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The National TV Awards 2012: The Highs and Lows

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:19:56 PST

I have never, never enjoyed a TV awards ceremony. Awards ceremonies are often responsible, ironically for some of the most gushing and embarrassing moments we ever see on television. I suppose its nice to see all your TV favourites dressed up to the nines and giggle at their insincere applause when they lose out to something like Celebrity Juice but I've never really been excited or interested in who wins and who goes home empty handed. I've never really been sure of the appeal of Awards ceremonies on TV as they always feel so forced and cheesy but last night saw the viewers casting the votes for the 17th annual National Television Awards. Sadly the viewers love Keith Lemon, The Only Way is Essex and This Morning strangely.
The Highlights

The peculiar/quirky yet strangely entertaining opening from Bruce Forysth and Ant & Dec
The reading glasses clip from Michael Mcintyre's Comedy Roadshow
Michael Mcintyre winning for best entertainment programme
Dermott's introduction for Hugh Bonneville
Jacqueline Jossa winning best Newcomer for her role in EastEnders
Alan Carr's delight at winning for Chatty Man
Ant & Dec winning best entertainment presenter. They'll still the best at what they do.
Katherine Kelly winning for serial drama performance.
Hilary Devey's cringeworthy moment where she was forced to read her list of nominees long after they had been announced on screen
Bruce Forsyth's introduction for Jonathan Ross.
Jonathan Ross being surprisingly humble and lovely while accepting his Special recognition award.
Corrie dedicating their award to Betty Driver.

The Lowlights

Tulisa's awful dress and her announcement that she was so happy to be "really excited to be here tonight presnetin' the first award
Russell Kane - need I say more
Celebrity Juice winning best panel show
The performance from Little Mix. I've already forgotten about them!
Benedict Cumberbatch not being nominated in best drama performance Male. Where was Sherlock?!
The fact that the whole event seemed to be an ITV lovefest with presenters like Tulisa, Mark Wright and too much emphasis on ITV programming.
Take Me out being nominated for best entertainment programme.
Kermit the Frog - Need I say more?
having to sit through Fatima having a cockroach up her nose again! Its still as stomach churning as it was back in November and we don't see to it ever again!!
Will I AM's stupid glasses. He was indoors get a grip man!
The Military Wives. Don't Get me wrong I appreciate them but just not sure this was the right setting for a performance.
No one who won an award was expecting it. Really?
Paul O'Grady.

The TVWEEK: Saturday 28th January - Friday 3rd February 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:53:59 PST

Saturday
10.10pm Pan Am BBC2 - Return of the quirky American Airline drama.
Sunday
8.00pm Top Gear BBC2 Return of the motoring series. The trio head to Italy for a supercar shootout featuring the Lamborghini Aventador, the McLaren MP4-12C and the Noble M600. Their trip starts at the incredible Nardo test track, a facility so massive it is visible from space, before heading north for a nerve wracking drive around the centre of Rome. The journey concludes at the legendary Imola circuit, a track challenging enough to have embarrassed many an F1 driver, with a timed challenge against the incredible skills of the Stig.

Toughest Place returns for a second series.

9.00pm The Toughest Place to Be A.. BBC2 - Second series of the documentary that lets British workers try out their jobs in difficult surroundings. Wilbur Ramirez, a binman from London, heads to the vast mega city of Jakarta, one of the biggest and fastest growing cities in the world. For ten days Wilbur works with Imam, one of an army of semi-destitute binmen who collect rubbish in Indonesia's capital. From the health and safety conscious world of British waste management, Wilbur encounters a world of squalor and poverty as he joins Imam's back breaking daily round, collecting the rubbish of Jakarta's wealthy and staying next to a fly-ridden dump.
10.00pm The Only Way is Essex ITV2 - Fourth series of the Essex based "reality" series.
Monday
9.00pm Protecting Our Children BBC2 - Documentary series following Bristol's child protection teams over the course of a year to see frontline work first-hand and explore how the crises of the last decade have had an impact on their ability to safeguard children.

Rupert Penry-Jones and Phil Davies return for a third series

9.00pm Whitechapel ITV - Third of the police drama set in London's East End begins with the first of a two-part story. The team investigate the gruesome murder of four people in a seemingly impregnable tailor's workshop. The crime sends shockwaves throughout the area - what can Chandler and Miles learn from history that could help them to solve these particularly grizzly killings? The series will be comprised of three 2-part stories shown over six weeks.
9.00pm Royal Marines: Mission Afghanistan Five - Series embedded with Lima Company of the Royal Marines during a six-month deployment in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, award-winning documentary filmmaker Chris Terrill reports on what it is really like to work in one of the most dangerous locations on earth.
9.00pm Britain's Gay Footballers BBC3 - Amal Fashanu, niece of Justin Fashanu, the only ever openly gay British professional, goes on a mission to discover why no gay player has followed in her uncle's boots in over twenty years. With access to a fascinating and insightful cast of characters from within and beyond football, Amal probes the ugly underbelly of the beautiful game. She meets Matt Lucas, who has suffered and observed shocking homophobic abuse at football grounds, while Max Clifford reveals that he has helped several Premiership stars keep their homosexuality secret in order to preserve their careers.
9.00pm Lost Kingdoms of Africa BBC4 - Art historian Dr Gus Casely-Hayford explores some of the richest and most vibrant histories in the world, revealing fascinating stories of four complex and sophisticated civilisations. In this episode, he travels to Ghana in West Africa, where a powerful kingdom once dominated the region.
Tuesday

Five's Hotel Inspector moves to the BBC

8.00pm Alex Polizzi - The Fixer BBC2 - Former Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi sets out to wage a one woman campaign to save Britain's family businesses. Many small and medium family-run firms are going to the wall in the current climate, but it's a sector that's vital to the British economy. In this episode, Alex is called to help a failing family bridalwear business in Kettering, Northants. Despite remortgaging her home to keep the business afloat, owner Anne Preece is watching the profits fall year on year, and to make matters worse her two daughters Rhiannon and Bethan, who also work in the shop, argue constantly.
8.00pm Terror at Sea Channel 4 - Documentary that pieces together the mistakes that were made that led to the recent sinking of the Italian Cruise ship With a capacity of 3780 passengers and at an impressive 290m long and 31m high, the ship was a palace of the ocean. So how did this boat, hailed as a glorious example of modern technology, sink? And why do some critics say the design of these mega-cruisers is dangerous?

6-part drama Prisoner's Wives.

9.00pm Prisoner's Wives BBC1 - Six-part drama series focusing on a different member of the female led cast. Gemma's perfect life comes crashing down when her devoted husband is arrested for murder. As Gemma learns to navigate the prison system, she meets a group of women who will become increasingly important as she starts to think the unthinkable; could her husband be a murderer?
9.00pm Wonderland: My Child the Rioter BBC2 - The Documentary series looks at the children involved in the Summer 2011 riots.
9.00pm Scott & Bailey ITV3 - Repeat showing of the crime drama starring Surrane Jones and Lesley Sharp.
Wednesday
9.00pm Love in the Wild ITV2 - Darren McMullen presents a brand new reality game show in which ten men and ten women go to Costa Rica to compete as couples for an incredible round-the-world trip. Each week, the contestants pair up and take part in challenges. After the challenge, they choose their partners for the following week's tests, and the two who are not chosen are eliminated from the competition. In this episode, the 20 contenders arrive in Costa Rica. Their first adventure involves building rafts, which they must travel on through crocodile-infested waters.

10.00pm Bouncers Channel 4 - Documentary that follows the boys of Newport's biggest security firm over a summer of booze, brawls and brotherhood. Out of their HQ above a caf? on the High Street, ambitious MD Richie Davis and doughnut-loving operations director Len Harrhym run a team of loyal lads who manage the drunk and often difficult locals every week. The boys give a rare insight into life as bouncers in one of the most distinctive cities in Britain. Twenty-seven-year-old bouncer Joe Gower is a dry-witted Valley boy, born and bred

10.45pm Burglar in the House BBC1 - Every two minutes a house in Britain is burgled, and for years Nottingham has suffered the highest burglary rates in the UK. But the city's police are fighting back, and are now capturing the burglars on camera. They are installing hidden minicams inside ordinary homes, which record the thieves in action. They call them 'capture houses', Nottingham's new weapon in the fight against crime. But is this new technology as reliable as the police think? And should the police be allowed to set traps for burglars? Part of the Modern Crime season, this documentary takes viewers to the frontline of a surburban crime-wave, witnessing first-hand the cat-and-mouse battle currently being played out across Nottingham.
Thursday

8.00pm Motorway Cops BBC1

8.00pm Raymond Blanc: The Very Hungry Frenchman BBC2 - The chef returns to his native country to share his love of French cuisine.

Unmissable four-part drama Inside Men

9.00pm Inside Men BBC1 - Fantastically fast paced four-part drama about three employees of a security depot who plan a multi-million pound heist. John, the manager of a cash counting house, faces his worst fear: an armed robbery. Starring Warren Brown, Ashley Walters and Steven Mackintosh.

9.00pm Winter Road Rescue Five - Shot over three months, this documentary series follows the snowplough drivers and patrols who work around the clock to make sure the UK does not grind to a halt when winter weather hits. In the Highlands, snowplough teams battle blizzards, ice, flooding and landslides to keep the roads open, whilst across the UK patrols fight snow, gales and icy conditions to reach motorists stranded in the cold.

9.00pm Bullets, Boots and Bandages: How to really Win at War BBC4 - Series in which military historian Saul David tells the real stories of how wars have been won and lost throughout history - not in the eye-catching bravado of the frontline, but in the backroom sinews of military planning. He begins by looking at how to keep an army fed and housed.

10.00pm Confessions from the Underground Channel 4 - Documentary that provides a rare glimpse into the depths of the iconic Tube network that passengers don't see, as workers reveal the dilemmas and pressures that they must reconcile to keep this hugely complex and strained system running. Actors voice the precise words of the workers: train drivers, maintenance workers, station staff and controllers. They negotiate the difficulties of storing dead bodies after suicides and the hazards of an ageing infrastructure while fixing signal failures. They confront aggressive passengers and emergency incidents and try to make sense of a bewildering array of procedures and targets

Friday

9.00pm The Cutty Sark BBC2 - On 21 May 2007 a fire broke out on the Cutty Sark. Just weeks into a multi-million pound restoration, one of the most famous ships in the world went up in smoke - or so it seemed. But the Cutty Sark was not lost. What burned in the dramatic firestorm was largely protective tarpaulins and wooden scaffold boards. This hour long special covers the re-opening of the ship in March 2010, telling the dramatic story of the Cutty Sark's globe-trotting life at sea, delving into the lives and times of the men who sailed her and charting her miraculous restoration.

Masterchef: Leaves a sour taste in my mouth

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:52:53 PST

“Ladies & Gentlemen let’s cook!” You know what let’s not. Tuesday night saw the not so welcome return of BBC1’s Masterchef. Not only did the banal cookery “reality” series return far too soon but its back for 15 episodes! Yes 15! We’re being treated to the first 3 helpings over three consecutive nights. There are very few series I can’t stomach (yes every time I think of a food/eating reference its going in) but there’s very little I can think to say that would paint Masterchef in anything other than a dismal light.

I don’t believe it belongs in such a primetime slot on BBC1. BBC1 should offer drama, documentary and comedy in a 9pm slot not a cookery series for 12 weeks! I think it’s the attempts to turn a cookery series into The Apprentice that really leaves such a sour taste in my mouth (yes there’s another). The over the top music, the dull narration and the lack of personality from the hosts make this completely unappetizing to me. Every week each contestant serves up food and one by one their wittered down until finally one is given the title of Masterchef. That’s all you get. You're not given your own Michelin starred restaurant or your name in the Good Food Guide no just a trophy. Despite the valiant efforts of the production staff you can cut the tension in any episode of the series with a butter knife. The only exciting thing to happen on an episode of Masterchef could be someone getting burnt or dropping their chocolate cake on the floor but I can’t be expected to watch 15 hours of something in the hopes someone might cut themselves.

If I was forced to make this a balanced review I’d commend the series on picking “nice” contestants. They're a nice enough group of wannabe cooks. The average Masterchef competitor isn’t cringe worthy or backstabbing like those who grace Lord Sugar’s boardroom every year but that might because a Masterchef competitor is too busy up to their eyes in mash potato to care what their fellow man is plating up.

Everything about this is dull. I’m really not sure of its appeal. British television is already overstuffed with chefs and cookery shows and it irritates me that we’re subjected to another. This is just pumped up daytime telly that has somehow slipped into the primetime schedules. Its atemps to ramp up the tension when someone is cooking an over complicated stew is laughable. There’s more tension in an episode of Countryfile. To sum up I despise Masterchef. Thanks!

The TVWEEK: Sunday 22nd - Friday 27th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:37:01 PST

Sunday

9.00pm Birdsong BBC1 - 2-part drama set against the First World War. As Stephen Wraysford fights in the terrifying death-filled trenches of northern France, he is haunted by memories of Isabelle Azaire, the woman with whom he had an illicit and all-consuming affair during a summer in France before the war.

Monday
11.00am Secret Location Channel 4 - This brand new property series takes location out of the equation, and whisks house hunters off to areas they would never normally consider. Property expert Sunita Shroff transports house hunters to viewings in a blacked-out car, leaving them entirely in the dark as to the location of the properties, and ensuring they judge each house on its merits rather than its postcode.
8.00pm Superscrimpers: Waste Not, Want Not Channel 4 - In the second, five-part series Mrs Moneypenny is putting cash back in the nation's bank accounts by revealing her insider trade secrets for saving money. A super-spending family undertakes the SuperScrimper challenge, when they have to live off £50 worth of food for a whole week. And star SuperScrimpers Gem and Juliette bring beauty tips and sewing skills to the great British public in their scrimping master classes.
8.00pm Seinfeld Sky Atlantic - The American sitcom from the very start.
9.00pm Wonderland: The Real Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines BBC2 - Documentary that follows three teams of microlight enthusiasts, who navigate their way across Britain armed with a map and compass, sleeping under the wing, and doing their best to keep their aircraft in one piece - while at the same time clocking up more miles than everyone else. Microlighters wax lyrical over the poetry of the skies, but they all have tales of brushes with death.
10.00pm Party Paramedics Channel 4 - Filmed over a summer in one of Britain's hardest drinking towns - Colchester, Essex - this documentary, the first in a three-part series, tells the story of one SOS Bus, its volunteer paramedics, and the patients they treat. Every weekend, Colchester sees thousands of revellers out and about in its town centre.

A new cast of skins heads to Morocco

10.00pm Skins E4 - Sixth series of the teen drama with a brand new cast. The gang are on holiday in Morocco. The villa may be half finished, in the middle of nowhere and without running water, but they've found a load of weed under the floorboards so they don't care. That night Alo's party-tracking skills are put to use and they join the party at a flash nearby villa owned by Luke. It's an amazing party with the best music, drink and drugs flowing. Franky, unhappy in her relationship with Matty, finds herself drawn to Luke.

