March 2009 Archives

Today I am mostly loving the story about the BBC Trust’s findings that the BBC’s methods of collecting the licence fee and enforcing non-payment were “too harsh”.

The Trusts’s chairman, Sir Michael Lyons has said that the Corporation should “balance fairness and firmness” in its efforts to secure payment of the much-debated fee.

This is brilliant, and I now look forward to much fairer and more polite notices to pay up (something I’ve never had a problem doing, I would just like to point out). Perhaps something along the lines of:

The Great British Menu (from Monday 6.30pm, BBC2)

It’s not in the same league as my beloved Masterchef, but The Great British Menu still has enough of an addictive kick to make it required viewing. This year, 16 chefs will be battling it out in regional heats every day to win the chance to cook at a dinner held for 100 British troops coming home from Afghanistan. As ever, judges Prue Leith, Oliver Peyton and Matthew Fort are upstairs ready to lend their taste buds (and pained expressions) for the good of the nation’s food pride.

The Wire (from Monday 11.20pm, BBC2)

One can only assume that the BBC got so hacked off with The Guardian’s incessantly tedious eulogising about this drama that they gave in and popped down to HMV to get the DVDs. Better late than never, and you can bet that by this stage in the game Auntie got the lot (which will be stripped Monday to Friday) for a knock down price. If you haven’t already succumbed, this could be the ideal time…

All the Small Things (Tuesday 9pm, BBC1/BBC HD)

This has Sunday night drama written all over it, so one can only wonder as to why All the Small Things has ended up on a Tuesday. Never mind, this drama from Debbie Horsfield, set amidst the rough and tumble of a church choir, is more than watchable and has a couple of stellar leads in Sarah Lancashire and Neil Pearson. They play married couple Esther and Michael Caddick, both heavily involved in the local church choir. Things get a bit mixed up when the alluring Layla turns up with the voice of an angel, bringing husband and wife into conflict. Sarah Alexander and Corrie refugee Richard Fleeshman also star.

Mad Men (Tuesday 10pm, BBC4)

The wonderful Mad Men continues in heartbreaking fashion as Betty Draper finally figures out that hubby Don is having it away with Bobbie. Brilliantly played, brilliantly written, brilliantly directed. Brilliant!

The Apprentice (Wednesday 9pm, BBC1)

One week in and I’m already hooked on what looks like being a vintage series of The Apprentice. This week’s task is the always enjoyable and delicious catering task, which has a savage habit of really widening the field out and showing up weaknesses. The teams must put together a swish canapé reception and do it to perfection, which is about as likely as Bonekickers getting a second series. It just screams out for Gregg Wallace to bellow “Cooking doesn’t get tougher than this!”.

EastEnders (Thursday 7.30pm, BBC1)

With the chilling Stepford Wives style trailer doing the rounds, this hour long episode revolving around Peggy Mitchell’s wedding to Archie, erm… Mitchell, is likely to be a big ratings winner. There’s a lot of tension bubbling under the surface of this storyline that has seen Peggy allow herself to be tamed a little by evil Archie (a sublime Larry Lamb), but where this episode finishes up will smack the gobs of anybody watching.

The Mentalist (Thursday 9pm, Five)

I wonder if the high rating for last week’s opener of this new US drama was down to people tuning in to see if it starred former Emmerdale actor Ian Sharrock as Alan Partridge’s unhinged stalker. Sadly, it doesn’t. The title of this show is never going to get old, is it?

My Family (Thursday 8.30pm, BBC1)

A new series of My Family - and that’s about all there is to say. Nine series? That’s a lot of “jokes” about dentistry…

The Real Swiss Family Robinson (Friday 9pm, BBC1)

An odd show for a Friday night on BBC1 that sounds like Castaway, just shorter, which is probably the best selling point for anything. Each week, a normal family will be plonked down on a remote Pacific island with just the shirt on their backs to see how they fare fending for themselves. With hilarious consequences. It’s hardly QI, is it?

Top Dogs: Adventures in War, Sea and Ice (Friday 9pm, BBC2)

John Simpson challenges explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and yachtsman Robin Knox to accompany him on a trip to Afghanistan, where the veteran newsman has spent an awful lot of time as a war correspondent. It’s all about three men in their 60s seeing how they cope in the natural habitat of one of their number. It’s a good, insightful show, and Simpson is always an engaging, intelligent bloke to watch.

Robin Hood (Saturday 6.50pm, BBC1)

A later start than usual for the BBC adventure series that sees a new look for Robin and his outlaws - and the Sheriff and Gisborne. They must all have stopped off at the same tailor’s in Venice on the way home from the Holy Land. I’ll be honest up front and declare my involvement in producing a range of talking books read by the cast to tie in with the new series of Robin Hood. It’s been fascinating to see the development of the season from within and see the series come of age somewhat, with a much more serious intent to proceedings. There’s still plenty of running around with swords, but following the death of Marian at the end of last season, the hatred between Robin and Guy has taken on a dangerous edge, and lifts everything up a notch. More emotion, new cossies and slick action, including a cracking fight between Robin and Guy, make for a brilliantly enjoyable opener.

Primeval (Saturday 7.20, BBC1)

Check out my more detailed preview of the new series of Dinosaur Chasey Chase here. The team investigates the appearance of an anomaly in the British Museum that unleashes a terrifying alligator-type creature onto the streets of London. Laila Rouass joins the regular cast as Egyptologist Sarah Page. Excellent stuff, and lets hope that Robin Hood and Primeval manage to be seen by the big audiences both shows deserve.

Being Human Unearthed (Saturdays 9.15pm, BBC3)

A nice behind the scenes documentary on the hit BBC3 drama about a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost sharing a house. Interviews with the cast and creator Toby Whithouse add lots of background material on the making of the show, and the documentary is followed by a back-to-back showing of the first three episodes.

