The TV Week - July 18th - July 24th 2009

Saturday
9.00am Skate Nation BBC2 – An 11-part competition for young roller, hockey and inline skaters fronted by Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes.
6.30pm Anonymous ITV1 – Comedy show presented by Stephen Mulhern in which celebrities wear prosthetic disguises to carry out pranks on members of the public. The opener features Louis Walsh, Jennie McAlpine, Matt Dawson, JLS, Shayne Ward, Michelle Keegan and Austin Healey.
7.30pm Mollie Sugden: A Tribute BBC2
8.15pm Versailles: The Dream of a King BBC2 – Drama-documentary recreating the life of France's king, Louis XIV.
9.00pm How to Be a Composer BBC4 – Journalist, critic and music lover Paul Morley undertakes intense tutoring at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
9.00pm Ten Commandments of the Mafia Discovery Channel
10.00pm Lee Evans: Big: Live at the 02 Channel 4
Sunday
2.00pm T4 On The Beach Channel 4 – Music from Weston-super-Mare featuring Alesha Dixon, Basement Jaxx, N-Dubz, Will Young, Dizzee Rascal, The Saturdays, Noisettes and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
7.00pm Privileged E4 – US drama series starring Joanna Garcia, based on the book How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls.
8.00pm All the Queen's Horses with Alan Titchmarsh ITV1
8.00pm How Bruce Lee Changed The World Biography
9.00pm Young, Dumb And Living Off Mum BBC3 – Documentary series about young people who have never had a proper job.
10.00pm Dara O'Briain Talks Funny: Live In London BBC2
Monday
10.30am No Place Like Home? ITV1 – Relocation series.
8.30pm Underage and Pregnant BBC3 – Series about teen mums.
Tuesday
8.00pm A Town Caleld Eureaka Sky1 – Return of the US scifi drama series set in a town populated by geniuses.
8.00pm Warriors History Channel – Series in which Green Beret Terry Schappert examines history's greatest warriors.
8.00pm Send In the Dogs ITV1 – Retuirn of the documentary series about police dogs.
9.00pm The Truth About Crime BBC1 – Nick Ross examines the crime headlines
9.00pm Desperate Romantics BBC2 – Six-part drama series about a maverick group of English painters, poets and their muses in 19th-century London. Starring Aidan Turner as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, notorious for seducing his models; Rafe Spall as William 'Maniac' Hunt, a founding member of the Brotherhood; Tom Hollander as art critic and patron John Ruskin; Samuel Barnett as John Millais; Zoe Tapper as Effie Ruskin; Amy Manson plays Rossetti's true love Lizzie Siddal; Sam Crane as diarist Fred Walters; and Jennie Jacques as prostitute Annie Miller.
9.00pm Otto: Love, Lust and Las Vegas BBC3 – Documentary following Otto Baxter, a 21-year-old with Down's Syndrome
9.00pm Car Crime UK ITV1 – Series presented by Trevor McDonald looking at the work of specialist police car crime teams.
Wednesday
7.30pm Grimefighters ITV1 – Series following pest controllers, restaurant inspectors and litter pickers
7.30pm Wildest Dreams BBC1 Series in which nine people compete to become wildlife film-makers at the BBC's Natural History Unit.
9.00pm Theatre Live:Famous Last Sky Arts – Pauline Collins and Laura Haddock star in Morag Joss's play about two performers at contrasting points in their careers.
Thursday
8.00pm Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey BBC2
8.30pm The Rat Pack BBC1 – Documentary series following pest controllers.
9.00pm The World's Oldest Mums Channel 4
10.30pm Tim Minchin: Live E4
Friday
10.30pm Madeleine Peyroux: Somethin' Grand BBC4 – Documentary about the singer.

Guest list
Jonathan Ross, Mickey Rourke, Denise Van Outen & JLS on Alan Carr: Chatty Man Channel 4, Sunday
Denzel Washington, The Dragons from Dragons' Den and Quentin Tarantino on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross BBC1, Friday

Subject List
Dispatches: Undercover Debt Collector Channel 4, Monday
Panorama: Save Our Steel BBC1, Monday

Coming Up – new entries and updates

Rivers With Griff Rhys Jones BBC1 – Five-parter exploring how rivers have influenced, nurtured and powered our lives, with programmes about Scotland, London, the north, the west and East Anglia.

Bang Goes The Theory BBC1 – A 10-part series about how science shapes the world, presented by Dallas Campbell, Liz Bonnin, Jem Stansfield and Dr Yan Wong.

