The National TV Awards 2012: The Highs and Lows

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

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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