Lewis (Sunday 8pm, ITV1)

In The Quality of Mercy, sedate detectives Lewis and Hathaway investigate the murder of a young actor who is offed before he can take to the stage as Shylock in a production of The Merchant of Venice. There’s nothing particularly dynamic about Lewis, nor is there anything inherently wrong with it. Just a lazy crime drama for a Sunday evening - and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

The legendary CCH Pounder of The Shield and ER fame guest stars in tonight’s dreamy episode of gentle investigations by Mma Precious Ramotswe of the The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. She asks Precious to track down her son who has been missing for 10 years, and soon secrets are uncovered that our heroine is not sure how to tell the anxious mother. Along with Lewis, the current crop of Sunday night crime drama is as cosy as a mug of hot chocolate.

Navy Lark Special: Left Hand Down a Bit Radio 7, Saturday 9am (repeated 8pm and 3am)
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic radio sitcom, which originally ran from 1959 to 1977, Radio 7 collects six classic episodes from the series’ run, each introduced by cast member Leslie Phillips. Also as part of the celebrations, look out for a repeat of the recent edition of Radio 4’s The Reunion, with Sue MacGregor talking to cast members (Sunday 9.15am and repeated), and Jon Pertwee giving a one-man show about his career, from The Navy Lark to Doctor Who and Worzel Gummidge (Sunday 12pm and repeated). Fellow cast member Tenniel Evans has also been interviewed, and his segments will be broadcast throughout the week.

Galton and Simpson’s Half Hour: The Blood Donor Radio 2, Saturday 1.30pm
When Paul Merton performed in some rejigged Galton and Simpson comedies on ITV in the late 1990s, he did attempt some of the classic Hancock’s Half Hour/Hancock episodes, but wisely steered clear of the classic Blood Donor. No such luck here, as possibly the most well-known episode of Tony Hancock’s sitcom stars Merton in the last of this series of radio adaptations. All in all, it’s been an odd series — the delivery and content often sounding antiquated and jarring with some of the contemporary updates.

• Paul Merton In Galton And Simpson’s… - The Complete Series [DVD]

The Saturday Play: The Complete Ripley: Ripley Under Water Radio 4, Saturday 2.30pm
I missed last week’s Ripley play, The Boy Who Followed Ripley, off last week’s radio preview — and so of course it turned out to be the best of the run so far. This week sees the conclusion of the series, as Ian Hart’s Tom Ripley becomes concerned that his new neighbours are taking an unhealthy interest in his past…

Drama on 3: The Government Inspector Radio 3, Sunday 8pm
Satirist Alistair Beaton translates Gogol’s classic 19th century farce which, with its witty take on government corruption and sleaze, is never likely to go out of fashion. A stellar cast is led by Toby Jones as Khlestakov, with Frances Barber, Russell Tovey and Paul Ritter.

Classic Serial: Something Fresh Radio 4, Sunday 3pm
Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres are the team behind this latest PG Wodehouse revival for radio, a new adaptation of the author’s first Blandings novel. Jarvis plays the absent-minded Earl of Emsworth, who accidentally pockets a priceless gem belonging to the American father of his son’s fiancée. Thus begins a typical Wodehouse farce that is peppered with star names: Ian Ogilvy, Ioan Gruffudd, Helen McCrory, Jill Gascoine, Joanne Whalley and renowned US actor Hector Elizondo as millionaire J. Preston Peters.

Previews for Monday to Friday continue after the jump.

Sometimes, I love the Internet. Only sometimes, mind. For the most part it’s an utterly frustrating environment where time seems to pour away and stop you making that deadline you’ve promised your editor you’ll keep to. Of course, I could take responsibility for my actions every now and then, but really, it’s the Internet’s fault that I just spent three hours playing scrabble on Facebook…

But every now and then…

Take last Saturday night - in these credit crunch times I found myself at home with a bottle of cheap soave and trawling through the old Sky box for something to watch. And lo and behold, I stumbled across a showing of Police Academy on ITV4 - yes, I was so bored, I was reduced to watching a film on ITV4. Pity me, please…

Discussing Primeval with a colleague a few weeks ago (we do spend a lot of time talking about telly, it has to be said), he recalled overhearing a child on a train calling the ITV drama: “Dinosaur Chasey Chase”. What a delightful and perfect summing up of Primeval. ITV has Dinosaur Chasey Chase with Primeval, while the BBC has Monster Chasey Chase with Doctor Who.

Brilliant!

I’ll readily admit to taking a while to warm up to Primeval - trawling through some of my musings in the three years that TV Today has been in existence, you’ll see I was a bit sneery at first. How dare ITV try to take on my beloved Doctor Who. It will just be a pale imitation of that much-loved institution, who do these upstarts think they are?

Well, they thought they could make quite an exciting adventure drama series - and they did. True, much of the casting of Primeval *was a direct reaction to *Doctor Who. Proper thesp Douglas Henshall as Nick Cutter mirrors Christopher Eccleston’s appointment as the Doctor. Fallen pop princess Hannah Spearritt is a match for Billie Piper, while Andrew-Lee Potts is as clumsy and stupid as Mickey Smith ever was.

A couple of months ago, Mark asked whether we really cared that Red Dwarf was returning to our screens. Going by the comments we received then, it’s clear that some of you certainly do.

As the Easter air date for the new episodes approaches, promotional activity is starting to ramp up. The first of these came via a PR friend, who let me know of an online ‘experience’ that will consist of some game elements, coded messages, interactive activities, new video footage and behind the scenes interviews with the cast.

The online experience (which, as is the wont of these things, highly Flash-dependent) starts at www.listerscominghome.co.uk, and moves through a succession of other websites.

At one point, you do get to see a holographic message presented by the disembodied head of Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) via your own webcam, which is one of those weird-but-cool things that hold one’s interest for a short period (ooh! shiny). I have to admit, though, that the behind-the-scenes shots, and glimpses of episode content, that have been released today, are far more interesting.