Tuesday
7.30pm Farewell Becky ITV - Programme celebrating the life of Becky McDoanld.
9.00pm Junior Doctors: Your Life in their Hands BBC3 - Second series of the documentary series that follows a group of newly qualified doctors in their first year of paid work.
9.00pm Survivors: Nature's Indestructible Creatures BBC4 - It is estimated that 99 per cent of species have become extinct and there have been times when life's hold on Earth has been so precarious it seems it hangs on by a thread. This series focuses on the survivors - the old-timers - whose biographies stretch back millions of years and who show how it is possible to survive a mass extinction event which wipes out nearly all of its neighbours. The Natural History Museum's Professor Richard Fortey discovers what allows the very few to carry on going - perhaps not for ever, but certainly far beyond the life expectancy of normal species. What makes a survivor when all around drop like flies? He focuses on a series of cataclysms over a million year period, 250 million years ago.
10.00pm The World Against Apartheid: Have you heard from Johannesburg? BBC4 - Series exploring how a violent and racist government was destroyed by the concerted efforts of men and women working on multiple fronts inside and outside South Africa for more than three decades. Featuring archive of the struggle never seen before on TV and interviews with the major players, it is one of the most fascinating stories of the last century

10.00pm Confessions of a Nurse More4 - Four-part series following a diverse group of nurses from Birmingham City Hospital revealing their day-to-day challenges as they care for the British public and confess, for the first time, what they really think about being a nurse.

10.35pm Death Row Dogs BBC1 - Documentary that looks at the growing problem of illegal fighting dogs on the streets of Britain. Despite being banned in the early 90s, pit bulls have become the dog of choice for criminals; sentences are lower than for carrying a knife or a gun but the results can be just as severe. Sadly fatalities are not uncommon. This film gains access to the work of the West Midlands Police Dangerous Dog Unit as they try to tackle the growing problem.

Wednesday

7.30pm The National Television Awards ITV - Dermot O'Leary presents the 2012 awards show live from London's 02 Arena. The event honours the past year's biggest successes on the small screen and is unique in being the only TV awards ceremony in which the winners are voted for by the public. The night promises excitement, red carpet glamour and exclusive performances as viewers deliver their verdict on the nation's top stars and shows. This year's nominees include Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Miranda, Outnumbered, Come Dine With Me and The Only Way Is Essex as well as actors Matt Smith, Martin Clunes, Karen Gillan, Katherine Kelly and Suranne Jones.

9.00pm Sun, Sea & Suspicious Parents BBC3 - Second series of the reality series that sees teenagers take their first holidays abroad unaware their parents are watching their every move.

Thursday

9.00pm Strictly Soulmates BBC3 - As part of a series in which members of different faiths look for the perfect partner, this episode follows three young Evangelical Christians. After months of searching, at a Christian rock festival Katy meets a man perhaps more devout than her - he won't even kiss before wedlock. A week later they have both decided 'it's a god thing' and their relationship blossoms at breakneck speed.

9.00pm We'll Take Manhattan BBC4 - Drama which explores the explosive love affair between David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton. Winter 1962, and cockney photographer Bailey and unknown model Shrimpton are sent to New York for a prestigious Vogue photo shoot. What follows is a wild week, a love affair, terrible fights with their fashion editor, and how two young people with no such intention happened to change the world of fashion forever.

Friday

9.00pm How Brits Rocked America BBC4 - The first part of series celebrating the success of British rock in America looks at how a British invasion led by the Beatles conquered America in the 60s. With contributions from Paul McCartney and Jimmy Page.

Why I Love: DIY SOS: The Big Build

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:54:44 PST

I’d say I’m a man in touch with his emotions. I don’t cry at films, I was one of the people willing the Titanic to sink so that it would ruddy finish! I don’t often get moved by music (though I often come close to tears when I hear a DJ announcing they’re going to play Justin Bieber next). Of all the TV I watch though there is one series that almost always results in me choked and trying to be all manly and whole back the tears.

I’m talking of course of the BBC’s renovation series DIY SOS: The Big Build. You may laugh. You may giggle but this is a real example of genuinely moving television. What makes the Big Build even more loveable is the fact that the whole hour is handled with such humour and grace that the viewer really feels part of the build. There’s something about the hour you spend with Nick Knowles and the team that makes you think that world isn’t such a terrible place. It restores in your fellow human being, especially those who happen to be good at manual labour or have access to a digger. We live in a culture where everyone is so suspicious of everyone else. The Tradesman from Hell is widely reported on and its nice to see that isn't always the case.

On the face of it you could perhaps compare it to America’s Extreme Home Makeover but to do such a thing would be an insult to the work of both the workers on the site of The Big Build but also to the people who put the show together. On Extreme Home Makeover for example, presenter Ty Pennington uses a megaphone to shout at both the participants and the TV audience, the show is littered with dramatics, over the top music and people being too sickly sweet to be taken with anymore than a pinch of salt. The Big Build could have easily gone down this road too. The stories involved are always heartbreaking but they don’t feel the need to lay it on too thick. There’s no soppy music or misery, whatever the team are faced with is dealt with class and warmth. The Big Build has a real homely feel to it which is a quality sadly lacking from most television nowadays.

The Big Build treats the audience with respect and entertains whereas extreme Makeover feels the need to try and force the audience to feel a certain way, using every trick in the “let’s make ‘em cry book” they can.

Ironically it’s because DIY SOS doesn’t employ any of the usual tactics to make an audience feel a certain way that makes it more engrossing and emotional. You really feel that those working on the remodel (or in some cases complete rebuild of the home) really care about the people they’re helping. Nothing about the hour feels staged, forced or over dramatized for the sake of television. Everything about the way the story is told gives me as an audience member the feeling I’m in good hands.

So why and when do the tears start flowing? Well there’s something nice about a group of people coming together to help someone/a family need isn’t there. The reactions of those on the receiving end of the Build are always so astounded and grateful for the work that's been done. Nick Knowles is a master of the reveal. He guides each homeowner through their new home without any need of overselling the work; he presents each room and allows the gobsmacked recipient time to take it all in. Then, (and here’s where I usually find myself trying not to blub) the homeowner meets the working team who like the homeowner are also in floods of tears. And there you have it, a genuinely nice hour of TV, featuring genuinely nice people doing a genuinely nice thing. . It doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is and what it is works brilliantly. I love the banter between the guys as they work to rebuild someone’s life and I respect it for respecting the audience and not making it too sugary sweet for us to enjoy.

The TVWEEK: Saturday 14th - Friday 20th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:04:59 PST

Saturday
9.00pm Ken Russell: A Bit of A Devil BBC2 - Following the recent death of Ken Russell, Alan Yentob looks back over the career of the flamboyant film director responsible for Women In Love, Tommy and The Devils. Friends and admirers - including Glenda Jackson, Terry Gilliam, Twiggy, Melvyn Bragg, Robert Powell and Roger Daltrey - recall a pioneering documentary-maker, talented photographer and fearless film director.
9.30pm Live the Apollo BBC1 - Jason Manford welcomes Canadian funnyman Tom Stade and Irish comedian Jimeoin.
Sunday
7.00pm Hugh's Three Hungry Boys Channel 4 - Four-part series that sees Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall challenge three best mates, Tim, Thom and Trevor, to the adventure of a lifetime. The boys have five weeks to travel from River Cottage in Axminster, Devon, to Lands' End in Cornwall, without any money at all. The boys must complete their five-week mission in a three-tonne, 1980s electric milk float with a top speed of 17mph. To survive they must hunt for food for themselves and renewable electricity for their milk float. Get it right, and they could eat like kings as they travel through some of the most beautiful and bountiful places in Britain.

Period drama starring Miranda Hart

8.00pm Call The Midwife BBC1 - Drama based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, giving an insight into the colourful world of midwifery and family life in London's East End during the 1950s. In the spring of 1957, newly qualified midwife Jenny Lee arrives in the East End of London to begin her career. After overcoming the initial shock that her new home, Nonnatus House, is a convent rather than a private hospital, she quickly becomes immersed in her new life. Living with nuns and working in a community of colourful characters, such as Conchita Warren and her 25 pregnancies, is different from anything Jenny has encountered previously. Jenny experiences the sorrows and joys which come with being a midwife.
9.00pm Winners & Losers ITV2 - Australian drama series. Jenny, Bec, Frances and Sophie were losers in high school who did not have much in common except their desire not to attract the attention of school bully Tiffany. Ten years later, they are each happy with the way their lives have turned out when they receive invitations to their ten-year school reunion. Returning to school means facing up to Tiffany - and rekindling their friendships with each other. Then the women get an incredible surprise.
Monday
3.00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show ITV

Father & Son set sail

4.00pm The Hungry Sailors ITV - Nautical culinary series in which father-and-son team Dick and James Strawbridge sail around Britain's coastline in search of good food and fine local ingredients to cook on-board their pilot cutter Amelie Rose. They begin their voyage in Cornwall then head for Plymouth in Devon, where they make pasties, mill flour, shear sheep and make a sausage-stuffer using a bicycle pump.
5.00pm Celebrity Coach Trip Channel 4 - Celebrity Coach Trip is back for another ten episode jaunt, and amongst those boarding Brendan's bus for a Mediterranean adventure is a former Tory cabinet minister, an ex-royal butler, a brace of East End bad boys, a glamorous pair of outspoken Big Brother housemates, and a pair of comedy legends. The tourists arrive in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for clown lesson and an afternoon down on the farm. But who'll pick up the dreaded yellow card at the first vote of the series? The guests are ex-Tory MP Edwina Curry and husband John Jones; comedians Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball; former royal butler Paul Burrell and etiquette queen Jean Broke Smith; ex-EastEnders actors Derek Martin and John Altman; and Big Brother starlets Nikki Graham and Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace.
8.00pm Richard Wilson: On Hold Channel 4 - The actor looks into the rise of automated systems in the UK
8.00pm Gadget Geeks Sky1 - A team of experts help the public with their gadget needs.

Smith & Junes reunite

8.30pm The One Griff Rhys Jones BBC1 - The actor goes solo for a special round of sketches with guest apperances from Hugh Bonneville and Tom Hollander. Jones also reunites with Mel Smith for a new "head to head" sketch.

8.30pm Stargazing Live BBC2 - Dara O Briain and Professor Brian Cox celebrate the wonder of the night sky. Live from Jodrell Bank observatory, the team kick off with a look at the mysteries of the moon and meet Captain Eugene Cernan, the last man ever to walk on its surface. Liz Bonnin reports direct from South Africa on the differences between the constellations of the northern and southern hemispheres whilst Mark Thompson offers help on buying all the kit you need to get started in astronomy. Continues tomorrow and Wednesday.
10.00pm The Rise of Shoplifters Channel 4 - Documentary that heads to the front line of the battle between the shops and the robbers, revealing the cunning and clever up-to-date tactics employed by both sides. Store detectives are refusing to give up the fight, and shoplifters are equally determined to outwit them. It's a surreal world of cat and mouse - detectives scour Facebook while lifters use a plethora of complex tricks to try to disable those seemingly unmovable tags.
Tuesday

The nights of Masterchef

9.00pm Masterchef BBC1 - John Torode and Gregg Wallace return to search for the next Masterchef
Champion Continues tomorrow and Thursday.
9.00pm 15 Kids and Counting Channel 4 - Three-part documentary that explores the world of the UK's biggest families. The first programme meets two couples who can't stop having babies and ask why not. Noel and Sue Radford from Morecambe in Lancashire have 14 kids and are expecting baby number 15. Sue has spent half of her adult life pregnant and over the last 17 years has had a baby nearly every year.
9.00pm Coming Out Diaries BBC3 - Documentary following the conflicts and dilemmas faced by three young people as they navigate their way through telling their family and friends that they're gay or transgender. Natalie was born a boy, but now wants to dress and live fully as a girl. Her mum Arlene is reeling from the shock and is finding it difficult to accept that her 'son' is now her 'daughter'. Tori feels she was bullied at school for being a lesbian. She wants to come out to her new friends at beauty college so she can become closer to them, but she's terrified after her previous experiences, compounded by the fact that at beauty school all the treatments are intimate. Jamie hasn't told his uni course-mates that he was born a girl.
9.00pm Suits Dave - New US drama set in a Manhattan Law Office.
9.30pm Horizon: Playing God BBC2 - Adam Rutherford meets a new creature created by American scientists, the spider-goat. It is part goat, part spider, and its milk can be used to create artificial spider's web. It is part of a new field of research, synthetic biology, with a radical aim: to break down nature into spare parts so that we can rebuild it however we please. This technology is already being used to make bio-diesel to power cars. Other researchers are looking at how we might, one day, control human emotions by sending 'biological machines' into our brains.
10.35pm Crime Scene Forensics BBC1 - Documentary following the work of the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Police Scene of Crime Officers, providing a rare insight into how the experts use the very latest in forensic science techniques to bring some of the most dangerous criminals to justice.
Wednesday
8.00pm Benidorm ER Five - John from Widnes is diagnosed as having thrombosis, which may mean he needs his leg amputated. It is a tense couple of days as his condition is closely monitored. Leeane from Middlesbrough also has trouble with her leg, after being thrown from a bar's bucking bronco. Boyfriend Alex is concerned that it might affect their love life, but hires her a mobility scooter to get her around town. Pensioners Barbara and Nora have got their own scooters and go on a joyride.
9.00pm Britain in Bed BBC3 - Jessica Jane Clement presents a documentary which reveals how our attitudes towards, knowledge and experience of sex has changed and grown over the last 50 years. This entertaining rundown of the sexiest stories, headline-making scandals and key events shows how the nation's sexual behaviour has grown in confidence over the years.
9.00pm Jonathan Meades on France BBC4 - Three-part series in which Jonathan Meades scrutinises the 95 per cent of France that Brits drive through and don't notice en route to the 5 per cent that conforms to their expectation. In the opening episode Jonathan travels through Lorraine and explains why, although close to its eastern border, it has become the symbolic, or even mystical, heart of France and a stronghold of a romantic nationalism that is also expressed by such diverse means as typography, music, engineering, exquisite urbanism and, above all, a sensitivity to Germany's proximity.
9.30pm The Crusades: Holy War BBC2 -Three-part series Dr Thomas Asbridge presents his revelatory account of the Crusades, the 200-year war between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land.The story of the Crusades is remembered as a tale of religious fanaticism and unspeakable violence, but now fresh research, eyewitness testimony, and contemporary evidence from both the Christian and Islamic worlds shed new light on how these two great religions waged war in the name of God.
10.00pm My Secret Teens: Kate Thornton - Anorexic Five - The TV Presenter looks back on her experience of her eating disorder, and meets experts and other sufferers to gain an insight into the illness.
Thursday

Probing documentary on the Russian Leader

9.00pm Putin, Russia & The West BBC2 - Four-part series looking into the Russian President with contributions from his colleagues and people who know him best. The first film, Taking Control, starts with George W Bush meeting Putin in June 2001 and declaring how he looked Putin in the eye and ‘got a sense of his soul’. Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice recall their reactions to the discussions that happened behind closed doors, with Putin delivering a prophetic warning about Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Taliban. Three months later, 9/11 happened.
9.00pm Pole Dancing Diaries BBC3 - Documentary looking into the world of Pole Dancing and talking to the young women involved.
9.00pm Mad Dogs Sky1 - Second series of the comedy/drama that reunites Max Beesley, Philip Glenister, Marc Warren and John Simm.
9.00pm American Idol ITV2 - New series of the American singing competition with judges Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez. Continues tomorrow
10.00pm Gypsy Blood Channel 4 - True Stories Documentary examines the violent culture that some gypsy and traveller fathers hand on to their sons. Filmed over two years by award-winning photographer Leo Maguire, Gypsy Blood is an intimate portrait of two gypsy families, their fight for respect and the price they pay in cycles of revenge that can erupt into sudden and terrifying violence.
Friday

Frank Skinner hosts a new look Room 101

8.30pm Room 101 BBC1 - Frank Skinner hosts a revamped version of the popular series with guests Fern Britton, Robert Webb and Danny Baker.
8.30pm The Real Hustle BBC3 - The series on cons returns.

