Coronation Street (Friday 7.30/8.30pm, ITV1)
A storyline that’s been bubbling away in the background for the last couple of months (and could still explode all over the cobbles somewhere down the line), takes a twist tonight as Maria gives birth to her baby, fathered by Liam Connor before his death. But perversely, present at the birth is his murderer, Tony Gordon - is there something else brewing between Tony and new mother Maria? With this being a soap, it’s highly likely.
Celebrity Masterchef (Friday 8.30pm, BBC1)
It’s all getting very tense in the Masterchef kitchen, and Gregg and John are STARTING TO SHOUT LOUDER! I’m rooting for Wendi Peters off of Corrie to go the distance, but it’s anybody’s race at the moment.
Hotel Babylon (Friday 9pm, BBC1/BBCHD)
Hotel Babylon is sometimes from that “any port in a storm” mentality of TV viewing, and with a repeat of Doc Martin on the other side, this is my port of choice tonight (not that there’s much wrong with Doc Martin, I hasten to add!). And in tonight’s glass of fizz from HB, receptionist Anna finally gives birth to her baby - and we find out who the father is - but I’m not saying who. Also, Honor Blackman guest-stars as a dotty old actress.
Total Wipeout (Saturday 7.25pm, BBC1)
The bizarrely addictive physical game show returns as contestants run around an assault course that’s more It’s a Knockout than The Krypton Factor. Richard Hammond provides his usual disparaging asides from the comfort of a London studio.
Casualty (Saturday 8.35pm, BBC1)
We’re now in the depths of summer - you can tell, because Casualty remains one of the few things worth watching -which shows you how bad things are. Nick Jordan, battling with his own mortality, is starting to spout homespun twaddle about how precious life is, so it can’t be long before he’ll be leaving Holby A&E once again. This time, however, there’s little chance that one of the original Holby City characters will be making another return to the wards. Maybe we can get Anton Meyer back next time…
On Thin Ice (Sunday 9pm, BBC2)
Poor the Jonny Lee Miller - after joining up with James Cracknell and Ben Fogle for their adventure to the South Pole, he had to pull out due to work commitments. I hope this wasn’t down to his US drama, Eli Stone, which was stoned in the schedules and is now no longer with us. The upshot of Miller pulling out is seen in this episode as our intrepid heroes search for a new teammate to join them in their travels. And then Ben goes down with a dreadful illness brought about by a flesh-eating bug. Nice.
Kingdom (Sunday 9pm, ITV1)
A change of scene this week for the gentle legal drama about everyday Norfolk folk. Lyle (the underrated ex-soapie Karl Davies) is summoned home to murky Stockport by his mother (Green Wing’s Pippa Haywood) to lend his legal weight to saving a local allotment. And compared to the picturesque backdrop of Kindgom’s usual stomping ground, it ain’t half grim up north (I’m from Yorkshire, so I’m allowed to say that). Elsewhere, Peter takes on a case that revolves around a father being banned from recording his daughter’s cello recital. Expect lots of impassioned speeches about civil liberties and the usual happy ending.
The Day of the Triffids (Sunday 7pm, BBC4)
Ahead of the BBC’s retooling of John Wyndham’s classic novel, take another look at the highly regarded take from the early 1980s, starring John Duttine. It remains as chilling and thrilling as ever, and the incessant tap-tap-tap of the triffids still scares the living daylights out of me.