They do contain some spoilers, though, so more discussion after the jump…

As of this moment in time I am looking forward to tonight when, at 9pm, I will be settling down in front of an enormous HD TV, probably with an equally enormous pizza, to watch the finale of Battlestar Galactica.

I may be a few days behind our American cousins on the end of this great show, but across one pilot mini series and four seasons, Battlestar Galactica has been entertaining, exciting, occasionally laugh out loud funny, harrowing, thought provoking and most of all, thoroughly insane.

Who would have thought that taking the name of a fairly dreadful (albeit entertaining) 70s sci-fi show and transforming it into a brilliantly conceived, beautifully plotted modern drama with an allegorical take on the modern world would have worked so beautifully. The revival of Doctor Who worked because, in many ways, it was just like the Doctor Who of old. It embraced its previous incarnation. Battlestar Galactica succeeded because it was nothing like the original.

EastEnders BBC1, Monday 8pm
He’s been talked about in the Trueman household for a while, but book writer Tommy Clifford finally turns up today to talk to Patrick about his past. There’s bound to be more to this story, not only because of the filthy looks between Rudolph Walker’s Patrick and Don Gilet’s Lucas tells us that there is a Very Big Secret involved, but also because Tommy is played by Edward Woodward. Yes, that Edward Woodward.

Law and Order: UK ITV1, Monday 9pm
This week’s big question: how come slight stories are considered enough to fill two hours of Lewis, but every episode of Law and Order: UK crams enough into a single hour that even doubling the runtime would still make the programme seem packed? This week’s episode, Buried, is adapted by Cath Tregenna, who wrote my favourite episode of Torchwood, Out of Time (let’s quietly forget about the one with the giant CGI space whale).

Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special BBC3, Monday 9pm
I was out of the country when this was shown over the festive period, so I missed it the first time round. A good opportunity to watch Mathew Horne and James Corden in an environment where they’re actually funny.

Argumental Dave, Monday 9.40pm
Dave is starting to make a name for itself in programme creation as well as just repeating blokey made-for-BBC shows. We’ll soon have the Red Dwarf specials to bolster the point, but until then, this second series of the feisty debating comedy will have to do.

Mistresses BBC1, Tuesday 9pm
The final episode of a second series that never really seemed to capture the spark that ignited the first.

Battlestar Galactica Sky1/HD, Tuesday 9pm
Five years ago, who would have thought that a cheap-as-you-like camp sci fi show by Glen A Larson would ever form the basis of one of the strongest, most talked about television programmes of the twenty first century? If you haven’t got the Galactica bug yet, well you’re a bit late — as, just a few days after it aired in the States, this is the last episode.

The Apprentice BBC1, Wednesday 9pm
Lawksamercy, it’s the pompous suits! Nick and Margaret roll their eyes at a fresh batch of people who have failed to fit in to any company in the UK, and feel they need to compete for a place somewhere in a dingy Essex industrial park by being thoroughly unpleasant to one another on primetime television. Brilliant.

Newswipe with Charlie Brooker BBC4, Wednesday 10.30pm
After turning his acerbic sights on television in general, Britain’s most watchable curmudgeon concentrates on the news media for a new six-part series.

30 Rock (Friday 9pm, Five USA)
Elaine Stritch guest-starring as Jack’s acid-tongued mother? That’s got to be worth 30 minutes of anybody’s time!

Genius (Friday 10pm, BBC2)
BBC2 attempts to fill the void left by the plundering of QI for BBC1 by bringing Radio 4’s sort of comedy panel show, sort of not comedy panel show, to television. The ever likeable Dave Gorman invites members of the studio audience to pitch ideas for fantasy inventions, which a special guest each week will decide if it’s ‘genius’ or not. It’s all very lovely, but will it be a hardy enough format for the glare of television? Catherine Tate is this week’s guest. And check out this preview of the series for a taster…

Free Agents (Friday 10pm, C4)
Final episode of the reasonably tittersome sitcom that has largely kept its head above water thanks to some good performances from the leads (although Sharon Horgan irritates me intensely and I can’t work out why). But the real star of the show has been Anthony Head as slimy agency boss Stephen, who manages to do sleazy better than any other actor on TV. It’s no Peep Show - nor is it in the same league as The IT Crowd. But, Free Agents hasn’t been dreadful, and a second series would be welcome.

Japan in Colour - the Wonderful World of Albert Khan (Saturday 8pm, BBC4)
Lovely documentary from the Hidden Japan season, showcasing the quite stunning colour photographs of Japan instigated by philanthropist Albert Khan in 1908. Khan intended to make an archive of the world, and these images remain a unique record of a world that would, by and large, cease to exist within a few short decades.

Casualty (Saturday 8.35pm, BBC1)
Oh God help us, we’re back to the tedium of Casualty being about the best thing on the box of a Saturday evening. It’s enough to make you weep, isn’t it? The perennial BBC drama goes off piste a bit tonight to focus entirely on one character - Big Mac, as played by Charles Dale. It’s hit and miss, to be honest, but as ever, it has that vaguely enjoyable Casualty feel about it.

Dancing on Ice - the Final (Sunday 6.55pm, ITV1)
It’s something about skating, apparently.

The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)
Gentle crime drama is the order of the might on BBC1 with the second episode of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, and one cannot help but be thoroughly charmed by the exploits of Mma Ramotswe. There’s ivory smuggling and poisonings for the endearing sleuth to tackle this week, and the brilliant Mma Makutsi, the agency’s very prim secretary, has her own mystery to solve.

Lewis (Sunday 9pm, ITV1/ITV HD)
James Fox joins son Laurence in a typically meandering opener to the third series of Oxford-based sleuthing. Bless Kevin Whateley, he’s been playing reliable detective Lewis for over 20 years on and off, and he wears the role like a glove. I’ve honestly never found him entirely convincing elevated to lead character status, but that almost adds to the charm of this post-Morse series. In this opener, Lewis and Hathaway investigate a murder that appears inspired by a fantasy novel. Good, solid stuff.