Be on TV: Contestants Wanted for Only Connect

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:16:07 PST

Victoria Coren presents the 6th series of the popular BBC Four quiz
show ONLY CONNECT where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance,not to be connected at all.

We’re looking for teams of three players who share a common
passion, ability or profession, to pool their combined wits to solve
fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
To request an application please email onlyconnect@presentable.co.uk. including a contact number.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 31st January 2012, so get them in as soon as possible.

If you applied for a previous series, but were unsuccessful, you are welcome to apply again for the new series. Auditions will be held in regional centres across the UK. All applicants must be aged 18+ and U.K. Residents.

2012 Preview: The new cast of Being Human

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:58:56 PST

BBC3's supernatural drama returns soon but the fourth series brings quite big changes to the series we've grown so fond of. Three key cast members will not be returning for this fourth series. Russell Tovey announced recently that he'd be leaving the show and Aiden Turner (another key to the show's great success) has decided not to return for series 4. This makes for distressing reading for any Being Human fan but when the new cast was announced we had faith a series like this had the resilience required to remain must-see viewing. Though changes in casts are always difficult for the viewer to adjust to they also throw up problems for the people who make the show. Creator Toby Whitehouse talks about the chance to see the departures as a opportunity for the series to revitalize itself.

"We saw Series 4 as an opportunity: we could invent new characters, expand the show in different directions, create new worlds and monsters and heroes, and add new layers to the overarching Being Human mythology. Suddenly Series 4 was a genuinely thrilling prospect.

But the essential DNA of show remains the same.

Though key characters have decided to leave the series (hang up their fangs and what have you) we've confidence in the producers and minds that have kept us interested over the last few years will manage to achieve the same with new faces.

Creator Toby Whitehorse certainly seems pleased the work of his new young cast. As ever, "Being Human lives or dies on the strength of the characters and the cast, and that’s why I think this series is our strongest yet.

Damien Molony joins the team as Hal. Hand on heart, I think he’s one of the most exciting and versatile actors of his generation. Watching his performance grow over the filming was a joy.

Then there’s Michael Socha. Promoted from semi-regular to lead. If you thought he was good in series 3, wait till you see what he does in series 4. Michael will break your heart this year."

Character Profiles

Fans who have watched since episode 1 back in 2007 will be happy to know not everything is going to be different. Lenora Crichlow will be one of the few Being Human regulars to return for the new run. With her friends gone Annie takes on the role as matriarch but finds she has the fate of the world in her hands. Lenora says "Annie has changed. She is forced to move on and forced to grow up. She’s also forced to be very maternal as she’s left holding the baby. It’s a huge arc for Annie yet again. Each series Annie, not through willing, more through necessity, has to really challenge herself which is always a good emphasis on growth. She also has new people in her home that she has to reassure, make comfortable and adjust to – so she’s kind of like mother hen this series, and a has a lot and lot of responsibility. Whereas before, and certainly in series one, it was much more like the others were responsible for her. By this series Annie’s sense of duty and responsibility is what drives her.

Last year's series saw Michael Socha (brother of Misfits star Lauren Socha) debut as werewolf Tom whose only goal in life is to kill vampires.Tom takes a more frontline role in the upcoming forth series learning to live more like a human and trying to put his past behind him Michael admits to being quite surprised when he was told of plans for series 4. When they first told me I was going to be a lead role in this series I couldn’t believe it! It was hard work but I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is my first big lead role and I absolutely love playing Tom...we’re both energetic and both absolute hate vampires. I’ve also never had the opportunity to play anything but a human, so now I’m a werewolf I feel I’ve been let loose. I can scream my head off whenever I like!

The newest arrival though is Hal played by Damien Molony. Hal has been a vampire for over 500 years and the temptation for blood and carnage still rules his every waking thought. Since meeting best friends Leo (a werewolf) and Pearl (a ghost) in 1955, Hal has managed to stay off the blood by sticking to a rigid structure and keeping away from all people. Coming to Honolulu Heights is a huge disruption for Hal. And he doesn’t cope well with disruption. At first, Hal – the stand-offish, posh vampire – and Tom – the common, feral werewolf – find themselves at loggerheads, but once a mutual respect is gained, we see this odd couple become close. Damien told the BBC more about how he secured the role as the newest member of the cast. I got the part when the casting director came to my drama centre showcase last February and she brought me in to read for the part of Hal. I was doing a play up in Leeds at the time so I was back and forth on the train the entire time. I met Michael at the recall and they put us together, up against a wall, to see what the two of us looked like together and I didn’t realise how short Michael was at the time! It took me back! I got a call from my agent 3 days later just before I was about to go on stage and she told me they had offered me the part!

The new series which will begin soon on BBC3 is comprised of eight episodes. Although it remains to be seen how the new series will gel without two of its main stars there's enough scope left in the premise of Being Human to make this fourth series just as exciting and interesting as the previous three. Roll on Series 4!

MORE ON THE SHOW

Buy Series 1-3 on DVD

Pics and interviews courtesy of the BBC.

Public Enemies: A masterclass in TV drama.

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:47:57 PST

I realised the other day it can be quite easy when you have a blog like this to treat it like a diary. I don’t keep a diary. It isn't socially acceptable for a man of my age to keep his deepest thoughts down in a little book with a special padlock but I do treat this site as a sort of diary. More often than not I feel more compelled to review something that hasn’t lived up to expectations or has just been plain awful rather than raving about something I enjoyed. That's the problem isn't it? It means the series I really enjoy don’t get the same sort of attention. This is partly because I don’t feel anything I can say about them will change how good they were and partly because if a piece of television has left me satisfied or fulfilled I’m happy enough not to write about it.
The recent BBC1 drama Public Enemies was good example of this. It was wonderful piece of drama from one of my favourite writers (Tony Marchant) and because I enjoyed it so thoroughly I didn’t feel if I was to write about it I could add anything constructive other than to sing its praises. Then I thought what’s wrong with singing the praises of something? Surely that’s the point! Surely if I enjoyed something I should sing its praises?! Of course I should! Either that or shout it rooftops but its cold and icy on rooftops this time of year so its far safer to shout and rave here.

Public Enemies got off to something of a rough start. I’m reffering to the last minute decision by the BBC to pull it on Tuesday night and play a Panorama on the Lawrence verdict instead. When it started, a day later than planned it was just as good as I’d hoped.

On the surface it sounded like a story we’d heard or seen before but as the story started to unfold it became clear we'd never seen a drama quite like this before. Tony Merchant’s script showed a side of post—prision life that TV viewers had previously been kept in the dark about. TV had previously taught me that the “free” prisioner leaves the gates behind, are met by a loved one and go on to lead a normal life. Oh no! That is far from the truth.
Daniel Mays was a triumph as convicted murderer Eddie Mottram. Mottram was convicted of the strangling of his young girlfriend. He has become eligible for parole and is set “free” to an outside world which has moved on in the five years he’s been gone. Eddie enters a world where everyone has an iPhone, his friends have more or less disowned him and an outside with more stringent rules than those he faced behind bars. It soon dawns on Eddie and the audience that he is far from free. As I say this was the side of the justice system that I’d never seen before in a TV drama and the execution was wonderful.

This was a whodunit but not as we know it. The more interesting aspects of the drama came as we saw Eddie struggling to build a new life, with a job and a girlfriend but being continually knocked back by the system that was designed to help him get back on his feet. As usual writer Tony Merchant didn’t stray away from the showing the realities that parolees face when they first step back into society and this was what made the drama so engrossing and engaging You knew you were in good hands. It was real, this wasn’t manufactured for the sake of drama. As an audience we immediately took to Daniel Mays character as he grew more and more angry and frustrated by the vicious cycle he found himself in.
We’re only a few weeks into the New Year and I’ve already seen a fair few trailers for films proclaiming the next Hollywood blockbuster to be “The Best of the Year!” So using them as my inspiration I’m going to proclaim Public Enemies “One of the Best Dramas of 2012!”
If it had a flaw (which I’m almost certain it didn’t) is that it ended a little too abruptly. The relationship between Eddie and parole officer Paula had just reached its peak when the final credits began to roll and I found myself yearning to know more. Then again that’s also a sign of just how engrossed by the characters and their story. Honestly when it comes to drama of this quality its hard to beat the BBC.

More on the Show
Our Interview with Aisling Loftus
Catch up on the IPlayer

Thecustard Chats with Celyn Jones of Above Suspicion

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:25:20 PST

Monday sees the return of Lynda La Plante's Above Suspicion. The fourth episode of the crime series based on the Anna Travis Novels is titled Silent Scream and sees Travis and Langton investigating the mysterious death of a an upcoming young actress. I spoke to Ceyln (who has played DS Paul Barolli since the series started in 2008) about what we can expect from the new series and the hazards of filming on the tube.

Above Suspicion is now on its fourth series (Three episodes will air starting this Monday) what do you think it has done so well?
Well first of all its Lynda. I think she's a huge key to its success. She is premier crime writer in this country and people love the stories that she tells. The stories are really gripping and there's some really interesting chemistry between the characters. People can relate to them they may have had a boss like Langton or come across a really head strong character like Travis they're identifiable.

Why do you think people are always so interested or gripped by crime drama?
We all love a good whodunit.There's something about going to work or school or college the next day and talking about their thoughts and ideas as to who it might be. So I think the strength of something like Above Suspicion is it get us talking and we all think we could do a better job than the cops and you can get bowled over by a twist in the plot

What can you tell us about the investigation in this series?
This crime is about celebrity. The crime in this is about somebody the public would never think had a problem, somebody who seemed to have it all and behind the mask we see they are very different.

Your character (DS Paul Barolli) is often shouted at or feels the brunt of Langton's anger. How would you explain his role within the team?
Yes he seems quite a popular character. I think he's popular because I think people have worked with a Paul or know a Paul. Yes he does get shouted at all the time. He may not to be as ambitious as everyone else but he is a reliable source. He does make jokes at the wrong time, he does rub Langton up the wrong way but he's an important character. He makes you smile and he's just a really genuine nice guy and the team can trust him. He's happier when all the team are together.

How do the team react when they learn they are going to be led by Langton again?
Langton is someone who gets the best out of his team but he's a hard taskmaster. From the moment I first see him in this he's on my case. I think the group really really love and respect him but in this one the team weren't expecting to see him and when he does we know its going to have consequences.

Also the failures from the case last year sort of come back to haunt everyone don't they what can you tell us about how that affects everyone and how that is weaved into the story?
Yes. Travis and Langton decided to bury what happened last time (not capturing the killer in Deadly Intent) so it means we have two big storylines this year. We've got the main murder case but there's the storyline with the group and it feels like a double whodunit In this one you really get to know these characters a lot more. Last year's ending was so audacious, it was a three hour drama chasing a killer that got away and that's Lynda all over.

What's the atmosphere like on set now that you've worked on four series? Do you feel you know each other really well and does that help your performances?
Yes its great. We have not just the same actors coming back but the same makeup designer, costume designer, a lot of the crew, the art department its always the same executive producer so every year you feel like you're coming back into the team which is great and I think it enhances the show because we've become more like our characters. Everyone trusts each other

What do you love and loathe on TV?
I love a good story. We talk about reality TV shows but really I think they're to do with story too. I will watch a talent show and be moved by it and carried along by it by the story. I won't phone and vote or buy an album but I'll watch it for the story. As far as drama I don't think you can do better than Mad Men I'm a huge fan of Paul Abbott's stuff, I loved Clocking Off I thought Clocking off was a wonderful bit of television. The Lakes was incredible, Jimmy Mcgovern is incredible with his stuff.

What was the funniest thing/strangest thing to happen during the filming?
We had to film a chase sequence so we took a skeleton crew of about nine people in this working tube station. It was like sort of gorilla film making we start filming these sequences where we're chasing the suspect through the station. So the public are milling around and commuters are coming in and out and more than once did a member of the public joined in and tried to apprehend the suspect! They got really annoyed when we told them actually we're just making some telly. We scared the life out of a bunch of international tourists. When you watch that sequence some of those reactions are real! When you're working on something that's supposed to be funny it can be quite serious because its all about timing, getting the jokes right but doing such a serious drama is usually the most fun you could possibly have.

Do you know of any plans for Above Suspicion 5?
Well they are adaptations of Lynda's Novels and I think there are two or three more of those and I know we're all up for it but I suppose its a case of timing and scheduling but we're hopeful.

And then maybe after all those are finished we can have a Paul Barolli spin-off?
Yeah I'm thinking Barolli Nights. Something for the mums a well mannered cop. The freest arms in showbiz. The actual cop in the tank top!

If that doesn't happen you need to pitch that to someone
Yes you and I are in that together!

Above Suspicion: Silent Scream starts Monday 9pm on ITV1.

Buy Above Suspicion on DVD

all pictures courtesy of ITVpictures

Eternal Law: The TV equivalent of a big blob of Marmite?

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:21:02 PST

Before you read this review there are two things you need to know. Firstly.I am always and I mean always exicted to get my teeth into a new drama series. And secondly I always want to like something new and fresh on TV. With those two things in my mind you may read ahead.
What to say about Eternal Law? This new 6-part fantasy/legal drama from the minds behind Ashes to Ashes presents the audience with a real conundrum. On one hand it could be seen as an interesting yet very quirky fish out of water story, or on the other hand it could be seen as a daft piece of TV fluff that was scraped through the commissioning process thanks to the successes of its two writers.

