the show where I say the series is getting much better but the lead is still poor, and then you (yes, you know who you are), attempt (but fail) to convince me that I’m wrong. Off you go!

The Company (Saturday 9.40pm, BBC2)

A thoroughly satisfying end to a highly credible and well-made drama. We’ve now reached the 1970s (and some fairly risible ageing make-up) as the team come closer to uncovering the identity of the KGB mole, but Jack and Angleton come into conflict. The whole thing has a great poker face and where Spooks sometimes takes one for the team in favouring drama over reality, The Company feels like it has both feet firmly planted in the real world.

Great Garden Detectives (Sunday 8pm, ITV3)

Oh. So it’s not a last minute revival for Rosemary and Thyme? Oh well. Still, it’s only an hour until Cranford.

The Royal Variety Performance (Sunday 8pm, ITV1)

I love Royal Variety – where else would you get Russell Brand on the same bill as Kiri Te Kanawa, or Katherine Jenkins lining up with Jon Bon Jovi to meet the Queen? This year sees a relocation to the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, which makes a lot of sense with this being the city’s chance to take the mantle of European City of Culture for the year. Always a good, solid evening of entertainment, find out what The Stage thought right here…

Cranford (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

Thankfully the annual Sports Personality of the Year didn’t fudge the schedules and force Cranford out for the week – I don’t think I could have coped without my weekly fix of gentle costume drama. Hopefully we can get through an entire episode without some ghastly end coming to one or more characters (the body count is disturbingly close to that of a Die Hard movie). As always, charming, lovely stuff. I’m currently working up CSI: Cranford to pitch to the Beeb as a sequel.

Dawn French’s Boys Who Do: Comedy (Sunday 10.40pm, BBC1)

Dawn French. Some male comedians. Lots of chat about comedy. Sounds like a winner, and while the one-on-one interviews from the BBC4 version of the format, which focus on individual comics in depth, this is zippier. The flow moves along nicely, zipping from one subject to another and back again, so it becomes a comedic train of thought. Everybody gets a look in here, from Coogan and Pegg to Brand and Cleese, and with two episodes to go, there’s plenty more material to come.

Readers of TV Today who don’t pick up The Stage’s weekly print edition may not know that media expert Maggie Brown has a regular fortnightly column in the paper. The author of a recent history of Channel 4, A Licence to be Different, in this week’s paper Maggie recounts a tale of how the channel’s greatest dramas benefitted from the touch of the late Verity Lambert, who passed away last month.

The text of her tribute is after the jump.

We were unexpectedly down to five couples this week, as Kelly Brook pulled out after the death of her father. With the hindsight this sad news brought, I couldn’t help but wonder if her father’s illness was a major cause of the lack of rehearsal time the previous week. It would certainly make more sense of Kelly’s subdued state and Brendan’s outburst.

But on with the show, and we would get two dances from each couple this week.

We’re definitely into the home stretch now, with just four contestants left. Sad to say, I think the chances are that it’ll be Letitia’s turn to take the slow dance at the end of the results show. But this show continues to bring surprises to the fore every week, so that may not be the case.

• Strictly Come Dancing week 10 score sheet [PDF]

See you back here after the shows.

A fun bit of editing created a rather clever bit of cross-promotional marketing on BBC2 last night: prior to the series finale of Heroes, Peter Petrelli appeared to be having a (rather unproductive) telephone conversation with Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood. Personally, I missed the showing as I was out, but as ever, an enterprising YouTuber comes to the rescue:

If you wonder where the inspiration for this particular crossover comes from, maybe YouTube has the answer again. We’ve noted the ‘fanvid’ concept before, where fans re-edit the original copyright material as a pop video. In the case of Heroes and Torchwood, user emiloy noted that both Peter and Captain Jack has a history with a character played by Christopher Eccleston, and came up with this rather sweet pop video:

Torchwood comes to BBC2 in mid-January. If you missed it before, check out our report (with some spoilers) from this week’s press launch.

Perhaps it’s the after-effects of being bludgeoned to death by his daughter with a spanner (or maybe it was having to cope without a decent storyline for three years), but Corrie’s deceased mechanic Tommy Harris, aka actor Thomas Craig, has been having a pop at his former colleagues. His particular beef seems to be over the whining claims of some soap actors about their schedules and how tough filming can be.

We all make our fair share of mistakes, but the delightful people at Northern Ireland’s Channel 3 station, UTV is exploiting their bloopers to create an advent calendar with a different clip for each day in December.

• UTV Advent Calendar

Much as I’m quite pleased by the appointment of Jay Hunt to the role of Controller of BBC1, I think she must be getting it mixed up with playing Doctor Who (or something). After initially ruling herself out of the running when the role first became available, she now says of her appointment to the post vacated by Peter Fincham in October:

“It has been an incredibly difficult decision to leave my talented team at Five but I could not turn down the best job in television.”

“Best job in television”!? Are you actually insane, Jay, or do you think you’ve said yes to something else?