Galton and Simpson’s Half Hour: I Tell You It’s Burt Reynolds Radio 2, Saturday 1.30pm
Rik Mayall and June Whitfield star in the latest update of a classic Galton and Simpson TV play script, in roles originally played by Leonard Rossiter and Patricia Hayes. Ostensibly about a family gathered round the telly for a viewing of The Great Escape, I suppose you could see it as a very early precursor to The Royle Family…

Every Slumdog Has Its Day Radio 5 Live, Sunday 12pm (repeated 9.30pm)
It was the low-budget British film, set and filmed in India, that took Hollywood by storm. Colin Paterson charts the development of Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, with contributions from the cast, director Danny Boyle and some of Hollywood’s finest.

Elaine Paige on Sunday Radio 2, Sunday 1pm
EP returns from her performance-related break, with Les Miserables cast members Jon Robyns, Earl Carpenter and Nancy Sullivan performing songs from the musical.

Drama on 3: Alone Together Radio 3, Sunday 9pm
Jonathan Pryce stars in this biographical drama about poet RS Thomas, who moved with his family into increasingly remote parishes with next to no modern amenities. Ian Puleston-Davies narrates as Gwydion, Thomas’s neglected son.

Book of the Week: The Tent, the Bucket and Me Radio 4, Monday-Friday 9.45am (repeated 12.30am)
We don’t normally highlight Books of the Week here, but this week’s tome is the new personal memoir by actress, comedian and extremely funny writer Emma Kennedy, whose daily blog is horribly addictive. Stories about childhood holidays with her hilariously eccentric parents are sure to bring a smile to your face.

The Unbelievable Truth Radio 4, Monday 6.30pm
David Mitchell returns as chairman of the panel game in which comedians have to talk lies about a topic, hoping they can sneak three nuggets of truth past their fellow players. One of Radio 4’s best recent additions to its panel game roster. And that’s the truth.

My Life in Movies: Michael Sheen Radio 2, Tuesday 10.30pm
Michael Sheen has developed a niche playing real-life characters on stage and screen, from Tony Blair in The Deal and The Queen to Dvid Frost in Frost/Nixon and even the ‘missing’ League of Gentlemen member Jeremy Dyson in The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse. In this new series hosted by print journalist Chrissy Iley, he talks about his own career as well as selecting his six favourite filmes.

Arturart Radio 4, Tuesday 11pm
Comedian and Stage columnist Arthur Smith begins a three-part series of comedy lectures on different aspects of the art world. Half an hour in Arthur’s company must surely be the highlight of any week.

The Island of Secrets Radio 4, Wednesday 9pm
A soundscape by wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson, chronicling the wild and remote Orford Ness in eastern England which was the site of secret Cold War military testing. Watson works with writer Paul Evans to create a piece that resonates on many levels.

The Stanley Baxter Playhouse Radio 4, Friday 11.30am
As the name suggests, this new series is a collection of plays starring Stanley Baxter. In Astonishing Archie, he plays one of two brothers who must organise a funeral together — but disagreements over the choice of music highlight rifts between the siblings. Baxter stars with Bill Paterson, who also wrote the piece, and Maureen Beattie.

Over on The Stage Podcast, we have launched the first in a series of roundtable discussions concerning the big issues facing the entertainment industry.

The inaugural The Stage @ Adam Street podcast is concerned with The State of the West End, but there is plenty of content within the hour-long discussion of interest to TV Today readers.

Of course, over the last few years we have seen a renewed growth in interest of musical theatre through the various television talent shows that have seen not only winners Connie Fisher (How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?), Lee Mead (Any Dream Will Do), Jodie Prenger (I’d Do Anything), Danny Bayne and Susan McFadden (Grease is the Word) attain West End leading roles, but have also propelled some of the runners-up to become some of the most sought-after musical theatre actors, with Helena Blackman shortly to transfer to the Arts Theatre in Saturday Night, Daniel Boys to continue to play Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q when it transfers to the Gielgud in June and Jessie Buckley shortly to appear in the Garrick transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory’s A Little Night Music.

With no similar TV show on air this year, the big boost to box office receipts that these shows have given the West End may not be sustained. But, according to one participant of the podcast, television has given another boost to the theatre: by producing drama so dismal, it forces people into theatre venues…

I’d say fair play to the BBC for hitting back on the subject of bidding for overseas programmes after coming in for some criticism on this subject from Channel 4

“If the BBC stopped acquiring international shows, it could give the money back to the licence-fee payer and fill the slots with high-quality repeats, spend it on new UK content, or fund more partnership initiatives for the rest of the industry.”

Channel 4 Chief Executive Andy Duncan said in a recent interview with Broadcast Now, which to my mind misses the point about the BBC’s approach to acquisitions.

I’ll readily admit the BBC got it hopelessly wrong with Heroes and purchased it for all the wrong reasons - the populist reason. “Oooh, this is really popular! Let’s buy it,” says somebody in acquisitions. Cut to 12 months later: “Ooooh, this isn’t very popular. And it’s rubbish too! What were we thinking?” says the same bod in acquisitions with an angry shake of fist to the sky.

Keeping me occupied on the nights when winter is beginning to blissfully transform into spring is the wonderfully comprehensive Doctor Who: E-Space Trilogy DVD boxset. Yes, yes, it could be said I need to get out more but in these credit crunch times, a couple of nights being a homebody here and there doesn’t hurt.

The E-Space trilogy formed an arc in Tom Baker’s final series of Doctor Who that saw the TARDIS sucked into another universe (the upshot of which was a bit of green tinting on the screen - sophisticated times in 1981). It’s a funny little trilogy of stories that at once highlights what was great about Doctor Who in the 1980s and what was tedious about it. It all got a bit serious and made a stab at sophistication at odds with the show’s childrens’ drama roots.