The series sees two angels fall to earth to work as lawyers and serve Humankind. You see its daft. To help the audience understand the concept of the main two characters being "not of this world" we get occasional shots of their huge white wings which can occasionally be seen behind our lawyers as if to compare them to a dog with an overexcited tail The story begins with our two heavenly helpers lying in a corn field in York and progresses as they try to get to grips with life below the clouds.

The main problem with Eternal Law is its just too silly to takes seriously, even though it takes itself far too seriously in places. .The acting is slightly wooden and it remains bonkers throughout. Our lead characters are too “dippy” to be treated with any real respect from the audience and the whole thing feels like an elaborated children’s series with bigger budget and in the case of the first episode, a sniper is thrown in to build up a tiny bit of excitement. The dialogue doesn’t really ever reach the heights you expect either “He’s not a very nice man is he?” Says one angel to another. “No he’s a delusional psychopath with breath like a dying warthog but he’s our dying warthog and we’ll do the best for him.”

I think Eternal Law will be marmite television. It will find an audience for those who are willing to stick with it to see where the writers are going but I think most people will be confused, belittled and uninterested in the plot or its characters to last past episode 1. As the story progresses we get more “greetings card” soppy dialogue and nothing new to keep us watching. I never want to dislike a new piece of drama and part of me applauds ITV for trying a new twist on the legal drama but this is a poorly executed piece of drama and perhaps what the word quirky was intended to be used for.

Pictures courtesy of ITVPICTURES

Thecustard Chats with Ruth Jones star of new Sky Comedy Stella

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:53:50 PST

This Friday sees the debut of a new Sky1 comedy. This new 10-part comedy series comes from the pen of Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey). Jones stars as Stella a 40-something mum who earns a living doing the locals' washing and ironing. And, most of the time, she's relatively happy with life as she juggles the ups and downs of her family, amid the chaos of her eccentric friends, relatives and children's fathers. Her brood consists of eldest son Luke (Craig Gallivan), a lovely boy who starts the series in prison; beautiful 16-year-old Emma (Catrin Stewart) who's smitten with her first love Sunil (Rory Girvan); and the brains of the family, 12-year-old Ben. We spoke to Ruth about what we can expect from the new series and life after Gavin & Stacey.

So can you tells where Stella came from what the inspiration for the series was?
Stuart Murphy, Head of Sky 1 used to be controller of BBC 3 so he commissioned Gavin and Stacey and I knew him from Nighty Night and Little Britain. Anyway, we'd always stayed in touch and when he went to Sky, he'd heard that my husband (David Peet) and I had set up our own production company and he wondered if we'd be interested in making a kind of "British Roseanne" with me playing the main woman in it. Originally he was thinking six half hours filmed in front of a studio audience... Well we went away and had a good think about it, and I started thinking about who this "British Roseanne" might be. No idea where the name Stella came from, it was pretty instant. And I thought about her life and I wanted her to be a woman my age (handy seein as I was going to play her!) whose life had taken a different direction from the one she thought she was going in when she got pregnant at 16. The more David and I talked about who Stella was, the more we realised it wasnt going to work in front of a studio audience, and that it felt like a 60 min comedy drama rather than a 30 min one studio sitcom (it's actually 46 minutes on Sky!). And it kind of went from there really. I really enjoyed working out who the people in Stella's life were. But it's no longer a British Roseanne I can safely say that.

How much of Stella is in you or based on your life?

A lot of the dialogue I get from eavesdropping! And there are certain details in the series are from real life. Like in episode one Stella gets into a fight with an old school friend - a woman she'd had a fight with outside the bouncy castle on a school trip to Doddington when she was a teenager. Well that's based on real experience... And the neighbours across the road, they have a horse which often goes in the house. My sister told me about a doctor friend of hers who'd done a house visit once, and there'd been a horse in the front room! I don't think Stella herself is based on me or on anyone I know. But there are elements of Stella in me - I often get the wrong end of the stick and can be a bit suspicious like her. I also love curry and my family. Though not altogether ie not a curry made from my family. I'm really glad it was set in Wales now. It's set in the valleys and although I'm not from there (I'm a Porthcawl girl) - I have friends from there, and I love the rhythms of the accent and the melodrama and the way people are with each other. Originally, David and I thought about setting it in Bristol to get away from the Gavin and Stacey/South Wales thing. But I soon realised that Wales is what I know, so why try writing about something I know nothing about? I'll leave that to Bristolian writers.

How would you describe the tone of the comedy?

It's a lighthearted comedy drama I guess. Very warm - y'know me and my love of warmth ha ha and observational.! The people in Stella's world tend to just get on with life - it's not massively plot driven and there aren't any essentially evil people in there. There's an 'event' in each episode and an over-riding storyline which spans the ten episodes when something from Stella's past comes back into her life and knocks her off kilter!

Stella is a mother who lives for her family. Is she happy?
I don't think she ever has time to ask herself that! - she's a lioness of a mother - she'd do anything for her kids. Her eldest son Luke (!!) is in prison at the start of the series, and her other two Emma 16 and Ben 12 are still in school. Stella is really keen for Emma to do her GCSEs and maybe do things that Stella herself didn't do with her life. But things don't always turn out as we want or expect them to. And because her kids mean so much to her, and because she's not got loads of money, Stella tends to forget about herself and how she looks. She's seldom out of her lovely array of rugby tops and her roots are in serious need of dyeing! But out of the blue someone shows a bit of interest in her and this sends her into a right spin. I guess the story of the series is this blossoming of Stella as a woman in her early forties.

When you wrote Gavin & Stacey you had James Corden as a writing partner and I know you’ve written episodes of the Chase and Fat Friends did you find it daunting writing ten half hours on your own?
Well they're ten Sky hours (46 mins) and I didn't write them all on my own... Basically I wrote episode 1 and then David and I got together with our script executive Rob Gittins and we came up with the storylines for the rest of the series. We then got other writers involved. So I wrote eps 1, 2, 6 and 10 and co- wrote ep 4 with Rob Evans and ep 7 with Rob Gittins. Ep 3 was written by Rob Evans, ep 5 by Steve Speirs (who also plays hapless lollypop man Alan) and eps 8 and 9 were written by Ben Edwards and Simon Ludders. It was a great bit of teamwork I reckon!

Did you feel the pressure writing something new after the success of your other work?
Yes I'd be lying if I said there was no pressure. But what d'you do - do you just go "oh I'd better not try writing something else in case it's not as good"? people are bound to make comparisons and that's fine. I'm not saying Stella will be another Gavin and Stacey. Gavin and Stacey was Gavin and Stacey, Stella is Stella. Some people will like it, some won't. All I know is, we loved making it!

What can you tell us about the people around Stella? Did you have any input on the casting??

Yes we were really involved in the casting and it was such an enjoyable part of the process! The cast are fantastic. We're so proud of them and the world they've created.

What do you hope for with Stella?

I just want this series to go out and for people to enjoy it... It's been a joy to make and if there's any more then that's a bonus but if not, then I think the series ends in quite a good place.

I couldn’t speak to you and not ask you about Gavin & Stacey I might be burned at the stake if I ignored it. You’ve been coy about the Christmas Special and possibly a Musical of the series. Is anything on firm ground yet? What can you tell us about its possible return?
Well it's what we've always always said. We'll do a special but not a series. But because of time pressures I can't see us doing a special this year - James is off to the States for a few months and I've got other writing projects that are underway... but maybe next year? As for the musical, I really enjoyed me and James just doing a spur of the moment off the cuff thing, making up a song for G and S the musical! I think in fact it WOULD work on stage, but again, when would we have time to write it? I dunno... we'll see. I watched some of the last series the other day. I'd never seen it go out on telly cos i was on holiday when it first transmitted. It was lovely watching it with a bit of distance. I felt quite emotional seeing it again, and remembering some of the lines. Dave Coaches - what a star.

What has been your biggest surprise since the huge success of the series?
I'm continually amazed at how people still talk about it. I guess that's largely down to the fact that it gets repeated on Dave and channels like that. But it's a huge compliment. And I'm just really touched by how much people enjoy it!

What do you love and loathe on Television?
Am not nor never have been that much of an X factor fan or Strictly. Though I did like the first series of the Skating one.. But I've ADORED Downton Abbey, and am really into Enlightened at the moment on Sky Atlantic. I really got into The Cafe and Mount Pleasant and also Miranda is genius. I'm really looking forward to the return of Grandma's House, - I love Him and Her and also where would we be without Modern Family? Oh and I do hope there's going to be more Mad Men!

What are you working on at the moment?

Well I'm developing more scripts for a second series of Stella in case they want more - though we won't know until end of jan when a few episodes have gone out...

Stella begins Friday 6th January at 9pm on Sky1

The TVWEEK: Saturday 7th January - Friday 13th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:33:59 PST

Saturday

The dating show returns

6.35pm The Magicians BBC1 - The magic entertainment show returns for a second series. The first show sees magicians Barry and Stuart paired with stars of Outnumbered, Tyger Drew-Honey and Daniel Roche; World Champion of Magic, Latimer, with Strictly Come Dancing's Flavia Cacace; and comedy magician Pete Firman is joined by Coronation Street and Boyzone's Keith Duffy.
7.30pm Take Me Out ITV - Paddy McGuinnes hosts a third series of the Dating series.
8.30pm Take Me Out: The Gossip ITV2 - Accompanying behind the scenes series fronted by Zoe Hardman and TOWIE star Mark Wright.
8.30pm The Talent Show Story ITV - Five-part series which examines the history of the talent show on British TV, with comments by those who were there - from early shows like Opportunity Knocks and New Faces to the global phenomenon of blockbusters like Pop Idol, The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent. The first episode features how Susan Boyle came to epitomise the talent show dream, how Will v Gareth held the nation spellbound, and how Popstars ushered in a new era. Judge Nina Myskow reveals how she feels now about her cutting comments on New Faces 26 years ago. There is also a tribute to the late Marti Caine, who won New Faces in 1975 and returned to host the show in the 1980s. Many of the key players are interviewed: Simon Cowell, Ant and Dec, Susan Boyle, Gary Barlow, Piers Morgan, Tony Hatch, Dermot O'Leary, Nina Myskow, Nigel Lythgoe, Amanda Holden, Lenny Henry, Alexandra Burke, Dannii Minogue, Gareth Gates, Louis Walsh, JLS, Kelly Rowland, and One Direction. Narrated by Victoria Wood.

New Danish Drama Borgen begins.

9.00pm Borgen BBC4 - Danish drama series about the fight for political power - and the personal sacrifices and consequences this has for those involved on and behind the political stage.
9.00pm Cloudstreet Sky Atlantic - Australian drama based on a novel from Tim Winton. Two unconnected families are beset by tragedy, leading them to make new lives under the same roof.
9.30pm The Jonathan Ross Show ITV - The chat show returns with comedian John Bishop, Professor Brian Cox and Music from Lana Del Ray.
Sunday
6.30pm Dancing on Ice ITV - Phillip Schofield and Christine Bleakley present a brand new series as 15 celebrities take to the ice in a bid to be crowned Dancing on Ice Champion 2012. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean return as mentors to put the celebrities through their paces, and the standard will be higher than ever with tougher and more spectacular routines to test them over the next 12 weeks. Robin Cousins is joined in this series by two new judges - dance choreographer Louie Spence, and Olympic skating legend Katarina Witt. The first group of skaters perform tonight with the phone lines open for viewers to vote for their favourite. Continues at 9.30pm

The Family drama in Africa returns for a new series.

8.30pm Wild at Heart ITV - Return of the drama series that follows a British Vet working in Africa.
9.00pm To Boldly Go... BBC2 - Doctor Kevin Fong sets out to discover how unsuited human biology is to living on much of the planet - and how we have developed the technology to let us survive there. The first programme deals with surviving under water.
10.00pm That Sunday Show ITV - The topical news series fronted by Adrian Chiles returns with guests Ross Noble and Gemma Collins
10.00pm Desperate Housewives E4 - Eighth series of the American comedy/drama.
Monday
7.00pm The Career Crashers BBC3 Series following the journey of the four characters from the BBC series Up for Hire in more detail.
8.00pm The Great Train Robbery's Missing Mastermind? Channel 4 - The Great Train Robbery of 8 August 1963 has passed into legend as the greatest heist of the 20th century. A gang of professional robbers made history when they held up a mail train, seizing a record-breaking haul of £2.6 million. But for nearly 50 years, one key question has remained unanswered: who tipped off the robbers about the millions on board the train? Was there an inside man within the Post Office who masterminded the raid and helped the robbers plan the crime? In a time overshadowed by scandal and espionage, it seemed as if no one could be trusted. Robbers Bruce Reynolds, Ronnie Biggs and Buster Edwards became icons as they were tracked down one-by-one. But no insider was ever brought to justice.

Jasper Carrott Returns to the BBC

8.30pm The One Jasper Carrott BBC1 - Jasper Carrott returns to the BBC after thirteen years for a comedy special of brand new stand-up material, together with a reprisal of The Detectives with Robert Powell.A sketch with his daughter, The Office star Lucy Davies.
9.00pm The Hunt for Higgs: A Horizon Special BBC2 - Horizon goes behind the scenes at CERN to follow of one of the most epic and expensive scientific quests of all time: the search for the Higgs particle, which is believed to give mass to everything in our universe

Lynda La Plante's crime series returns

9.00pm Above Suspicion: Silent Scream ITV - Forth 3-part series of the crime drama from Lynda La Plante. DI Travis and her team investigate the mysterious death of young film star Amanda Delany.
9.00pm Coppers Channel 4 - The acclaimed documentary series that follows different branches of the police at work returns with a first programme featuring the plain-clothes officers of CID
9.00pm How Sex Works BBC3 - Falling in love and having sex for the first time are milestones which people never forget. The first episode of this series accompanies young adults as they navigate this sexual territory for the first time and uncovers what's going on in our minds and bodies on the road to losing our virginity. Using CGI and computer graphics to travel inside the human body, it explores the physiological, neurological and psychological changes that happen before, during and after sex.
9.00pm Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings BBC4 - Three-part series in which Dr Janina Ramirez unlocks the secrets of illuminated manuscripts that were custom-made for kings and explores the medieval world they reveal.
9.00pm America's Next Top Model: All-Stars Sky Living - Cycle 17 kicks off as 14 former ANTM contestants return to battle it out for the title that previously eluded them. Nicki Minaj is this week's guest judge.

