Square Eyes 11-13 April

My Family (Friday 9pm, BBC1)

Good lord, have their really been eight series of BBC1’s premier (ie only) prime time sitcom. Many would argue that’s eight too many, but I have quite a soft spot for this unashamedly trad and middle of the road family saga starring Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker. It’s clearly down to these two fine actors, who could persuade a sow’s ear to go and get a silky makeover, that much of the success of My Family rests on. In the first of six new episodes, Ben covets his neighbours new plasma screen TV, and Michael is expecting a delivery of his own - in about nine months. It’s not big, it’s not clever, but it is, despite everything, funny (and no, I refuse to define what funny actually means in this context).

Teenage Kicks (Friday 9.30pm, ITV1)

And as if to put My Family into context, Teenage Kicks handily demonstrates how easy it is to get a sitcom woefully, irreparably wrong. And it makes me weep to see star Adrian Edmondson’s name on the writing credits, although he is the man who made smashing somebody in the face with a frying pan last for three series. And no, Bottom wasn’t funny either.

Doctor Who (Saturday 6.45pm, BBC1)

After last week’s frothy and light opener, the fourth series gets down to the nitty gritty in this rather dark tale set in Pompeii, AD79 - volcano day! This is where Donna will surprise everybody and Catherine Tate proves that the production team hadn’t stopped taking the pills when they asked the comedy actress to reprise her role for 13 episodes. We get the thorny question of the Doctor being unable to warn anybody what’s coming as Mt Vesuvius rumbles and grumbles in the background, with Donna taking the opposite view. It’s good stuff and shows Doctor Who still, as they say, gorrit. Catch up with Scott’s review later in the weekend.

Britain’s Got Talent (Saturday 7.45pm, ITV1)

A huge success last year, Britain’s Got Talent returns to ITV for a 13 week run. This makes me nervous - the show was a huge success when it was stripped over a two-week period, capitalising on audience momentum to grow huge ratings. I’m not convinced the format will hold as well over 13 weeks, but time will tell. The ratings will be no doubt be good, and I’d Do Anything will have its work cut out to match them, but will this be as stunning a success as it was first time out?

Pushing Daisies (Saturday 9pm, ITV1)

Um… I’m not sure about this one. Kudos to ITV for testing the waters by putting a high profile US import into Saturday prime time, but is Pushing Daisies too high concept to charm audiences? Pie maker Ned has special powers - he can bring people back to life with a single touch, which is great when his girlfriend, Chuck, is murdered. The one catch is, once she’s walking again, they can never touch again or she will die. Oops! It’s bright and breezy, perhaps a little too bright and breezy, and Britain’s own Anna Friel adopts an American accent that absolutely drives me to distraction. But you can’t win them all, and Pushing Daisies has enough going for it to be worth a look.

Dempsey and Makepeace (Sunday 7.50pm, ITV3)

I’m just curious, okay?

Foyle’s War (Sunday 8pm, ITV1)

This is supposed to be the last series of Foyle’s War following the decision by ITV’s former director of Simon Shaps to axe the hugely successful and popular wartime crime drama starring Michael Kitchen. Yes, that’s right, the hugely successful and popular wartime drama… because ITV has such a surfeit of popular and successful output on its book right now, doesn’t it? But after a hoo-ha caused by an interview in this week’s Radio Times with series creator Anthony Horowitz, ITV seems be back peddling somewhat, and it seems that no sooner is Shaps out of the door, head of drama Laura Mackie is admitting they may have been little hasty. So, with hope in sight of a return for Kitchen’s sombre detective in the future, sit back and enjoy these two episodes that take the story up to VE Day.

Bear Grylls: Born Survivor (Sunday 8pm, C4)

Just as TV Burp heads off for the summer, we get the return of Bear Grylls, one of Harry’s favourite targets. Never mind, there’ll be plenty of thrills and spills in the company of the survival expert - all of it for real. No, really, it is. Room service, Mr Grylls?

Gavin and Stacey (Sunday 9pm, BBC3)

After taking a backseat to the rest of the cast for much of this second series, James Corden and Ruth Jones appear to have remembered that their hit sitcom is called Gavin and Stacey and give their titular characters some attention. But is it too late, as the pair’s marriage appears to be in tatters after Stacey’s revelation that she will be staying in Barry and not returning with Gavin to Essex. Trouble in paradise, but there will no doubt be plenty of comedy along the way to lighten things up.