I’ll be honest, at the time I was watching Buck Rogers in the 25th Century on the other side. It had spaceships and rayguns, leggy princesses wearing very little and a cute robot. Sure, Doctor Who still had K9, but as the show tried to grow up, it became embarrassed by this hokey little thing and did everything it could to sideline the metal pooch.

Missing BBC1, Monday-Friday 2.15pm
Pauline Quirke stars as DS Mary Jane Croft, a detective in Dover’s Missing Persons Unit, in a series of dramas created to tie in with the return of the month-long factual programme Missing Live (Monday-Fridays, 9.15am, BBC1). Each episode will feature two standalone storylines, with the story of Mary Jane’s own sister, who has been missing for fifteen years, threaded throughout the five-episode series.

Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle BBC2, Monday 10pm
Close in format to the much-missed Dave Allen’s BBC shows, Stewart Lee’s stand up material on a given topic each week is broken up with sketches on the same theme. This week, the publishing world is under the spotlight, with “celebrity” books getting particular attention.

The South Bank Show ITV1, Tuesday 10.35pm
ITV’s premier arts and culture series moves to Tuesdays from its more usual Sunday evening slot. This new run starts with a look at pop star and actor Will Young, with future editions profiling Ronnie Corbett, Sam Taylor-Wood, Brazilian artist Cildo Meireles and St Petersburg’s historic Mariinksky Theatre.

Waterloo Road BBC1, Wednesday 8pm
Original cast member Angela Griffin returns, but otherwise it’s business as usual.

Runaway BBC1, Thursday 4.05pm
A new three-part drama wirtten by Paul Wilmshurst for CBBC showing as part of the children’s department’s season on homelessness. William Miller plays Sean, who runs away from a troubled home and school life and tries to survive on the streets with serial runaway Molly (Saffron Coomber).

Red Riding Channel 4, Thursday 9pm
Channel 4’s drama trilogy draws to a bloody conclusion in 1983, as Mark Addy’s solicitor John Piggott attempts to find out who the real culprit is behind the serial murders of young schoolgirls. The uncompromising brutality has clouded this series for me, but it can’t be denied that it’s a visually stunning work.

Comic Relief (from Friday 7pm, BBC1)

An evening of fun and mayhem is guaranteed from the always entertaining Comic Relief telethon - and all for charidee. Of particular interest to TV dafties will be the first hour hosted by some fella called David Tennant, which features a special episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Elisabeth Sladen! Ronnie Corbett! K9! Be still my beating fanboy heart. There are also treats from French and Saunders, the cast of TV Today favourite Outnumbered.

Coronation Street (Friday 7.30pm, ITV1)

If you want to avoid the charity bunfight on the other side, than the usual double-bubble of Corrie should have plenty to keep you occupied - it’s soap wedding night, after all! It’s the unlikely nuptials of Becky and Steve, and the chances of comedy mishaps are high. Surely Becky wouldn’t get hammered on champagne and end up on the roof of Underworld in her wedding dress, would she…? Brilliant.

Harry Hill’s TV Burp (Saturday 6.15pm, ITV1)

Harry seems to be on blinding form, the break in the middle of this long run for some compilation episodes clearly having recharged the comedy batteries. It helps that there’s a new series of Freaky Eaters for Harry to get his teeth into, and the whole thing has regained the genius it was lacking towards the end of last year.

Let’s Dance for Comic Relief (Friday 7.15pm, BBC1)

What a fun show this has been - celebrities making fools of themselves for a good cause. Come back tonight to see the six groups of celebrities that have won through to perform again, including Robert Webb’s sublime take on Flashdance. Laugh out loud funny.

The No1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (Saturday 7.15pm, BBC4)

Another chance to see the feature length adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith’s novel ahead of the new series starring Jill Scott tomorrow night. Considering tonight’s schedule’s pretty grim, I’d suggest this as your best bet.

Lark Rise to Candleford (Sunday 8pm, BBC1/BBCHD)

Final episode of what has proved to be a delightful second series that’s like pulling a duvet over you on a rainy Sunday afternoon. James Dowland brings his son to Candleford, but the hotel owner’s future in the town is uncertain after he royally screwed things up with Dorcas. Dorcas will surely have some winsomely delivered piece of homespun wisdom to scatter on the subject and make everything alright again. And of course, we’re hurtling towards the much talked about wedding of Thomas Browne and Miss Margaret - will they actually go through with it?

The No1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (Sunday 9pm, BBC1)

After a gorgeous pilot episode last year that may have been a little too sweet for some tastes, Mma Precious Ramotswe is back to add some gentle cheer for a Sunday evening, taking up the slack left by Lark Rise. It’s not your run of the mill crime drama - the crimes are less important than the interaction of Jill Scott’s Precious with her friends and colleagues. There’s no CSI style gloss here, but who cares - The No1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is thoroughly lovely.

The One Ronnie Radio 7, Saturday 9am (repeated 8pm and Sunday 3am)
Barry Cryer introduces a tribute to comedian, writer and actor Ronnie Barker, with six radio comedy programmes from the great man’s career: Floggit’s (1956), The Navy Lark (1959), Not to Worry (1964), Lines from my Grandfather’s Forehead (1971), Funny That Way (1990) and At the Beeb (1999).

Galton and Simpson’s Half-Hour: Impasse Radio 2, Saturday 1.30pm
This week’s radio reworking of a classic Glaton and Simpson TV script (this time from one of their 1963 Comedy Playhouse series of plays) pitches Peep Show double act David Mitchell and Robert Webb into a tale of two drivers whose cars end up head-to-head in a very narrow Cornish lane.

Saturday Play: The Complete Ripley: Ripley’s Game Radio 4, Saturday 2.30pm
The Patricia Highsmith season reaches the midway point, with the third Ripley novel seeing everyone’s favourite serial killer (Ian Hart as Ripley) connives to get another man to commit a series of murders.