Shmeless returns with a 2-part episode

10.00pm Shameless Channel 4 - The comedy/drama returns for a ninth series beginning with a two-part story that concludes on Tuesday. Chatsworth Estate is in a time of darkest austerity. The Gallaghers and half the estate are evicted as part of Operation New Start - a multi-agency crackdown on the benefits culture of those in social housing, led by Carmen Kenaway and her toxic sidekick, Feeney. Jamie and Karen are thrust into the roles of guardians of the estate when evictees turn to them for help. While things look bleak for the majority, all is bright for Jackson, who is now a fully qualified teacher. But his pompous judgement of others and his support of Operation New Start is an embarrassment to Avril. Carl is just days away from qualifying as a policeman, but Frank's disapproval threatens his graduation. But worse than this - Frank needs glasses.

10.00pm When Paddy Met Sally Five - Following on from their time in the Celebrity Big Brother House Sally Bercow, wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons, experiences life in close proximity with Paddy Doherty, former Celebrity Big Brother contestant and bare-knuckle fighter. Sally moves in with Paddy for two weeks to experience every aspect of a traveller's life. With Paddy in charge the first week, Sally will have to fully immerse herself into his customs and traditions

New Documentary series Bizarre Crime

10.30pm Bizarre Crime BBC3 - Documentary series telling the stories of some of the UK's oddest offences through interviews with the police, victims and criminals. This episode includes the tale of two drunk Dubliners who stole a trawler to get back to Ireland after missing the last ferry home from Holyhead; the case of a man whose day trip from Wales to Skegness involved a drink and drug-fuelled raid on a sex shop, which culminated in him stealing a mannequin after he took a liking to the French maid's outfit it was wearing; and how the theft of a giant tortoise from a Cornish pet sanctuary sparked a nationwide media campaign.

10.35pm Have I Got a Bit More 2011 News For You? BBC1 - Extended compilation of the series.

Tuesday

8.00pm The Great Sport Relief Bake Off BBC2 - The first heat of The Great Sport Relief Bake Off sees four well-known faces don their aprons in this charity special hosted by Mel Giedroyc. Baking for Sport Relief in this heat are Actress Sarah Hadland, TV Gardener Joe Swift, Botanist and Broadcaster James Wong and Actress Angela Griffin Continues tomorrow, Concludes Thursday.

ITV's new gameshow set in a maze

8.00pm The Exit List ITV - Matt Allwright presents a new game show in which knowledge and a cool head are essential as contestants face a series of nerve-wracking challenges. The competitors descend into a giant 24-room maze and they must try to memorise the answers to the questions they are given in every room. If they manage to remember their entire Exit List of answers, they can escape the maze with a cash prize of up to £200,000. Each correctly answered multiple-choice question gives them a single answer to remember for their list. But if they get a question wrong, they will need to remember all four possible answers, which makes their list longer and finding their way out with all the money they have earned even harder.

9.00pm DIY SOS: The Big Build BBC1 - Nick Knowles and the team as they travel to Chesterfield to help Lisa and Richard Watson and their young family. Their daughter Madison was born with a heart defect and a rare eating disorder that requires 24-hour care from Lisa. Richard is a builder who began an extension to their home to accommodate his expanding family. But even though he's been working up to 18 hours a day, he has been unable to get any further than the shell of the new rooms. The situation is putting an immense strain on the family. The support Nick Knowles and the team receive from the building trade and local community is as strong as ever, but it is a big build to fit into ten days.

The Dickens Novel comes to life.

9.00pm The Mystery of Edwin Drood BBC2 - Two-part period drama adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens. Opium addict and choirmaster John Jasper has vivid dreams of killing his beloved nephew Edwin Drood and stealing his fiancee Rosa. When two exotic strangers arrive in town, Jasper's dark desires take shape and his life will never be the same again. Concludes tomorrow

9.00pm Inside Nature's Giants Channel 4 - Mark Evans and Joy Reidenberg travel to South Africa to dissect the first primate in the series: a huge alpha male baboon that led a band of baboons on a rampage through a Cape Town suburb until the authorities were forced to euthanise him as he grew increasingly violent. Intricate dissection of muscles and tendons reveals how remarkably similar human and baboon hands are. Meanwhile Simon Watt discovers how these primates have adapted to survive in the suburbs of their fellow primates.

9.00pm Websex: What's the Harm? BBC3 - Nathalie Emmanuel investigates how the internet is changing the sex lives of 16-24 year-olds across Britain. Nathalie meets young people who rely on social networking sites, the latest mobile technology and webcams. For the first time she reveals figures from an academic study which shows how many people have taken their sex lives online, and exactly what they're doing.

9.00pm The Story of Musicals BBC4 - Series which tells how the British musical became a driving force behind musical theatre around the world - a tale of titanic shows, phenomenal daring, epic rivalries, prodigious talent and gargantuan fortunes, all set in just a single square mile. This episode charts how British musical talent in the 1980s stormed the West End with hits like Cats, Les Miserables, Blood Brothers and Phantom of the Opera. There are accounts from the individuals whose tenacity and creativity ensured these shows became hits despite often precarious beginnings, plus a look at how the shows of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh became global phenomena, securing Britain's reputation as the powerhouse of musical theatre.

9.00pm Unforgettable Sky Living - US crime drama following a former detective with a flawless memory who can remember every moment from her life... other than the details of her sister's murder.

10.35pm Burglar in the House BBC1 - Every two minutes a house in Britain is burgled, and for years Nottingham has suffered the highest burglary rates in the UK. But the city's police are fighting back, and are now capturing the burglars on camera. They are installing hidden minicams inside ordinary homes, which record the thieves in action. They call them 'capture houses', Nottingham's new weapon in the fight against crime. But is this new technology as reliable as the police think? And should the police be allowed to set traps for burglars? Part of the Modern Crime season, this documentary takes viewers to the frontline of a surburban crime-wave, witnessing first-hand the cat-and-mouse battle currently being played out across Nottingham. The film shows heart-stopping footage of burglars breaking into homes, and follows the intelligence and burglary teams as they hunt the burglars down. And cameras are there in the interview room as the burglar is shown the damning footage.

Wednesday

7.30pm The Unforgettable: Leslie Crowther ITV

8.00pm Midsomer Murders ITV - A row between keen birdwatchers in Midsomer-in-the-Marsh turns nasty when their president is killed. Patrick Morgan met his death while hoping to sight a rare bird, but is his obsession with ornithology to blame - or something more sinister? Barnaby and Jones attempt to discover the truth.

8.00pm Benidorm Five - Documentary series following holidaymakers in the Spanish seaside town.

9.00pm Confessions of a Sex Addict BBC3 - Jeff Leach is the archetypal ladies' man - ask him what the most important thing in the world is and he'll say women. His innate charisma has made him a stand-up comedy sensation, but he is equally talented off stage. He has got stats to back it up too - at just 27 he has slept with nearly 300 women and has even kept a list of every single one of them. But now he wants to settle down. This documentary sees Jeff taking a long-overdue look at his sexual exploits. Asking for help from the plethora of exes who have helped him build this Don Juan reputation, he tries to understand what it is that keeps him notching his bedpost and why can't he be a one-woman man

10.00pm How to Be a Good Mother with Sharon Horgan Channel 4 - Award-winning writer and actress Sharon Horgan is a mother of two girls. Like most mums, she wonders if she is bringing up her kids in the best way. In this documentary, Sharon meets six mothers who are convinced they are getting it right, even if their methods are unusual or off-the-scale strange. Like the mother who doesn't believe in nappies or the ex-stuntwoman who thinks we've all brainwashed our kids into being scaredy cats, and a mum who is 'in love with placentas'. Sharon is a warm and funny guide to one of the most contentious subjects out there: how to be a good mother.

10.00pm Kym Marsh: Teen Mums & Me Five - The former popstar and Coronation Street Star looks at the realities for teenage mothers in the UK today.

Thursday

9.00pm Unfinished Masterpieces with Alastair Sooke BBC2 - Alastair Sooke explores the mysterious appeal of unfinished works of art. From Dickens's unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Jane Austen's Sanditon and Coleridge's Kubla Khan, he talks to those who have attempted to finish these literary enigmas and those who believe that any such task is impossible.

9.00pm Cherry Healy: Like a Virgin BBC3 - Cherry Healey wants to find out if that one simple little act really does have a lasting impact. From a girl's first time in the back of a Fiat Panda to a guy who has popped his cherry three times, Cherry looks for essential truths amongst the tales of sex and debauchery to see if losing your virginity is about more than just having sex for the first time.

9.00pm Body of Proof Alibi - Dana Delaney Stars in this US forensics mystery as a crimebusting former brain surgeon. A millionaire is accused of shooting his wife while out hunting deer.

10.00pm My Daughter The Teenage Nudist Channel 4 - Mollie and Alex are part of a growing group of teens and twentysomethings who are embracing the world of public nudity - a contemporary phenomenon that's been driven by Facebook as well as niche websites like The Naked Tea Party. They are on a quest to normalise nudity, question the media's obsession with the body beautiful, and encourage other young people to liberate themselves by simply going naked - in the streets, cafès or at art shows. The new nudists are keen to take the nudist lifestyle beyond the old fashioned naturist clubs.
Friday
7.00pm Top Gear USA BBC3 - The American version of the BBC's popular motoring series.
9.00pm Maggie: The First Lady ITV3 - Revealing four-part examination of the personal and political life of Margaret Thatcher, here beginning with her birth above her father's grocer's shop in Grantham in 1925 and ending with her election as MP for Finchley in 1959 - along the way meeting and marrying Denis Thatcher.

9.00pm Earth: Milton Jones Live Universe Tour Dave - Perrier award-winning Milton Jones performs his distinctly quirky brand of quick-fire stand-up at the Arts Theatre in London.

Thecustard Chats with rising star Aisling Loftus about her role in Public Enemies

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:15:43 PST

Despite the BBC's last minute schedule changes Tony Marchant's gritty new three-parter Public Enemies debuts tonight. The story revolves around Eddie Motrum a convicted murderer who does his best to adjust to life in the outside world but finds himself unprepared for the way the world will treat him and unfairly treated by the system designed to help and protect him.
We recently spoke to Aisling Loftus (The Borrowers, Five Daughters) about her role in the series to find out what it was like to work on such an emotional piece of hard hitting drama.
Upon his release Eddie applies for work at a garden centre and lands the job working alongside feisty and warm Jade who imeditately hits it off with Eddie despite being completely in the dark about his background. Aisling told us more about her role.

Can you tell us a bit about how you got the part, what attracted you to the piece and how you were saw Jade when you read the script?
I thought the script was brilliant. I completely believed in Eddie and fell for him, first read. I didn't know anything really about the rehabilitation system and the way Tony has shown it in this drama was quite a shock. it's so pessimistic and difficult to succeed in. I really like his writing and really rate dearbhla Walsh so it was a bit of a dream to be involved.

When they first meet Jade tries to be sociable with Eddie offering to take him down the pub or go clubbing to which he refuses and they get off to a rocky start what are Jade’s first impressions of Eddie?I think Jade simply fancies him when she meets him- he's a bit cagey and whatever but she buys that he's just shy. it's endearing. he's an older guy too so she doesn't expect it to be easy and teenage.

What is it that attracts Jade to Eddie as you know so little about him?He's sweet and gentle and not the average testosteroney guy. Knowing little about him is another pull- he's won't lay all his cards on the table, he's a bit mysterious.

When Jade notices Paula visiting the Garden Centre a lot Eddie is forced to lie and say he held a petrol station at gun point this doesn’t seem to phase Jade at all. Is she somewhat attracted by a “Bad Boy” image?I think she probably knocked about with a few 'bad lads' as she's grown up- it's not a shock to her that he's been in trouble with the police- she's not sheltered. I think shes strong on what she won't stand though- she wouldn't be with a thug- a scrapper or worse. what Eddie says he did she can handle.

Although Jade isn’t aware of the seriousness behind Eddie’s real crime she seems un-phased by him living in a hostel or missing a curfew. Do  you think this is naivety on her part or is she really falling in love with him?
I think she sees him for what he is and that's a good person. she's definetly falling for him

What is Jade's reaction when she learns of Eddie's past?It breaks her heart because he lied in such a big way Which throws anything he's said to her into doubt. If he'd told the truth from the start shed probably have stuck with him which I guess is the saddest bit. I suppose she is a little frightened of the person it seems he might be.

Did you find Jade an easy character to relate to?In part. She's a very positive person and up for a laugh. She's like A bit of sunshine. but I don't know if I could be so nonjudgmental- if I heard someone had been to prison, though its shameful to say it, I'd think twice about them as boyfriend material.

Public Enemies is a very taut and emotional piece of TV drama what was the atmosphere like on set?From the off it was clearly something really good and rare and so everyone wanted it to be as good as it's potential. Danny was in all day every day and was very focussed and tuned into Eddie. it was one of my favourite jobs to work on.

You’ve been on TV quite a bit in recent months what with The Borrowers and Public Enemies airing so close together. Are you being recognized  more?I guess but not in a big way or anything.

You’re no stranger to gritty emotional dramas. You’ve starred in Dive and the wonderful Five Daughters do you prefer to work in drama?I prefer to do things I rate as an audience member really- be it drama or comedy or whatever.  I'm doing a comedy called noises off at the old vic at the moment. I love it, it's just a different way of doing the same things it's all telling stories.

What do you look for in a script?just a good story really or a character with something a bit different about them if the story is pretty run of the mill. I don't know really.

What do you love and loathe on TV?This year my favourite things were Top Boy and Black Mirror. particularly the 3rd episode. completely original and painful and tragic. Toby Kebbel was phenomenal. I hate things like strictly and game shows and stuff just find them really boring.

What else are you working on at the moment or can we look forward to  seeing you in the future?
I did a bit in a series called 'savage' which will be on spring time on the bbc. I couldn't do much on account of noises off but what I did do I really loved- warren brown is the lead and he's absolutely awesome. can't wait to see the whole thing.

You can catch Public Enemies at 9pm Wednesday 5th January - Friday 7th January on BBC1

More on Aisling
Buy the Borrowers 2011 on DVD
Follow her on Twitter

Dancing on Ice: The Class of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:01:46 PST

This Sunday sees a new batch of semi well known faces and vaguely well known names strap on their skates and take to the ice. Dancing on Ice has been the surprise of ITV1's winter weekend schedules for a while now and even you're not the biggest fan of Lycra, celebrity dancers or series with panto style judges then maybe the fact that one of those vaguely familiar faces may break an ankle, cheekbone or neck may be enough reason for you tune in.

So who are we going to see on the ice in 2012?

NAME: Jennifer Ellison
AGE: 28
KNOWN FOR: Her role in Brookside and not irritating Gordon Ramsay on Hell's Kitchen.

