Torchwood (Friday 9pm, BBC2)
A cracking episode of Torchwood that confidently displays just how much this series has grown throughout a massively improved second run. Jack, Owen, Tosh and Ianto are trapped in a building when a series of bombs are detonated. As Gwen searches for her team-mates, they each flashback to their respective inductions into Torchwood. It has to be said, the Torchwood of 1899 looks like great fun - the two women we see run rings round Jack as they blackmail him into working for them are fab and it’s hoped we might see more of historical Torchwood should there be a third series. These short character pieces work extremely well - we even get an origin for the pterodactyl that flies around the Hub - and sets things up nicely for the final episode next week.
Benidorm (Friday 9pm, ITV1)
I’m still at a loss as to why this got recommissioned, let alone got nominated for a Bafta over Gavin and Stacey. Okay, so it’s not all that bad (wait for 9.30 to see truly awful), but there’s a sense that ITV are clinging on to something that didn’t do embarrassingly badly first time out (unlike much of the channel’s drama output). But Benidorm is still something that, 20 years ago, would probably have never got made, God forbid nab a second series. The same rogues gallery of boorish holiday makers return for a second trip away to the sunshine, but the whole thing feels like reheated leftovers, with little effort to build on the things that worked first time round. And please, can his performance in Benidorm finally convince people that Johnny Vegas has been wearing the Emperor’s new clothes for much of his career. He isn’t that good!
Teenage Kicks (Friday 9.30pm, ITV1)
Adrian Edmondson returns to TV sitcoms in this eight part series based on the Radio 2 comedy of the same name. And to be honest, that wasn’t very funny either. There’s just something a bit too obvious about Vernon, an ageing rocker, who moves in with his kids following a nasty divorce with the missus. Sadly, the comedy isn’t at all obvious - as in: where is it? The script is poor, Edmondson is clearly better than this (go back to Holby City, you were good in that), and watching Teenage Kicks makes you realise just how good My Family is. No, really…
I’d Do Anything (Saturday 6.50pm, BBC1)
It’s crunch time as things move into studio for the live rounds. The 12 potential Nancys perform before Andrew Lloyd Webber, Denise Van Outen, John Barrowman (in his millionth TV appearance of the week) and Barry Humphries. As always, Scott will provide his round up of the night’s key events before the weekend is out. Following the pattern of Strictly Come Dancing, you can catch the result show on Sunday night at 7.30pm to discover who won’t be asking for more.
Love Soup (Saturday 9.30pm, BBC1)
The delightful froth that is Love Soup continues, and Alice’s romantic woes and excruciating misunderstandings are as entertaining as ever. This week there’s a collision with a handsome media mogul and his terrifying PA, while a cab driver is also in hot pursuit of our unlucky-in-love heroine. As always, the dialogue fizzes, and there are some typically brilliant moments from Cleo and Milly. If you’re home alone with a takeaway on Saturday night, this will brighten your evening no end.
Clay (Sunday 3.30pm, BBC1)
Chilling adaptation of David Almond’s children’s novel about a boy who makes spookily lifelike human figures out of clay. Set against a backdrop of 1960s Northumberland, there are undertones of Frankenstein here, and the whole thing is done with that effortless BBC style of years gone by.
Casualty 1907 (Sunday, 9pm, BBC1)
Following a successful one-off, Casualty 1907 returns for three new episodes, with Cherie Lunghi on stern form as Matron Eva Luckes. This is a surprisingly effective piece of work, with historical documentation being used to inspire cases and characters. There’s a documentary feel to things, but that’s all to the good, and the period detail is nicely realised, with some graphic moments that may test the mettle of the hardiest viewer. There’s only one disappointment - Charlie Fairhead is nowhere in sight, and that’s just wrong…
He Kills Coppers (Sunday 9pm, ITV1)
I hope the second episode of this brilliant drama does better in the ratings without The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency on the other side to lure the audience away. I’m not sure this has been given the best slot in the world, but the critical reception the first episode received will no doubt have pleased ITV no end. Billy Porter is on the run following the bloody climax to last week’s opener, with bent copper Frank on his tail (while also finding the time to romance his dead partner’s lady). It’s beautiful and tense, and come next year, the Bafta should be all but assured.
Gavin and Stacey (Sunday 9pm, BBC3)
If you’re not watching He Kills Coppers, then I fully expect to find you here. Tidy.
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