Comedy Showcase Channel 4 – A second series of comedy pilots. Features Pete v Life; The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret; Campus; The Amazing Dermot; PhoneShop; and Guantanamo Phil, starring Steve Edge.

Modern Masters BBC1 – Four-part series examing the modern art of Picasso, Dali, Matisse and Warhol.

Strictly Come Dancing BBC1 – The seventh series of the dancing contest, with Alesha Dixon joining the judging panel.

Around The World In 80 Days BBC1 – Six pairs of celebrities re-enact the epic odysseys of Phileas Fogg in series leading up to Children In Need Night. Features Frank Skinner and Lee Mack, Nick Hewer and Saira Khan, Julia Bradbury and Matt Baker, Bill Turnbull and Louise Minchin, John Barrowman and Myleene Klass, and Shane Richie and Josie Lawrence.

Children in Need Live BBC1 – A fundraising concert at the Royal Albert Hall put together by Gary Barlow.

Criminal Justice BBC1 – A second five-part series of the drama exploring the criminal justice system from start to finish. Maxine Peake stars as Juliet Miller, a woman who suffers from depression and is accused of stabbing her husband. With Matthew Macfadyen, Denis Lawson, Steven Mackintosh and Sophie Okonedo. Written by Peter Moffat.

Doctor Who - The Waters Of Mars BBC1 – A special episode of the scifi series starring David Tennant as the Doctor. With Lindsay Duncan as strong-minded companion Adelaide, and Peter O'Brien as Ed, Adelaide's second in command. Written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford.

Emma BBC1 – Four-part drama based on Jane Austen’s 1815 novel, adapted by Sandy Welch. Stars Romola Garai as Emma Woodhouse, Jonny Lee Miller, Michael Gambon, Tamsin Greig, Robert Bathurst and Jodhi May.

Framed BBC1 – Single drama starring Trevor Eve and Eve Myles, adapted by Frank Cottrell Boyce from his children's novel about a National Gallery curator who travels from London to the Welsh village of Manod to oversee the safe storage of a priceless art collection.

Garrow's Law BBC1 – Four-part drama set in the Old Bailey, based on real legal cases dealth with by pioneering barrister William Garrow in the late 18th century. Stars Andrew Buchan as Garrow, Alun Armstrong and Lyndsey Marshall. Co-created by Tony Marchant.

Material Girl BBC1 – Six-part romantic comedy set in the creative community of London's Brick Lane. Stars Leonora Crichlow as young designer Ali Redcliffe, Dervla Kirwan as the scheming Davina Bailey, and Michael Landes as Marco, who wants to make Ali a star.

Paradox BBC1 – Five-part drama written by Lizzie Mickery starring Tamzin Outhwaite as Detective Inspector Rebecca Flint and Emun Elliott as astrophysicist Dr Christian King (Emun Elliott) who work together to prevent complex crimes. With Mark Bonnar as DS Ben Holt and Chiké Okonkwo as DC Callum Gada.

Small Island BBC1 – Two-part drama written by Paula Milne and Sarah Williams, adapted from Andrea Levy's award-winning novel. The love story, set in the second world war, follows the interlocking lives of Londoner Queenie (Ruth Wilson) and her husband Bernard (Benedict Cumberbatch), their Jamaican lodgers Gilbert and Hortense (David Oyelowo and Naomie Harris) and the mysterious Michael (Ashley Walters).

Big Top (previously listed as Circus) BBC1 – Sitcom set in a the travelling Circus Maestro starring Amanda Holden as Lizzie the Ring Mistress; John Thomson and Sophie Thompson as the clown husband-and-wife team; Tony Robinson as Erasmus, the cynical soundman; Jeff Rawle as a suicidal human cannonball; Ruth Madoc as dog trainer Georgie, the Grande Dame of Circus Maestro, and Bruce Mackinnon as Boyco, the talented East European acrobat. Written by Daniel Peak.

Gavin and Stacey BBC1 – A third series of the romantic sitcom written by James Corden and Ruth Jones. Guest stars include Julia Davis, Adrian Scarborough, Steffan Rhodri and Sheridan Smith.

Impressions Show BBC1 – Comedy show starring Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson

The Graham Norton Show BBC1 – The chat show moves to BBC1.

Live At The Apollo BBC1 – Return of the comedy show recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo theatre.

QI BBC1 – The seventh series of the comedy quiz hosted by Stephen Fry with regular panellist Alan Davies. . Features first-time contestants Graham Norton, Sue Perkins, Jack Dee, Barry Humphries, Sandi Toksvig and David Tennant.