Archive on 4: Radio Sales Radio 4, Saturday 8pm
An odd topic for the avowedly non-commercial BBC to discuss, perhaps, but this documentary provides a fascinating look at the 80-year history of advertising on commercial radio.

Footlight Fairies Radio 7, Sunday 9.30am (repeated Monday 2.30am)
Susannah Clapp examines the story of Victorian policital campaigner and suffragist Millicent Fawcett, and in particular her campaign to stop exploitation of children on stage, which she believed was akin to sending them up chimneys or down mines.

Drama on 3: Synge - 100 Years On Radio 3, Sunday 8pm
To mark the centenary of his death, Radio 3 presents two short plays by Irish playwright JM Synge, co-founder of Dublin’s Abbey Theatre: light comedy The Tinker’s Wedding and tragedy Riders to the Sea. They are accompanied by a documentary recorded on location in Galway and the Aran islands.

Afternoon Play: Where Three Roads Meet Radio 4, Monday 2.15pm
John Hurt stars as Sigmund Freud in Salley Vickers’s adaptation of her own novel. As Freud lies dying from cancer, blind seer Tiresias (Paul Rhys) arrives from Ancient Greece to tell his version of the story of Oedipus upon which Freud had formulated his famous theories.

Mark Steel’s In Town Radio 4, Wednesday 6.30pm
Comedan Mark Steel begins a new series where he collaborates with residents of a town to create a stand-up routine based on the area.

Crossing Continents: Israel’s Goodness Gracious Me Radio 4, Thursday 11am
A new series of Radio 4’s international documentary series starts with a programme about Israeli TV comedy Arab Labour, examining the humorous side of Arab life in Israel.

Afternoon Play: Smoke and Daggers Radio 4, Friday 2.15pm
Hugh Costello creates a dark tale of a Dublin politician’s thirst for power. Great dialogue lightens an otherwise depressing drama of betrayal and greed.

The Wire, HBO’s oft praised, seldom watched cult crime drama, has finally been bought by a terrestrial broadcaster. Created by David Simon, the show has previously been broadcast on cable channel FX in the UK and been a hit on DVD, but all 60 episodes will be stripped from Monday to Friday by BBC2 over the spring.

BBC2 would seem to be a good fit for The Wire, and the question of whether The Wire will now get the audience it deserves is being bandied around. Well, has anybody actually stopped to consider that The Wire has already had the audience it deserves?

It’s been a busy day here at TV Today towers, but there’s always time for some quick observations from this business we call telly…

After our thumbs up for Law and Order: UK last week, it’s good to see the audience figures for the ITV1 show holding up incredibly well across episodes two and three. This must give ITV some confidence going forward and is a positive sign that a strong core audience is still willing to invest in well made, solid drama. Keep the faith…

Catching up earlier in the week on some treats stacked up on the Sky Plus box, I finally saw the episode from the final season of ER, Heal Thyself, featuring Anthony Edwards as the legendary Dr Mark Greene. Apart from it being a stunningly constructed piece of drama, complete with heartbreaking performance from Angela Bassett, I marvel at a show that can still reduce me to tears after 15 years. I’m going to miss this show.

I’m saying nothing on the subject of Horne and Corden beyond noting that we’ll be back here next week to see just how many viewers come back for episode 2

Elsewhere, moving my beloved Masterchef to BBC1 from its home on BBC2 is a mistake. Let things be a success on the channel that nurtured them for crying out loud!

And finally, walking through the office earlier, I spied a snippet from The Chuckle Brothers on BBC1, showing on a wall-mounted TV. You know, it makes me feel safe in an uncertain world to know that these fellas are still out there doing their thing.

To me. To You.

As preparations get under way for Friday’s telethontastic Red Nose Day, the BBC has shared a couple of extra scenes from a special episode of Outnumbered, the family sitcom that wipes the floor with most TV comedies. The sound on both is not wonderful, but the performances more than make up for that.

Star of both clips is the wonderful Ramona Marquez, the child actress who steals every scene in the full series.

If these ‘extra footage’ clips are offcuts from the special which airs on Friday, we’re in for a real treat. The Outnumbered segment is, according to Radio Times, pencilled in for the 7.30pm-8.00pm segment on Friday: previous experience dictates that you shouldn’t rely on the schedule being too rigid.

Tellytales CBeebies, Monday-Friday 4.30pm
A new series presenting classic myths and fairytales from around the world. This being on the BBC’s channel for pre-school viewers, one suspects we’ll be seeing the cleaned-up versions of many of the tales available. Thus, no version of Little Red Riding Hood where Red is tricked into eating her own grandmother, for instance, as happened in some versions of the story before Charles Perrault…

Horne & Corden BBC3, Tuesday 10.30pm
Sketch shows are, we’ve often said, hit or miss affairs — and, judging by the material on show here, this one has rather too many of the latter. If laughing at people who are fat, gay or both is your thing, then you’ll probably find this much funnier than most people will.

The Bill ITV1, Wednesday 8pm
Tonight’s story features a crooked conjurer who uses his skills at sleight-of-hand to trick people out of their valuable possessions, which naturally brings him to the attentions of Sun Hill’s finest. Tim Treloar plays the magician with the light-fingered legerdemain in a Bill story that is lighter than usual, and all the more fun for that.

The Car Show BBC4, Wednesday 8pm
As part of BBC4’s continuing strang of programmes about motoring, Murray Walker narrates this look at how television has presented all things car-related over the years. Programmes about television are always well worth a watch when they pop up on BBC4, and even though this one mainly sticks to talking about Top Gear in its various formats over the years, it’s no exception.

Red Riding Channel 4, Thursday 9pm
This week’s instalment of Channel 4’s superb crime drama moves the action on to 1980, with the West Yorkshire police struggling to capture the Yorkshire Ripper, who has just claimed his thirteenth victim. A Lancashire detective (Paddy Considine) is brought in to review an inquiry into the investigation, which throws up all manner of hostilities. A superb cast makes this for a powerful and compelling two hours of fine drama.