NAME: Chesney Hawkes
AGE: 40
KNOWN FOR: #1 The One & Only in the 90's

NAME: Jorgie Porter
AGE: 24
KNOWN FOR: Her role on Hollyoaks

NAME: Matthew Wolfenden

AGE: 32

KNOWN FOR: His role as David Metcalfe on Emmerdale

NAME: Heidi Range

AGE: 28

KNOWN FOR: Being one of the revolving members of girlgroup The Sugababes.

NAME: Andrew Whyment
AGE: 30
KNOWN FOR: His role on Coronation Street and The Royle Family.

NAME: Rosemary Conley
AGE: 64
KNOWN FOR: Fitness and Diet Guru

NAME: Sébastien Foucan
AGE: 37
KNOWN FOR: "The Father" of Free Running and stuntman.

NAME: Chemmy Alcott

AGE 29

KNOWN FOR: Alpine skiing

NAME: Corey Feldman

AGE: 40

KNOWN FOR: American Child star from The Goonies and his troubles with alcohol and drugs.

NAME: Laila Morse

AGE: 66

KNOWN FOR: Playing "Big" Mo Harris/Slater on EastEnders

NAME: Andy Akinwolere

AGE: 29

KNOWN FOR: Presenting Blue Peter.

NAME: Charlene Tilton

AGE: 53

KNOWN FOR: Her role as Lucy Ewing on American series Dallas.

NAME: Mark Rhodes

AGE: 31

KNOWN FOR: TV presenting, appearing on Pop Idol as one half of Sam & Mark.

The seventh series of Dancing on Ice begins at 6.30pm on Sunday 8th January on ITV1.

Christmas Comedy: Not a laughing matter.

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:49:20 PST

Let’s get something straight. Comedy has gone downhill. That last sentence is hardly a surprise I know, but this Christmas showcased some of the worst comedy I think I’ve seen for years. Rumour has it that Auntie Beeb had originally planned to schedule David Jason’s new comedy The Royal Bodyguard on Christmas night, but when they discovered it would be up against a festive trip to Downton Abbey the schedulers panicked a bit and pushed it back. The truth is that even with the nation’s beloved Jason at the helm, the Royal Bodyguard should’ve never been allowed to grace our screens at all. Let alone be given such a prime time slot over the Christmas season. The whole first episode was laughable (and that’s not laughable in the comedy sense but laughable in the “dear god make it stop!” sense). The script was about as cliché as it is possible for a sitcom to be and seeing 71 year old Jason falling through ceilings and clinging on to a horse at it careened out of control was just one unbelievable parts of this dismal half hour that asked the audience to suspend reality far too much for the sake of one measly and predictable joke after another. In short I hated most everything about The Royal Bodyguard. The whole premise was flawed. Seeing David Jason prance around like an older version of Johnny English and being demeaned by such a poor script was almost too much for a huge Only Fools & Horses fan to cope with. David Jason is many things, at his age though its hard to find the slapstick “humour” that the Royal Bodyguard relied on believable. Don't get we wrong here, I wasn't expecting this to be David Jason's next big comedic success but I was stunned that such a well known and respected actor would say OK to something of this quality. It gives me little hope that the folks in the BBC comedy department know what the audience want or expect when we watch a comedy. It’s easy to pull the audience with big and likeable names attached but we want and deserve so much more than this below par, outdated and ridiculous fares of a series. Its further proof that drawing the well known faces don’t automatically transfer into unmissable television.

Another such disappointment came with the return of Absolutely Fabulous which it is fair to say never got close to living up to the words in in the tile with its two festive outings. Bringing back an old favourite has long been a Christmas tradition and this has resulted in some of the greatest sitcoms of the modern age like Only Fools & Horses and The Royle Family delivering below standard specials that only seem to sully the name of the original series. With Craig Cash and Caroline Aherne apparently missing the script deadline for this year’s Christmas Special the Beeb called on Jennifer Saunders to resurrect her 90’s series. When the specials (they will be another one the week of the Olympics) even the die hard Abfab fans were questioning the sense of resurrecting a series which had long been past its best but they crossed their fingers that Saunders would deliver the sort of quality that made the series such a success in the beginning. Sadly though, the specials were the disappointment fans had feared and critics had perhaps come to expect.

The only people who seemed to relish the return of Patsy and Edina were those in the studio audience when the shows were recorded. Every other line resulted in raucous laughter from the seeming delirious studio audience who even broke into spontaneous applause when Joanna Lumley first appeared in all her Patsy get up. The truth is that the episodes never even raised a smile for me and the whole thing again served to tarnish the memory of this once great comedy series. Everything seemed too forced and it seemed as the world had moved on without Absolutely Fabulous and it hadn’t realized. The characters had gone from recognizable people to sad characters of themselves. I spent the first painful half hour reisting the strongest urge to reach into the screen and wallop Jane Horrock’s Bubble who was the most irritating creature throughout the whole thing. The episodes seemed rushed and silly and I realized I’d only watched them because I was hoping they’d be good. Why don’t I seem to learn? I’m suckered in every Christmas and left bitterly disappointed every year. I am a realist though and I have doubt the same will happen Christmas 2012. So here's where you the reading public come in. When I start to get excited about the upcoming return of whatever series is resurrected for 2012 just remind me of the bitter disappointment I displayed in this review and the 90 minuets that would have been better spent roasting chestnuts over an open fire. Thank you.

What did you make of the BBC's Comedy output this Christmas? Let me know below or get in touch through Twitter

BBC1 releases a taste of 2012 Drama

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:23:29 PST

Yes the BBC have a released a nice taster of what we can expect in drama in 2012. Those featured include the 1950's midwifery series Call the Midwife, The upcoming return of Sherlock (Read teasers for episode 1 HERE) As well as the return of Upstairs, Downstairs and exciting new period piece Songbird.

For more information on upcoming TV series you can visit the Coming Up page.

Sherlock: Series 2 - Episode 1 teasers

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:48:00 PST

New Year's Day sees the return of BBC1's Sherlock with Holmes and Watson returning for three 90min episodes. These ten teasers of the first episode will not spoil enjoyment of the episode but might just wet your appetite of what's to come. If you don't want to know anything about the opener then we'll say goodbye now.

Here are our teasers for the first episode A Scandal in Belgravia

1) The series does pick up from 2009's cliffhanger with Sherlock holding Moriarty at gun point in an abandoned swimming pool.

2) Sherlock has become an internet sensation with John's Blog becoming a huge success.

3) The boys are allowed to pick their cases.

4) Sherlock wears a sheet to Buckingham Palace

5) John punches Sherlock in the face.

6) Sherlock looses his magic touch around a naked woman

7) Watson is held at gunpoint again.

8) There's an interesting Matrix style fight scene in slow motion

9) Sherlock gets a personalized text alert noise.

10) Mrs. Hudson hosts a Christmas party that sees Sherlock put his foot in it with admirer Molly Hooper.

Based on the opening episode the second series of Sherlock good shape up to be better than the first. The chemistry we've come to love between Holmes and Watson is seemingly stronger than ever. A Scandal in Belgravia is exciting and thrilling and just what Sherlock fans have been waiting for. Steven Moffat's script is faultless and proves that the two year wait for this new installment has been worth it. Its exciting enough to have it back on our screens to be honest.
You can catch Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia on New Year's Day at 8.10pm on BBC1

Order Series 2 on DVD

A Christmas Wish List/New Year Resolutions for TV

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:37:41 PST

TV commissioners and programmers take note!

At this time of year we reflect on times past and events that have shaken the world. But I’ve got my eyes on something more important: what’s been on the tellybox and what I’d change for 2012.

And so, as a Christmas gift to you, I present my wish list/ TV New Year Resolutions, depending on when you come across the article.

1) More, not less, reality TV

Bear with me: to many, the reality show represents all that is wrong with the Idiot Box. It’s cheap, it’s unoriginal and it’s rarely good for the soul, but I want to present my case.

I’m not a fan of TOWIE, Desperate Scousewives or Made in Chelsea. I’d like to argue for the unstructured reality show, showing real life from the viewpoint of the don’t-wannabes: more of shows like Channel 4’s Educating Essex and 24 hours in A & E. These show us the lives of the real heroes; people who are bringing up our children and patching up the unfortunates who are stricken by accidents and brought down by illness. I’d like to see a reality show covering Firefighters and perhaps a look inside the world of a vicar.

2) More awareness of how programming affects minorities

I’ve written before about my love of Channel 4’s programming and this year saw the introduction of slightly more niche shows in Seven Dwarves and My Transsexual Summer (MTS). Whilst I know both communities had issues with the shows, with Seven Dwarves erring on making comedy from their protagonists’ short stature and MTS being attacked for use of unthoughtful terms like ‘the T word’, I feel that bringing these communities into the limelight was a step forward.

Compare Seven Dwarves with Life’s Too Short: a series which was variously criticised for over-reliance on Warwick Davis’ size for comedy and for making-over Davis as simply a smaller version of Gervais and you’ve got a more human portrayal, rather than one-sided characters who happen to be short.

I’m also troubled by the portrayal of Eastender’s Jean Slater, a character with bipolar. When Jean is well she’s a great, well-rounded, comic character. When she’s unwell her illness becomes her character and she’s an opportunity to laugh at the mentally ill. Whilst I’m heartened by the other characters’ approach to her (not wanting to hide her away in an institution or bully her for her illness), I feel that this representation of bipolar disorder is characteristically sensational and lacking nuance.

3) Shorter Soap Storylines

Some storylines, like pregnancies, (Katy Armstrong of Corrie seems to have been pregnant forever!) need a set time to develop.Others, like the Tommy/Kat/Alfie/Michael/Ronnie/Jack baby-snatching/death story are far too drawn out & viewers get bored. How long will Peter Barlow lie to his long-suffering wife Leanne for? I’m willing to bet that it’ll last at least until Valentine’s Day.

An end to storyline typecasting for Billy Mitchell & Heather Trott would also be nice: some love, laughter and good fortune wouldn’t go amiss.

4) Fewer 'voting off' shows

Why does an audience have to decide the fate of a contestant? Why do we need a conclusion that ends with someone winning by popularity rather than merit? We've proven we're not worthy of the honour of control by voting off the X Factor’s Misha B and even Cameron won't give us a vote on Europe because we're probably too dense. Just look what happened when we voted on voting. Some people voted 1 for yes and 2 for no. Apparently.

5) Fewer ‘countdown’ shows

What’s our obsession with ranking things in order to give a programme some kind of climactic end? Number One in my Hall of Shame is Stephen Fry’s 100 Greatest Gadgets let down whose zenith was the lighter. Talking of Stephen Fry, 6): can we have less Fry, please? QI: Planet Word: Direct Line Adverts: Ocean Giants: aforementioned gadgets; I love The Wonderful Stephen Fry™ but too much of a good thing leads to over saturation.

7) Something long overdue: a proper replacement for Morecambe & Wise

I’m fed up with the repeats.

8) Fewer returns (remakes?) of old shows

There's a reason Fawlty Towers was brilliant: it stuck to just 12 episodes and retained its legendary status as an almost timeless comedy classic. Absolutely Fabulous is coming back for a Christmas special this year. We are yet to see what that will bring but Saunders & Lumley are almost guaranteed to not be as funny as we think it was. Just like The Fast Show, which I used to roll on the floor laughing at. Youtube now holds a plethora of clips of it that now barely raise a titter.

9) Less nostalgia: more Sci-Fi

I don’t like history much. I’m not a war series or period drama lover so I'm not looking forward to two whole hours of Downton Abbey. I like to look firmly at the future. It’s more exciting - there’s no way of checking what happens at the end on Wikipedia during the adverts.
If you’re not a fan of Doctor Who but like Sci-Fi, there’s not a lot on the terrestrial channels to be getting on with. Charlie Brooker strayed into the territory in his last two episodes of the mini-series Black Mirror and I loved his ideas if not always their execution. Isaac Asimov and Phillip K Dick have tons of stories just itching to be reworked, remade and told to a new audience. And before you say anything, I, Robot and Minority Report are, I know, not the shining testaments to their genius they should, and could, have been.

10) Stop recapping what’s happened just two minutes beforehand and switching stories midway through shows to keep my interest

Some shows suffer terribly from this affliction. It’s generally shows like Police, Camera, Action or their ilk that show us half of what happens to a hero or villain before informing us, just before a break, “we’ll find out what happens to this miscreant a bit later”.
And if a viewer’s only just switched on half way through a programme then tough shit. Get on the +1 or just work it out from context, like we used to!

What's on your wish list?

Posted by Tannice for The Custard Tv. Follow Tannice on Twitter.

The Best of 2011:Dramas, Documentary and reality 2011 had it all.

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:16:53 PST

What were the best programmes of 2011? I've compiled a list of what I think was the best of the best in 2011. Feel free to agree/disagree and note me down as a genius.

Hugh's Fish Fight (January 2011, Channel 4)

This enlightening and shocking there-parter from Hugh-Fearnly-Whitingstall was alarming and informative in equal measure. It dealt with the incredible amount of discard in our seas. It made for distressing viewing but often that’s what needed with subjects like this. It was dicussed in the House of Commons and the campaign to end discard the received 13,000 signatures, the day after the final episode there were over 320,000 signatures.

Human Planet (January 2011, BBC1)
We’ve all seen programmes on nature and the environment but in all my years of being glued to the talking box I’ve never seen anything quite like the breath taking images we were treated to in this series. The programme documenting parts of life never seen before, like a tribe who happily take fresh meat from a feeding Lion, a man who walks along the sea bed fishing with a spear and feats of Human Endurance that were enough to put anyone to shame.

Buy the DVD

Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (January/Feb 2011, CHANNEL 4)

Spawned from a Cutting edge documentary that was shown in the summer of 2010, this 5-parter became one of the most talked about series of 2011. It gave viewers a glimpse into the secluded and segregated world of modern day gypsies. The whole nation was gripped by the lavish and over the top nature of the weddings shown. You just couldn’t turn it off. Such was the public's fascination for the world of Gypsy weddings that Paddy Doherty even went on to Win the first series of Five’s Celebrity Big Brother. BUY THE DVD

Friday Night Dinner (February 2011, Channel 4)
This simple new comedy was seen by some as marmite television you either loved it or.. well you know the rest of that. I loved it! A simple premise, sometimes immature humour but the right kind that anyone with a family could relate to. Simon Bird was great stepping shadow of the Inbetweeners and Tamsin Grieg's Mum character was worryingly familiar. The entire thing was inoffensive (which is rare in modern comedy) and felt strangely real. The series will return in 2012.

