Have I Got News For You (Friday 9pm, BBC1)
Guest host Julian Clary presides over the usual satirical look at the week gone by, with team captains Hislop and Merton who are tonight teamed with Ed Byrne and Andrew Neil.
The charms of this ITV comedy have thus far passed me by, but tonight’s episode may just pull me in thanks to an appearance by British TV legend Wendy Richard. It’s one of her first turns since saying goodbye to Pauline Fowler, but here she’s playing Sylvia, a character that puts Walford’s finest matriarch in the shade. Thinking that Sylvia’s been messing with her man, Madge is gunning for the bolshy interloper, leading to a showdown by the pool. It’s all good fun in a down at heel kind of way. But thankfully, Teenage Kicks it isn’t.
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (Friday 10.35pm, BBC1)
Blimey, Wossy has pulled together an eclectic line-up of chit chat tonight as he welcomes Ashton Kutcher, Russell Brand and Ronnie Corbett onto the sofa. Wonder if they’ll all end up as Facebook friends?
Doctor Who (Saturday 6.20pm, BBC1)
I remember the Sontarans off of classic series Doctor Who, but I doubt that most of the general audience will, so it’s quite amusing to see General Staal (Christopher Ryan) slarted all over the cover of this week’s Radio Times as if these potato heads have some significance. Still, the first of a two-part story is a stonker of an adventure for the Doctor and Donna, featuring the return of Martha Jones and UNIT. There’s action aplenty and the signature Doctor Who wit as the team take on the might of the war mongering Sontarans. Well, I’m excited anyway…
Love Soup (Saturday 9.45pm, BBC1)
Always worth watching, but this week Love Soup has the added bonus of a guest appearance from comedy legend Ronnie Corbett. In addition, there’s the usual comedy of contrivance, which David Renwick always makes look effortless, sexual rivalry between Cleo and Millie and, in the middle of it all, sweet Alice, going through life with that wide-eyed, yet world weary charm. Perfect.
The Comedy Map of Britain (Saturday 9.45pm, BBC2)
On the map tonight, which leads to Scotland, Jenny Éclair, Johnny Vegas and Doon MacKichan revisit some old haunts from the early days of their careers. There’s also a look at the inspiration for Ronald Searle’s St Trinian’s with a visit to St Trinnean’s school in Edinburgh. Gently undemanding.
Miss Austen Regrets (Sunday 8pm, BBC1)
A well made and very pretty historical drama, based on the letters of Jane Austen in the latter years of her life. Austen never married, and Olivia Williams brings a nicely reflective air to the 40-something Jane, pondering lost chances, just as her niece, Fanny, is experiencing the first flush of love. There are various suitors along the way, a great turn from Greta Scacchi as Jane’s elder sister, and a vein of sadness running through proceedings to make for a very satisfying insight into the lives of one of our greatest writers.
Midsomer Murders (Sunday 8pm, ITV1)
While filming The Scarlet Pimpernel in the sickeningly picturesque surroundings of Midsomer, the director is offed in creative style by a prop guillotine, thus bringing Inspector Barnaby and his faithful sidekick DS Jones into proceedings. There are suspects galore, as always, but as the director was such a terrible character his murder seems fair game, but we know that our plodding plods will get to the bottom of this before the final scene is in the can. You’ve got to love Midsomer Murders - it still has the courage to do exactly what it’s always done after all these years and still be supremely enjoyable and popular.
With no Gavin and Stacey (which ended on a disappointing note) last week, Pulling gets a final episode all to itself in the schedules. I have desperately tried to warm to Sharon Horgan’s brand of comedy, and have failed miserably, but perhaps that’s my mistake. Trying to warm to something that is, by it’s very nature, unlikeable and vile, is a hiding to nothing. Best to accept Pulling’s warts and all approach for what it is and forget any need for sentimentality. And look at Gavin and Stacey - with the exception of Uncle Bryn, Gwen and Mike, they were a pretty horrendous lot, so Pulling’s trio of modern women are hardly a huge leap away.
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