Comic Relief Does The Apprentice BBC1, Thursday 9pm
Acting as a curtain-raiser for both Friday’s Red Nose Day telethon and the imminent new series of The Apprentice proper, we again see two teams of celebrities attempt a challenge under the steely gaze of Sir Alan and his cohorts, the redoubtable Nick and Margaret.

I’ve Never Seen Star Wars BBC4, Thursday 10.30pm
A rapid transition from Radio 4 for Marcus Brigstocke’s interview show where he encourages celebrities to try things they’ve never done before. The radio show produced some marvellous culture clashes and some genuinely funny moments — let’s hope the TV version can do the same.

EastEnders (Friday 8pm, BBC1)

A fairly run-of-the-mill visit to Albert Square is lifted nicely by the arrival of Josie Lawrence as new character Manda, who has previous form on the Square, knowing both Phil and Minty from their younger days. One wonders if Phil had hair back then…? The script is clearly setting up Manda as a love interest for either fella, but who will end up snaring the pottery teacher? Isn’t it about time Minty had some proper luck with the ladydeez?

Moving Wallpaper (Friday 9pm, ITV1, ITVHD)

I was thoroughly disappointed to see the ratings for last week’s opening episode in this new series of the highly watchable sit-com. A rating of 2.12 million doesn’t bode well for tonight’s ratings or a third series. Shame really, as it’s great fun and always worth it for Ben Miller as TV producer Jonathan Pope. Filming on zombie pilot Renaissance begins - but will it ever be finished?

Being Human (Friday 9pm, BBC3)

Another chance to see the brilliant final episode of the recently renewed Being Human. Excellent stuff.

The Old Guys (Saturday 9.20pm, BBC1)

Final episode of the sit-com from Peep Show writers Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain. Roy (Clive Swift) decides to visit a prostitute following years of celibacy, while Tom (Roger Lloyd-Pack)suddenly finds religion and locks horns with a local vicar (Mistresses’ Patrick Baladi). It’s sharply written as you’d expect from the writers of the unassailable Peep Show, and Swift and Lloyd-Pack make an engaging double act that deserve a second series. And Jane Asher is in it, so what’s not to like?

Law and Order (Saturday 10.20pm, Five)

With Law and Order: UK doing the business on Monday nights, it might be worth checking in on the venerable US version, the fifteenth series of which is running on Five. Yes, that’s right, fifteenth! It might be an old warhorse, but it’s still a fine, intricately constructed drama. It clearly misses the legendary Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe, but Dennis Farina as Detective Joe Fontana is a suitably gruff presence.

Lark Rise to Candleford (Sunday 8pm, BBC1/BBC HD)

Well, where else are you going to be? There are stormy times in Candleford, and the winds uncover secrets galore in the usual gentle but effortlessly watchable way that Lark Rise has. And I won’t mention Olivia Hallinan once… oops! I just did.

The Victorians (Sunday 9pm, BBC1/BBC HD)

Final episode of Jeremy Paxman’s jolly documentary series on those curious coves the Victorians. They were rum lot by all accounts, and this closing chapter focuses on their obsession with fairytale worlds full of Arthurian legends and knights and a penchant for eroticism. Sounds a bit saucy for Paxman!

Two Pints Comic Relief Special (Sunday 9pm, BBC3)

Sheridan Smith doubles up on her roles from Two Pints… and Grown Ups as the casts of these shows and the dreadful (no, really it is) Coming of Age come together for a comedy pub quiz for Comic Relief. Should be fun if you can bear any of these shows.

Galton and Simpson’s Half-Hour Radio 2, Saturday 1.30pm
To mark the 60th anniversary of their writing partnership, Radio 2 presents a new series of four classic Galton and Simpson TV scripts adapted for radio with contemporary casts. In this first episode, Frank Skinner takes the lead role in You’ll Never Walk Alone, playing a football fan whose attempts to attend a Cup Final go comically awry.

Saturday Play: The Complete Ripley: Ripley Under Ground Radio 4, Saturday 2.30pm
The adaptations of Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels continue, with the epnymous antihero (Ian Hart) now living in a luxurious French chateau with his beautiful wife. But once the art forgeries that fuelled his lifestyle are uncovered, he is forced to act violently…

The Wire: The Meek Radio 3, Saturday 9.30pm
Denise Mina writes a dark and surreal tale about a woman who becomes convinced that her Down’s Syndrome daughter, Simone, has superpowers. Mum is convinced that Simone can speak despite being newborn, and that other babies are endowed with abilities to move objects with their mind, shoot lasers from their eyes or read each others’ minds.

Stand-up with the Stars Radio 4, Sunday 1.30pm
See our special feature

SCIFI SEASON: Classic Serial: Rendezvous with Rama Radio 4, Sunday 3pm
Arthur C Clarke’s classic novel concludes.

SCIFI SEASON: Drama on 3: Bring Me the Head of Philip K Dick Radio 3, Sunday 8pm
A shadowy Pentagon research unit has invented an android head, which has decided that it is actually the head of renowned SF author Philip K Dick, and promptly starts ripping through the fabric of space-time in search of the rest of its body.

It can’t have escaped anyone’s notice that this year’s Comic Relief Red Nose Day is fast approaching. Radio 4, one of the bastions of broadcast comedy, is getting in on the action this year, by organising a competition between four of its well known voices to become stand-up comedians.

Evan Davis, Libby Purves, Peter White and Laurie Taylor have each been mentored by a professional comedian. The fundraising side comes from telephone voting — whoever receives the most public votes will get a guest slot on topical comedy show The Now Show.

The second of two programmes covering the training and performance is on Sunday afternoon, but the four performances are already online. The video above has extracts of each routine, along with the perfomers and mentors talking about the experience. We’ve got the video of each routine after the jump.