David Renwick Night (Monday from 8pm, BBC4)

A great selection of programmes highlights the singular talents of David Renwick, one of British TV’s finest comedy writers. One Foot in the Grave would be enough to put him among the greats, but when you put Jonathan Creek, End of Part One and Love Soup into the mix, it all adds up to a fairly amazing portfolio of work. Tonight there are showings for One Foot, Creek and Love Soup (ahead of the new series), and a Mark Lawson interview with the writer.

Blue Murder (Monday 9pm, ITV1)

It’s never going to be the greatest of police dramas, but at least Blue Murder has the always-excellent Caroline Quentin to make it that bit more watchable. The plots are pretty serviceable, but tonight’s tale, concerning the stabbing of a young boy on his birthday, is worth a look for Kate (Tracy Barlow) Ford’s first post-Corrie outing.

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

I can’t work out if Russell Brand is a tortured genius or an overrated charlatan, and I’m not likely to find the answer in this edition of the Dawn French series. He’s as complicated and slippery as he always is, but French does manage to get some sense out of him. Just not much.

Spooks (Tuesday 9pm, BBC1)

If you’ve seen this episode on BBC3, you’ll still be reeling with shock at the team-shattering events. This is the best of this revamped and brilliant season thus far, and I doubt we’ve seen everything the writers have left to throw at us. There are shocks, tears and a jaw dropping ending that will leave you unsure whether to smile or cry. Utterly compelling from start to finish.

CSI: Miami (Tuesday 9pm, Five)

CSI is a bit like a pot noodle: sometimes you just can’t help yourself. And if you’ve already seen Spooks, you’ll need something to do until 10.30, won’t you?

Emmerdale (Wednesday 7pm, ITV1)

Just a warning, more than a recommendation: when Jasmine walks in on dull blond bad boy David romping with the equally dull Nicola, avert your eyes from his dodgy nipple-ring. It ain’t pretty…

Heroes (Wednesday 9pm, BBC2)

A double-bill to finish the series off, and there’s no denying that this has been top notch TV. There have been some moments where Heroes has dropped the ball and the pace starts to crawl, but for the most part, there’s always been something to hold my interest. Will New York be crispy duck by teatime, or will the assembled gang be able to stop the disaster? What do you think? Heroes Unmasked: the Story So Far is on BBC3 at 10.30pm.

The Street (Thursday 9pm, BBC1)

Mark Benton is the focus of tonight’s episode of this top-drawer drama from the pen of Jimmy McGovern when he stars as dull postie Wayne. Wayne’s wife has walked out on him taking their two sons, and then he puts his back out. Bless. I’m probably alone in thinking that Mark Benton strays too much towards one-note performances these days, but he’s still a great actor who makes roles like this shine. It helps that the writing is some of the best around.

Kath and Kim (Thursday 10pm, Living)

Matt Lucas guest-stars in our favourite cult comedy from Down Under as Sharon’s half-sister from Blighty. It’s a blistering performance from Lucas who shows once again that he’s the better actor out of the Little Britain partnership. And Kath and Kim remains as deliciously wicked as it ever was.

30 Rock (Thursday 10.50pm, Five)

A TV Today default setting while it’s in the schedules. You know it makes sense.

Also at the Torchwood press launch, The Stage talked to Russell about the long-rumoured gay drama he’s supposedly writing at some point.

Recent reports have suggested that Russell will be writing this during Doctor Who’s ‘gap year’, where the series will continue as a series of specials while David Tennant returns to the theatre. However, the man himself seemed to scupper this, telling us that the idea — colloquially dubbed MGM, or ‘More Gay Men’ — is much further away than that:

That’s just on paper. Yes, there will be [a gay drama] one day, but it’s years off. I know, it just keeps on getting reported. You know what it’s like, it gets reported once, and then every clipping reports that, and … and then it’s practically written. I haven’t started [writing it], but someone’s done it for me!

Unfortunately, we got whisked away before I could ask what his plans were for DW series 5 onwards. We know that he’ll still be on board as head writer for the specials, but beyond that nothing’s been officially confirmed.

No, it’s not the start of a joke. Instead, it’s the start of Series 2 of Torchwood, the Cardiff-set spin-off of Doctor Who that, after its success as a BBC3 drama last year, returns as a 13-part BBC2 series in January.

At the press launch in the rather swanky Rex Cinema in London’s Soho, BBC2 Controller Roly Keating announced that, while the series will continue to be made for a post-watershed audience, each episode will be trimmed down for a pre-watershed repeat, so that older children who want to follow the character of Captain Jack Harkness over from Doctor Who will be able to do so.

One thing that won’t be cut out, though, are the same-sex relationships (“[They’re] just a part of everyday life,” noted John Barrowman before series creator Russell T. Davies joked that he should get off his soapbox). Most of what gets cut out will be elements of violence. Which does beg the question that if the dramatic element can survive in a pre-watershed slot, why it doesn’t get made that way originally.

More from the launch after the jump - but beware: some spoilers lie ahead…