Silk (March 2011, BBC1)

The first drama to make the list, this fast paced legal drama starring Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones was a breath of fresh air. It was smart and engrossing and showed the world of barristers that I personally had never seen before. The characters were well rounded and believable and I particularly loved Maxine Peake as no nonsense barrister Martha Costello. The series is back in 2012 for a second series and I can’t wait. Series 1 on DVD

When Teenage Met Old Age (March 2011, BBC2)
You may have missed this. It was a three-parter on BBC2 on Monday Evenings. It took three teenagers and sent them off to a nursing home to be reacquainted with the elderly generation. The meeting and the clashing of the two generatons made for both warm and frustrating viewing but by the end of the series both groups were better for the experience and it showcased both young and old in non cliché and favorable light.
The Hotel (April 2011, CHANNEL 4)
This was a documentary and reality series done in the same style of One Born Every Minute where cameras are placed in a Hotel. This wasn’t like the 1997 fly on the wall series from BBC1. This was a funny and often emotional series that offered an interesting view of modern Britain. It returns in a brand new Hotel in 2012. Watch one of my Favourite Clips
Exile (May 2011, BBC1)

This three-part conspiracy thriller starring John Simm as a Journalist who returns home to care for his elderly father with Alzheimer's disease has to be one of my favourite dramas of the year. A fantastic piece of writing coupled with great casting which included Jim Broadbent and Olivia Coleman made this an intriguing, shocking and surprisingly heart warming piece of TV. BUY THE DVD

24hrs in A&E (May 2011, CHANNEL 4)
Filmed in the same style as the Hotel this might just be one of the best documentary series in recent years. It was heartbreaking and exhilarating all in equal measure. This was reality TV at its most real. Although medical documentaries aren’t anything new this series delivered something new and special to the genre. It was a credit to the doctors and medical staff it showcased and a tribute to the patients. It again served as an interesting view of modern Britain and showed a side of the A&E wards never before seen. I’m delighted that there will be a new series in 2012.

Our War: 10 Years in Afghanistan (June 2011, BBC3)
Sometimes a TV show comes along that changes your view on something. This was certainly the case with this three-part BBC3 series that showed footage of the conflict in Iraq alongside candid and heartfelt commentary from those on the ground. If I’m honest I don’t turn on BBC3 for intelligent and thought provoking television but this was the exception to the rule. It was a portrayal of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq as we’d never seen it before. With raw and shocking real video from the Ministry of Defensive. There were a lot of programmes in 2011 that dealt with the same subject but this was the one that showed it in its realest form with no sugarcoating. It was one of the most engrossing series of the year.
BUY THE DVD

Scott and Bailey (June 2011, ITV1)
Scott and Bailey was another case of brilliant scripts paired with perfect casting. Surrane Jones & Lesley Sharp worked brilliantly together as police partners in this surprising 6-part drama from Sally Wainwright. The scripts were interesting because there was a lot going on in Scott and Bailey’s private lives which played nicely against the backdrop of a weekly crime stories. It felt effortless, was humerous and enjoyable and I’m very much looking to the second series in the spring of 2012. SERIES 1 ON DVD

Luther: Series 2 (June 2011, BBC1)
One of the best series of 2010, and one of the best new crime dramas returned in the summer. Idris Elba returned as John Luther in four episodes. Luther is crime drama at its best. Occasionally it can wonder off into slightly madcap territory but on the whole the second series lived up to expectations with the final episode being a particular highlight. Luther will return for a third series. BUY THE DVD

The Hour (August 2011, BBC2)
I’m not normally a fan of period pieces but this stylish conspicuity thriller set against a fictional 1950’s news programme really felt like something I’d never seen attempted before. There was little to fault in Abi Morgan’s scripts and the series did a wonderful job at depicting the BBC of the 1950’s. As each episode progressed I felt more and more sucked in. The characters were engaging and the setting authentic and exciting. The series will return in 2012 which is rare for a BBC2 drama. BUY THE DVD

Appropriate Adult (September 2011, ITV)

This Fred and Rose West biopic was not just one of the best dramas of 2011 but quite possibly one of the best TV dramas of recent years. From Dominic West’s initial opening monologue you knew you were in for a treat. I don’t think I moved from my seat in the entire 90mins of both episodes. It may’ve been a story we were all familiar with but we’d never seen it told in such a masterful and unapologetic manner. It was nail biting, informative and impossible to ignore. There weren’t a great many of dramas on ITV in 2011 that could’ve elicited the same reaction but it was proof that the channel can still deliver fantastic drama.BUY THE DVD

Educating Essex (September 2011, Channel 4)
Another 24hrs in A&E type series this time set in an Essex secondary school. It was an illuminating and honest portrayal of modern British Schooling. Sometimes difficult to watch it was a real eye opener onto what teachers and staff in today’s schools have to cope with. The teachers and pupils both came across genuinely and it became a must-see.

An Idiot Abroad: The Bucket List (October 2011, Sky1)

Despite saying he’d never put himself at the mercy of Ricky and Stephen again, Karl Pilkington returned for a second travelogue in 2011. This time the premise was that he’d experience things people wish to do they die. But Karl’s Bucket List was continually sabotaged by Gervais and Merchant who missed an opportunity to make their friend’s trip abroad the most uncomfortable as possible. Of course this made for another wonderful series particularly Karl’s trip to a desert Island which saw him building a hut of leaves in the pouring rain. BUY THE DVD

Frozen Planet (October 2011, BBC1)
Much like Human Planet this David Attenborough series was of course tantalizing television. The 7-part series showed a side of the poles as we’d never seen it before. Polar Bears, Penguins, Whales and Dolphins and of course the incredible behind the scenes features that showed the incredible lengths the BBC go to to get the best shots for us. Programmes like Frozen Planet is what makes British TV the best in the world. Get the DVD

The Jury (November 2011, ITV)
After a ten year absence Writer Peter Morgan decided to revive his crime drama that centres on the 12 members of the jury on high profile retrial. Sharp scripts and great casting made this another great drama. ITV’s plan to air this across a week in November which happen to coincide with conclusion to the Michael Jackson trial was perfect timing. Julie Walters was her usual reliable self and an ensemble cast and a myriad of interwoven storylines and twists and turns this was one of the standout series of the year. Read our original Review. Buy the DVD

All in all 2011 has been a year with a lot of decent TV for us to revel in. The major disappointments have included Show Me The Funny (An ITV reality series that never raised any interest let alone a laugh) and Life's Too Short (Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's new mockumentary series that left too familiar to both with)

Have I missed anything out?? Let me know your picks for the best of 2011 below by adding a comment or get in touch through Twitter.

Here's hoping 2012 will be another year of new and exciting TV. A Big Thank You to everyone who has visited the site this year!

The TVWEEK: Saturday 31st December 2011 - Friday 6th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 07:52:08 PST

Saturday
9.00pm It'll Be Alright on the Night ITV - Griff Rhys Jones hosts more TV outtakes.
9.00pm Alan Carr's New Year Channel 4 - Alan Carr has been left in charge of Channel 4 HQ and is set to throw a New Year's Eve party to remember. Alan is joined by guests including Jonathan Ross, Micky Flanagan, Melanie Sykes, Gok Wan, Kirstie Allsopp, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli, Heston Blumenthal, Olly Murs, Paddy McGuinness, Rachel Riley and Shelley von Strunckel. There are sketches, entertaining games, and music from JLS and The Ting Tings.
2012
New Year's Day
7.00pm Come Dine With Me Channel 4 - New Episode from Northern Ireland
7.00pm Treasure Island Sky1 - 2-part family drama starring Eddie Izzard and Philip Glenister.
8.00pm Great Barrier Reef BBC2 - Monty Hall explores Australia's reef. The first film examines the complex structure of the coral reef itself and the wildlife that lives on it. So vast it is visible from space, the reef is actually built by tiny animals in partnership with microscopic plants. It is a place full of surprises, always changing, responding to the rhythms of weather, tide, sun and moon.
8.00pm The Hotel Channel 4 - The Hotel returns with a new seaside location, new staff and new guests In this first episode, Faye and Mike from Dudley come to the hotel to get married. Faye has high expectations for her big day, but on the big day all is far from calm. The mother-of-the-bride's room is double booked, staff call in sick, the bride threatens to call the whole thing off and the groom heads for the bar.
8.10pm Sherlock BBC1 - Second series of the contemporary take on the books by Arthur Conan Doyle.A case of blackmail threatens to topple the monarchy itself, but soon Sherlock and John discover there is even more to it than that. They find themselves battling international terrorism, rogue CIA agents, and a secret conspiracy involving the British government. But this case will cast a longer shadow on their lives than they could ever imagine, as the great detective begins a long duel of wits with an antagonist as cold and ruthless and brilliant as himself:
9.00pm A History of Ancient Britain Special BBC2 - Neil Oliver explores a newly-discovered 5,000-year-old temple on Orkney. Built 500 years before the iconic monument of Stonehenge, the temple is opening new windows onto the beliefs of Neolithic people, turning the map of ancient Britain upside down.

9.40pm Absolutely Fabulous BBC1 - Second new episode of the comedy that sees a new client test Edina's relationship with Saffy.

10.00pm Hacks Channel 4 - A satirical swipe at the recent momentous events surrounding the British newspaper industry. Set in a fictional paper, the drive to get the story is intense. Phone hacking, blagging, pinging... the staff here do it all. But it's all about to unravel and in a big way... Starring Alexander Armstrong, Claire Foy, Michael Kitchen, Russ Abbott, Celia Imrie and Phil Davies.
Monday
9.00am Wanted Down Under BBC1 - New series of the programme that sends families down under to try living in Australia for a week.
11.30am Britain's Empty Homes BBC1 - Joe Crowley presents the series revealing the potential that vacant properties can offer potential buyers. Joe meets Michael Donald and his partner Ros Havard, who have just purchased an empty metal waste warehouse in picturesque Shropshire.
6.30pm Great British Railway Journeys BBC2 - Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.

6.30pm The Channel 4 Mash Up Channel 4 - Celebration of 30 years of Channel 4 that sees Channel 4 personalities pushed out of their comfort zones as they swap jobs with each other. Davina McCall plays The Million Pound Drop as Phil Spencer steps into her hosting shoes, Chelsea's finest compete at Come Dine with Me, Kirstie Allsopp teaches Alan Carr to host Location, Location, Location, the Channel 4 News presenters head for River Cottage, and Jimmy Carr hosts Countdown.

8.30pm An Island Parish BBC2 - Series following a year in the life of the most southerly islands of the Outer Hebrides, off the north-west coast of Scotland. One year into the job and local parish priest Father John Paul has to face up to controversial issues threatening the future of his island parish.

8.30pm Cornwall ITV - Caroline Quentin presents a new series which sees her travelling the length and breadth of Cornwall. She hears stories about life in some of the most picturesque towns and villages and meets a collection of colourful characters who play a big part in the region's communities. In this episode, the Lindo family welcome tourists in through the gates of the Camel Valley Vineyards, surfing chef Matt Corner cooks up a crab and lobster barbeque on the beach for his family, and Caroline drops in on the women who run an exclusive holiday lettings company and looks around the latest lavish property to come onto their books.

9.00pm Armando's Tale of Charles Dickens BBC2 - Armando Iannucci examines the work of Charles Dickens to discover why he is such a significant writer and a master story-teller, rather than simply being regarded as the world's most popular novelist. Armando studies the language of David Copperfield, and explores Dickens's use of comedy to reveal the emotional truth behind his characters, with the help of comedians Barry Cryer and Phill Jupitus.

9.00pm Endeavour ITV - Prequel to Inspector Morse starring Shaun Evans in the iconic role made famous by John Thaw. The episode is set in 1965 and sees the young disillusioned detective returning to Oxford to investigate the disappearance of a schoolgirl.

9.00pm Obese: A Year to Save My Life Sky1 - Cameras catch the highs and lows over the course of a year as nine dangerously overweight individuals try to shed the pounds before it's too late

10.00pm The Bank Job Channel 4 - Week-long, live game show that gives players the chance to pull off the ultimate heist. Over five consecutive nights contestants will battle it out from a real bank in London, in the hope of winning a place in Saturday's grand finale where someone will walk away with a life-changing fortune. Each evening four rivals will enter a bank vault filled with hundreds of thousands of pounds to play a high jeopardy, competitive game of knowledge, judgement and luck. Hosted by George Lamb.

Tuesday
7.00pm Celebrity Mastermind BBC1 - Chef Michel Roux Jr, actress Jessica Hynes, Politics Show presenter Jon Sopel and Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon try their luck answering questions on Auguste Escoffier's Guide to Modern Cooking, Pam Ayres, Tony Blair and the sitcom Frasier.
7.00pm Got to Dance Sky1 - Dance competition hosted by Davina McCall.
7.30pm River Monsters ITV - New series of the show in which biologist and extreme angler Jeremy Wade searches for some of the world's most terrifying fish. In this episode, he travels to Papua New Guinea to investigate a spate of bizarre deaths on the Sepik River.

8.00pm Weird Nature BBC2 - Series that explores the bizarre things that happen that appear to defy the laws of nature, and leave witnesses and experts alike mystified, confused and often frightened. Exploding toads, birds dying in mid-air, blood-red rain, caterpillars cocooning cars... what on earth is going on? We investigate the world's very weirdest natural events, and get the first-hand accounts, footage and photographs from the people who were there. We ask the experts to try and unravel the science behind these phenomena and explain the biological background.

8.00pm Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ITV

8.00pm The Body Shop Channel 4 - Series that goes inside the cool, crazy world of fanatical personal trainers in one of London's most extraordinary gyms. In each programme the personal trainers take on new recruits - men and women who feel that this is their last chance to change their bodies for the better.
8.00pm The Biggest Loser USA Sky Living - American version of the weight loss competition.
9.00pm Public Enemies BBC1 - Three-part drama exploring the relationship between a convicted murderer and his probation officer. Starring Daniel Mays and Anna Friel. Eddie Mottram is leaving prison, having served his sentence for murder. But has he learned his lesson, and is he safe to release back into the community? Probation officer Paula Radnor is tasked with managing Eddie as he settles back into life on the outside. Continues Wednesday, Concludes Thursday.
9.00pm King George and Queen Mary: The Royals who rescued the Monarchy BBC2 - Two-part portrait of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, which examines the lasting legacy of the couple who rescued the monarchy from potential disaster, and whose influence persists to this day. Episode one focuses on King George V. George could not have been a more unlikely moderniser. Concludes tomorrow.
9.00pm The Biggest Loser ITV - Second series of the weight loss competition hosted by Davina McCall.
9.00pm Accused: The 74stone Babysitter Channel 4 - The story of one of the most incredible murder trials America has witnessed. On 18 March 2008 a two-year-old boy was beaten to death in a Texan border town. His aunt, Mayra Rosales, was the only one with him at the time and was charged with his murder. But was this really possible? Mayra weighed nearly 500 kg, was bed-ridden and totally immobile. So why was she confessing to a heinous crime she seemingly could not have committed? This incredible film follows the many twists and turns in the case with intimate interviews with Mayra, her family and the investigators, lawyers and doctors involved.
9.00pm The Story of Musicals BBC4 - Series which tells how the British musical became a driving force behind musical theatre around the world - a tale of titanic shows, phenomenal daring, epic rivalries, prodigious talent and gargantuan fortunes, all set in just a single square mile. The first episode looks at how, from unpromising beginnings just after the Second World War, British musicals went on to reclaim the West End from American domination.
11.05pm Milton Jones' House of Rooms Channel 4 - Sitcom from Milton Jones. Milton and his mother live together in a big, old house, renting out their spare rooms to a variety of tenants including Alice, a shy, tongue-tied girl who can't quite communicate with Milton, who's equally awkward in her presence. When new tenant Paul arrives, he seems to hit it off with Alice right away, forcing Milton to up his game and try to compete for her attention.
Wednesday
8.00pm Countryfile BBC1 - Adam Henson takes a look back through the Countryfile archives from his farm in the Cotswolds, exploring the farming seasons with the help of the rest of the Countryfile team.