The world of Doctor Who seems to have gone quiet over the last couple of weeks, with the hoo-ha over the casting of Matt Smith as Doctor 11 having settled down to a slow simmer.

Of course, there have been regular updates via the press and the assorted Doctor Who fansites on news of the special episodes that will see David Tennant say goodbye to the role that has turned him into a superstar. Spare a thought for an actor who has clearly given his all to the series and the viewers and how gut-wrenchingly hard it must be to walk away from the best part on television.

We’ve had news of Michelle Ryan and Lindsay Duncan coming along for a final fling in the TARDIS, of mangled buses and Dubai controversy, and somewhere a TARDIS might be redesigned. But that’s all window dressing really…

Oh good grief! Is there no end to this plundering of the archives for old shows to bring back? The latest wheeze, according to the Daily Mirror, is that some misguided TV production types are considering bringing back Birds of a Feather.

Why in the name of all that is holy would anybody even think this was a good idea? We had nine series of it first time round, why on earth do we need more? Ooh more episodes of “sexkitten” neighbour Dorien snaring inappropriately young men (or make that even more inappropriately young); all those hilarious moments as Sharon tries to lose weight and is then snaffled with a cream cake by Tracey in the middle of the night; all those tedious scenes of the girls visiting their hubbys in prison. And if we’re really lucky, Lesley Joseph can repeat Dorien’s rendition of Like a Virgin, because that was just brilliant first time round and I’d consider such a repeat licence money well spent.

Law and Order: UK is a very odd show for an ITV drama. We’re not talking questions of its peculiar hybrid status, being a domestically grown version of a US drama juggernaut. No, It’s odd, because it’s actually quite good.

And stay with me on this - it isn’t another ITV drama bashing kind of blog. Well, not really. That’s still too easy, even with the inroads made by the commercial broadcaster recently into making some credible, high-rating drama. And yes, there have been hits - Whitechapel, Place of Execution, Above Suspicion. By and large, these have been short run specials with only half an eye on further episodes. Quick fix ratings plasters that the ITV publicity machine can sustain over a three-week or even two-night run.

But where ITV drama has generally failed in recent years after the 90s saw some great commercial successes is in cultivating new, returning dramas. Best not to mention The Palace at this point. And while The Fixer is due for a return (and we here at TV Today loved it), its ratings did leave much to be desired towards the end. Primeval is about the only show that has hit the spot in terms of schedule and audience needs and the upcoming third season will be very welcome when it finally arrives.

The Real Pink Panther: Lord Victor Hervey Channel 4, Monday 8pm
More than anything, this programme illustrates the increasingly poor quality of documentary making within British television. Not so much for the content, as this tale of how the father of socialites Isabella and Victoria Hervey was also an out and out jewel thief makes for interesting viewing. No, the real shame is in the title. From commissioning to transmission, there is apparently nobody within the production chain capable of pointing out that, in both Blake Edwards’ original film and the pisspoor remake starring Steve Martin, the Pink Panther was the jewel, and not the thief (who went under the name of The Phantom). Tsk, tsk.

Law and Order: UK ITV1, Monday 9pm
A definite improvement on last week’s series opener. Shorn of the need to explain what each of the regulars’ roles are, there’s more space for story. The defence team is this week led by Dervla Kirwan, who ends up unfortunately saddled with a backstory involving a previous relationship with CPS barrister James Steel (Ben Daniels). The defence argument in court turns on an attempt to create a legal precedent in a way that, for me, betrays its US origins. That said, there are great guest turns from Rebekah Staton and, in particular, Nicola Stephenson.

Ballykissangel ITV3, Monday 6.45pm
Talking of Dervla Kirwan, earlier in the evening there’s the chance to see the series that catapulted her into public knowledge. This first episode sees Father Peter (Stphen Tompkinson) arrive at the picturesque Irish town, and his first encounter with the feisty Assumpta.

Mistresses BBC1, Tuesday 9pm
Yes, it’s silly, middle class and not as good as the first series. But it’s still great to chill out to, partly because it’s so ridiculous.

Heston’s Victorian Feast Channel 4, Tuesday 9pm
Heston Blumenthal recreates some of the more ornate, and occasionally downright bizarre, menus from history. This week’s Victorian menu draws upon Lewis Carroll for inspiration. Somehow these sort of shows are not quite as enthralling without Giles Coren and Sue Perkins engorging themselves — a guest list including Toby Young and Dawn Porter is nowhere near as engaging.

Red Riding: 1974 Channel 4, Thursday 9pm
With its drama budget drastically reduced, any new project that Channel 4 brings to screen is designed to make maximum impact — and this one certainly does. Set in a fictionalised version of the West Yorkshire police and based on David Peace’s novels, Andrew Garfield (Boy A) plays a journalist who starts investigating the case of a missing girl — and on the way uncovers a network of local corruption. Imagine the old school policing played for entertainment in Life on Mars, instead implemented as violent psychodrama.

The Graham Norton Show BBC2, Thursday 10pm
The comedy chat show returns for a new series, with guests this week including comedian Ed Byrne and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, presumbly in her role as producer of new british film The Young Victoria.

One of the sweetest online videos this weekend was to be found not on YouTube, but on BBC News.

To celebrate the career of the late Tony Hart, inspiration for many a young person’s burgeoning taste in art, about 200 devotees create a plasticine ‘flashmob’ at the South Bank.

Over the course of his 50-year television career, Hart won two Baftas and a lifetime achievement award.

His infectious enthusiasm and avuncular style won him generation after generation of fans.

On Sunday, surrounded by a plethora of plasticine, his daughter, Carolyn Williams, joined in the fun.

She was invited to judge Best Morph in Show and was touched by the effort so many had gone to.

“It’s absolutely fantastic, so many colours, so many styles,” she said. “Morph as you’ve never seen him before.”

And what of the use of the internet to create the flashmob?

She thought her father would approve: “This is exactly what he was all about.”