Walk on the Wild Side BBC1 – Natural history footage accompanied by the voices of comics including Jason Manford, Isy Suttie, Steve Edge and Jon Richardson

My Supermodel Baby BBC1 – Documentary about parents of child models

Jimmy's Food Factory BBC1 – Series in which Jimmy Doherty, the scientist, farmer and presenter of Jimmy's Farm, investigates the contents of shopping trolleys.

Life BBC1 – Ten-part series narrated by David Attenborough from the Natural History Unit.

Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers BBC1 – Series featuring easy recipes.

Twins BBC1 – Documentary series about identical twins

Wounded BBC1 – Documentary series following wounded British soldiers receiving treatment at Selly Oak hospital and the Defence Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court.

The Football League Show BBC1 – Saturday night programme featuring action from the Championship, League One and League Two.

Mistresses BBC1 – A third and final series of the drama Sarah Parish, Sharon Small, Orla Brady and Shelley Conn.

You Have Been Watching, Channel 4

Did we like it?
As a TV review site we enjoy programmes about our favourite subject. Charlie Brooker rarely puts a foot wrong but this "quiz" style series didn't seem to work.
What was good about it?
• Two Words - Charlie Brooker
• Charlie's view on Piers Morgan's upcoming interview with Jodan: Frost/Nixon for dummies.
• Charlie's review of BBC1's One Show which hit every mark and made us really wish we were watching Screenwipe instead of this odd new series.
• The clips from American manly TV Deadliest Warrior which were so bad they raised the only true of the smile of the programme.

What was bad about it?
• Perhaps our expectations were too high for this but it just felt thrown together with very little point. Did we really care who won the game? Of course not! Just review the series!
• Jamelia Why? The woman is the Jaws shark of these kind of programmes; just when you thought it was safe to turn on the telly she pops up again
• The quiz element wasn't necessary as it added nothing to the pace of the show. We'd have preferred a proper discussion about each programme featured, especially as Rufus Hound and Riochard Herring had plenty of amusing things to say.
• We couldn't help but think that if Charlie Brooker didn't host this there's a massive chance he'd rip it to shreads on Screenwipe.

Coming Up – new entries and updates

Spanish Flu – The Forgotten Fallen BBC4 – Drama starring Bill Paterson, Mark Gatiss and Kenneth Cranham about the attempt by public health pioneer Dr James Niven to protect Manchester from the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic.

Breaking The Mould BBC4 – Drama starring Dominic West as Professor Howard Florey who carried out pioneering work with penicillin. With Joe Armstrong and John Sessions.

To The Ends Of The Earth BBC1 – Seven-parter reality series fronted by Nick Knowles in which nine amateur wildlife enthusiasts compete to join the BBC's Natural History Unit.

Just William BBC1 – Series of adaptations by Simon Nye of Richmal Crompton's tales about a mischievous 11-year-old boy.

Big Babies BBC1 – Children's comedy featuring CGI and puppetry about two babies, Rocco and Brooks, who have the heads of grown men


Inside Life BBC1 – Children's series going behind the scenes of the BBC Natural History Unit's new series, Life.


Tarrant Lets The Kids Loose Watch – Eight-part series fronted by Chris Tarrant in which three- to six-year-olds get to try out adult roles such as running a photographic studio, a radio station or an ice-cream van.


Legend of the Seeker Tuesday 13 August 2009, Sci Fi – US fantasy drama created by Sam Raimi starring Craig Horner as a young woodsman who attempts to stop an evil emperor.

Pamela Anderson: At Home with Joe Swash/Pamela Anderson: When Joe Came to Stay LivingTV – Reality documentaries.


Dating in the Dark LivingTV – Eight-part dating series.

Death in Venice LivingTV – Paul O'Grady and Yvette Fielding visit one of the most haunted locations in the world – Poveglia, the Island of Horror.


Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips BBC1 – One-off comedy drama about the earlier years of the Trotter family of Only Fools and Horses fame. Written by John Sullivan.


The Cell BBC4 – Socumentary in which science journalist Adam Rutherford examines 350 years of scientific research to reveal the secrets of the cell.

The Week We Went To War BBC1 – Daytime series presented by Katherine Jenkins to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the second world war.

Rip-Off Britain BBC1 – Cosumer affairs series presented by Angela Rippon, Jennie Bond and Gloria Hunniford.

Syntax Era BBC4 – Drama starring Alexander Armstrong as Sir Clive Sinclair and Martin Freeman as Chris Curry about the 1980s race for home computer supremacy. With Derek Riddell , Colin Michael and James Fleet.