8.00pm Cook Like Heston Channel 4 - Heston Blumenthal steps into a domestic kitchen to show viewers how to inject a good dose of Heston-style magic into homemade food. In the first episode Heston challenges us with the way in which we cook beef. He confronts the biggest culinary myth of all time: searing a steak doesn't keep in any juices! The secret to success is his scientific but super-simple flipping technique.

8.30pm The Fabulous Baker Boys Channel 4 - Series following bothers Tom, a baker, and Henry, a chef who runs the local butcher's shop, next door to Tom's bakery, in the heart of Gloucestershire. With five generations of baking tradition behind them, Tom and Henry take viewers into the heat of the artisan kitchen and unlock the trade secrets of baking, which have been honed through years of practice and passion. And there won't be a cupcake in sight.
9.00pm One Born Every Minute Channel 4 - Third series of the documentary series that places cameras in a maternity ward.
9.00pm Bigger than Beyonce Sky Living - Showbiz spin on the weight-loss genre with this new series following ordinary women as they slim down and style up to look like their idols. First up: Beyonce.
Thursday
8.00pm Location, Location, Location Channel 4
8.00pm Ice Hotel Five - Documentary looking at the unique hotel in the little village of Jukkasjarvi in northern Lapland, Sweden. The hotel needs to be rebuilt every winter, as it consists of snow and ice.

9.00pm Meet Britain's Chinese Tiger Mums BBC2

9.00pm The Restoration Man Channel 4 - Architect George Clarke returns for a second series of Restoration Man with a wide range of families and brand new restoration projects. After years of living away from their families, Pete and Nikki Fagg moved back to Kent, with the dream of restoring and extending a derelict windmill which had been owned by Pete's family for over 100 years.
9.00pm Eternal Law ITV - Quirky 6-part drama series from Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham about two angels who are sent to Earth in the guise of lawyers in order to help humankind. Moments after Zak and Tom's arrival in York, the peace of the city is shattered by a shocking act of violence. The pair are then plunged into a court case involving an estranged family and a newlywed
9.00pm Celebrity Big Brother Five - Launch of the celebrity based reality series hosted by Bryan Dowling.

9.00pm The Grammar School: A Secret History BBC4 - The British grammar schools provided five consecutive prime ministers as well as many high fliers in industry, science and the arts. Yet at the height of their success they were phased out. Featuring David Attenborough and Joan Bakewell amongst many others, this two-part series uses personal stories and rare archive to reveal the secret history of some of Britain's most successful schools

Friday
7.30pm Come Dine With Me Channel 4 - Celebrity edition. Going head to head are straight talking Tina Malone of Shameless fame, tabloid scandal sensation Imogen Thomas, ex-Hollyoaks actor Paul Danan, and 80s pop star David Van Day.
8.00pm Safari Vet School ITV - TV vet Steve Leonard acts as guide and mentor to students from the UK as they try to cope with the challenges and terrors of being a wildlife vet. 32 talented veterinary students are sent to one of the toughest vet schools in the world - the Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. In this episode, the students get their first taste of life on the game reserve. They have to pin down animals which are barely under sedation and which have claws and teeth that could rip the students to shreds. The experience provides quite a welcome to one of the toughest vet schools in the world.

8.30pm The One Lenny Henry BBC1 - Lenny Henry showcases brand new stand-up combined with characters reprised from his early career and some new sketches. His first show in 20 years.

8.30pm New Girl Channel 4 - US sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel as Jess, a woman who moves in with three men after discovering her boyfriend has been cheating on her. In the first episode of the series, Jess's new housemates - prickly bartender Nick, womaniser Schmidt and intense personal trainer Coach - help her adjust to the single life.
9.00pm Hustle BBC1 - Eighth and final series of the drama based around a team of con artists. The grifters take on Dexter Gold, the greedy, smooth-talking owner of a corrupt gold exchange. The con is to pose as a renegade army unit in possession of a hundred bars of stolen Libyan gold, but can they pull it off without reprisals? Meanwhile, someone has defaced Eddie's prized picture of Ian Rush, so he bars the gang until the culprit owns up.

9.00pm Sicily Unpacked BBC2 - Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli take viewers on a journey into the heart of Sicily and introduce one another to the things they love about the island. Their first stop takes them to Giorgio's friend Vittorio and his restaurant near the seaside village of Porto Paolo. There is no menu, you are served whatever is best that day.

9.00pm Law & Order UK ITV - New series of the crime drama based on the US drama series. With Paul Nicholls joining the cast alongside Bradley Walsh. The first episode centeres around a drive-by shooting outside the Old Bailey leaves one police officer dead and another wounded in what appears to be an attack on a witness giving evidence in an attempted murder trial. But as Ronnie and the team investigate further, they are surprised to discover that the gunman was actually aiming for the police - believing his family to be victims of a cover-up. With the defence team arguing that their client has been the subject of institutional racism by the police

9.00pm Stella Sky1 - Comedy drama created, written by and starring Ruth Jones (Gavin and Stacey). Life isn't simple for Stella, a 40-something mum in the Welsh Valleys.

10.00pm Rude Tube Channel 4

10.00pm Celebrity Wedding Planner Five - Documentary series in which a soon-to-be wed couple hand over the complete organisation of their big day to a celebrity. It is only after burlesque dancer Beulah and her fiance James have signed up to go along with everything the planners decide that they find out that their celebrity is Jedward! The twins have a budget of £12,000 and two weeks to bring together their concept. Can Beulah and James's best friends steer the twins towards what they think the couple would want, or will Jedward go their own way? Cue fire-eaters, a stuffed gorilla and a party in a big top.

Thecustard Chats with Jack McMullen from Fast Freddie, The Widow & Me this Christmas on ITV.

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:08:12 PST

This Christmas ITV has a brand new comedy drama for the whole Family. Fast Freddie, The Widow & Me stars Lawrence Fox (Lewis) as narrow-minded car dealer whose attitude is challenged when he is forced to do community service with youngsters at the Moonbeam Club. There he meets 18yr old Freddie Copeland played by Jack McMullen (Waterloo Road) Freddie is older than his years and a daemon on the playstation but Jonathan is surprised to discover that this smart and self assured young man has a terminal illness, has never known a his family and that he’ll be lucky to see Christmas. This heartwarming story centres around Jonathan and Freddie’s relationship and how Jonathan might just be the only person to make Freddie’s final wish come true.

The Film also stars Sarah Smart (At Home With the Braithwaites) and Tamzin Outhwaite (EastEnders, Vital Signs). I recently spoke to Jack McMullen about what it was like playing a teen with a Terminal Illness and what we can expect from this warm piece of Christmas television.

Lawrence Fox and Jack McMullen

What can you tell us about the story of Fast Freddie?
Well its about Freddie who is a young lad who’s not very well. He’s got a kidney problem which needs operating on or it will kill him but he’s got a heart condition which is preventing the operation. He’s an orphan so he’s never had a family Christmas so he’s fascinated by Christmas and the story’s about this wealthy and obnoxious man that he meets who can make his dream of a family Christmas a reality for him.

Is this something that everyone can enjoy over Christmas?

Yes definitely. I think what drew me to the script is that it makes you appreciate what you’ve got and how special Christmas is. You feel you’re not in Freddie’s situation and it makes you appreciate the family that you’ve got at that time.

What’s Freddie’s attitude towards his disease?

I think he’s kind of accepted it. That’s another thing that drew me to the script. I was interested by the fact that I guy his age could be so at ease with the fact he was going to die. He’s not scared at all and that’s a really interesting aspect of the story.

How would you say his upbringing and has affected him?

He values you the friends he has and the people at the Moonbeam Club become his family really. He’s protective over them which is why he and Jonathan don’t get on when they first meet because Jonathan is rude about other Moonbeam members.

In lots of ways Freddie’s more mature than Jonathan despite the age difference do you think that’s why they bond because they balance each other out?

I Think so yeah. Freddie’s been through things that lads his age shouldn’t have been through so here’s had to grow up quite quickly whereas Jonathan’s not had to grow up at all and he’s always been able to have whatever he’s wanted. They’ve both got different values but I think they both learn from each other.

Sarah Smart, Lawrence Fox, Jack McMullen

Freddie’s also very protective over Laura who runs the Moonbeam Club why is that?

Laura’s always supported Freddie and I think when Laura became widowed he was there for her so they’re the closet thing each one has to a family.

What are the other members of the Moonbeam Club like?

They’ve all got huge characters. They’re a girl with Asperger's, there’s Terry who is hyperactive everyone is very different. The different personalities work well together.

Freddie & Jonathan grow closer as the drama progresses did you get on well with Lawrence Fox?

Yes. Lawrence is a great actor. We had a laugh aswell. We did long, long hours and when you spend that much time with somebody you do bond. He was a really great guy and really good to work with.

What do you particularly love and loathe on TV?

I thought Top Boy was absolutely brilliant. I always keep an eye out for up and coming British Drama. ITV have done some really good ones. I’m enjoying Downton Abbey I think its one of the best new dramas to come out of Britain in a long time. I don’t really want to slate anything. I’ve got a couple of friends in Hollyoaks but I’d never watch it!

Will you and the family watch Fast Freddie or do you prefer not to watch yourself?

Yes we will do. I don’t know if you have ever watched or listened to yourself back but there’s something about it that makes you cringe but I think you have to watch it to know what you’re doing right and what not you’re not doing right. You have to critique yourself or you’ll never learn or improve I suppose so yeah I’ll have to watch begrudgingly.

And obviously got to ask you about Waterloo Road. The next ten episodes of this series will be on in the New Year are you following it to Scotland when they make the move?

Well nobody knows anything yet so I can’t really confirm anything. The producers are talking about it but they’re being really guarded at the moment so we don’t know anything at the moment.

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Get Our Complete Guide to Christmas TV Here

You can watch Fast Freddie, The Widow & Me on Tuesday 27th December at 9pm on ITV1.

all pics courtesy of ITVpictures

The Borrowers: Clip of the new Family Adventure film on BBC1 this Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:18:20 PST

Watch an Exclusive clip of the Modern Adaptation of the Borrowers which will air 7.30pm Boxing Day on BBC1.

An all star cast takes a modern twist on the popular Children's story Boxing Day 7.30pm on BBC1

2012 Preview: The end of Hustle, BBC1

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:29:11 PST

January will see the return of Hustle. The con based drama has been a favourite of mine from the very start. The series, which will begin on the first Friday of the New Year, will be the eighth and most importantly the final series. It’s a shame to see the series end but you know what they say about all good things.
I believe the secret behind its longevity is it continual ability to fool the audience. You would think after eight series of cons we‘d be too overly familiar with the format of each story to be conned yet again, but no we keep coming back for more. . The stories are always engaging and exciting. Throughout every single episode we feel like we’re in on the con and then we find we’ve been conned too! It’s a premise that never fails to surprise me. The grifters have become almost super hero figures and there’s nothing Mickey Bricks isn’t capable of. He could sell Bill Gates the Moon if he wanted to. I may pitch that idea actually.

So should a series like this end? As much as I don’t want it to the truth is yes. There isn’t a TV drama that should last forever and its best to go out whilst there’s still an air of excitement about it. Also it amazes me there’s any cons left mind you, if Casualty can still come up with ways for dippy members of the public to be set on fire or injured by their toasters I’m sure the brains behind Hustle are more than capable.

How should Hustle end? I’d like to see one final massive con that perhaps reunites Mickey Bricks with his former grafters. In other words I’d love to see Marc Warren and Jamie Murray return for a final big score. Or could we see our beloved conmen finally caught? Unlikely I know but whatever happens at the end I’m sure we’ll be fooled yet again. Hustle is glitzy and always fresh and there’s not anything else like it as far as style on UK TV so it’ll be a shame when the final episode fades to black but the anticipation of the final series is enough for now.
Details of the final outing are thin on the ground at the moment but we know Paterson Joseph (Survivors) will be play a scheming gold dealer who becomes the group’s first mark of the series but details surrounding the ending are being kept very close to the chests that matter.

As for what we do now that the series have ended, well Albert will be popping up in Coronation Street and there have been continuous rumours of a big screen adaptation. Whatever happens I just hope we get the ending befitting of a such a masterful series. And I’ve no doubt that when the credits run for the final time, I’ll be reaching for my DVDs

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The British Comedy Awards: Our Picks

noreply@blogger.com (Luke) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:26:13 PST

December 16th sees the return of the British Comedy Awards. Axed shows including Phycoville and Shooting Stars made the list but BBC3 comedy has been snubbed. We've highlighted our choice of winner in Red.

Best Comedy Panel Show
Celebrity Juice
Have I Got News For You
Shooting Stars
Would I Lie To You?

Best Comedy Entertainment Programme
Harry Hill's TV Burp
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
An Idiot Abroad
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle

Best Comedy Drama
Comic Strip Presents: The Hunt For Tony Blair
Fresh Meat
Misfits
Psychoville

Best Comedy Entertainment Personality
Alan Carr
Charlie Brooker
Harry Hill
Graham Norton

Best Male TV Comic
Charlie Brooker
Harry Hill
Rob Brydon
Stewart Lee

Best Female TV Comic
Jo Brand
Sarah Millican
Miranda Hart
Victoria Wood

Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist
Dan Skinner
Greg Davies
Micky Flanagan
Tom Rosenthal

Best Sketch Show
Come Fly With Me
Horrible Histories
The One Ronnie
This Is Jinsy

Best Sitcom
Miranda
Friday Night Dinner
Peep Show
Twenty Twelve

Best TV Comedy Actor
Darren Boyd
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Dennis
Jack Whitehall

Best TV Comedy Actress
Claire Skinner
Dawn French
Miranda Hart
Tamsin Greig

People's Choice Award For The King Or Queen Of Comedy (to be decided on the night of the Awards)
David Mitchell
Graham Norton
Jack Whitehall
Miranda Hart
Jo Brand
Sarah Millican
You can watch the Awards Friday 16th December at 9pm on Channel 4