... or will likely be watching very soon. I obviously don't review everything I see on this blog -- because I either don't have the time, or it's really not worth the effort. So, if you're interested, this is a day-by-day list of the TV that has my attention right now...
MONDAYS
Life In Cold Blood -- BBC1, 9.00 pm (starts 4 Feb)
Sir David Attenborough is the undoubted king of wildlife documentaries. I've grown up hearing his soothing voice inform me about the planet's animals, and everything he's involved with is always something special. This series will take a look at reptiles, and promises to be another extraordinary glimpse at the the wonders of nature.
Raines -- ITV3, 9.00 pm
This crime drama was unfortunately canceled in the States after a measly 7 episodes. Jeff Goldblum stars as the eponymous Raines, a man who imagines the victims of crime are speaking to him. They're not ghosts, they're just his own hallucinations that help him solve the case. Worth a look.
Prison Break -- Sky One, 10.00 pm
After a winter hiatus, another 5 episodes of the prison drama will air before the production runs out of material because of the US writers' strike. So far, I'm having fun with the change of location to Panama; although it's not a patch on the thrilling first season, it's more consistent than the patchy second.
TUESDAYS
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles -- FOX (download)
It's too early to write-off this series, as I enjoyed the first two episodes well enough, but there does seem to be one inherent problem: Lena Headey isn't a fitting Linda Hamilton replacement. There are only 9 episodes in the season, so it doesn't have long to make its mark. The fact it's one of very few scripted shows on US television (because of the writers' strike), seems to have boosted its ratings significantly -- possibly enough to guarantee a second season already?
WEDNESDAYS
Torchwood -- BBC2, 9.00 pm
We've only had a few episodes, but I think it's safe to say this is an improvement on season 1. It's still too silly at times, with gaping plot holes and an irritating sensibility when it comes to sex... but it's faster, funnier and more entertaining.
Reaper -- E4+1, 10.00 pm
Badly scheduled as direct competition for Torchwood at 9pm, it's best to check out this supernatural comedy-drama on E4's +1 channel at 10 instead. It's a blatant rip-off from Brimstone, given a teen-geek twist, but it passes the time. I'll stick with it for a few episodes, just to see if they can avoid slumping into repetition...
THURSDAYS
Ashes To Ashes -- BBC1, 9.00 pm (starts 7 Feb)
I think Life On Mars was very overrated, but it was still an entertaining twist on the cop drama, so I'm glad the BBC took a chance on it. This is the 80s-set spin-off, with a female cop "thrown back in time" to meet Gene Hunt and his team, who are now cleaning up the streets of London. Early reports suggest it's better than Life On Mars... but I'm worried the sci-fi/mystery aspect won't work now that we know why Sam Tyler came to be in 1973...
Never Mind The Buzzcocks -- BBC2, 9.00 pm
Simon Amstell is much more palatable than slimeball Mark Lamarr ever was, but I've always found Buzzcocks to be a bit too sneery for its own good. That said, it's always worth a look if the guests are any good, and Amstell's withering put-downs can be toe-curling yet compelling...
FRIDAYS
Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong -- Channel 4, 10.00 pm
I haven't seen this yet, so it could be awful. Alan Carr always make me chuckle, so I hope this goes well for him. The premise (celebrity teams competing against "civilians" in various games) doesn't sound particularly brilliant, but I hope I'm proved wrong.
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross -- BBC1, 10.35 pm
I know some people hate him, but Jonathan Ross always entertains me on his TV chat show. I particularly like it when he has American guests on and takes great pleasure in massaging their ego, inbetween mocking them -- just to see their wide-eyed, confused expressions that he's not a Letterman-style sycophant just there to let them trot out some anecdotes and play a clip from their new movie.
SATURDAYS
Harry Hill's TV Burp -- ITV1, 6.30/7.00 pm
The perfect early-evening comedy, particularly if you're half as square-eyed as Harry. Of course, some weeks are better than others, but Harry tends to find one or two nuggets of unintentional TV gold in each half hour.
Primeval -- ITV1, 7.00/7.30 pm
Like Torchwood, this is an improvement on the samey first season, but still suffers from slipping into formula too often. The effects are generally excellent, and I welcome the attempt to provide subplot more enthralling than "what happened to Cutter's wife?", but I don't think this will ever amount to more than a lightweight mix of CGI and running around in woods.
Thank God You're Here -- ITV1, 10.00 pm
I can see why this is dying a death ratings-wise, as the idea just about runs out of steam after 15 minutes. It's all very well putting celebrities into a comic scene, to improvise their way around, but whenever they go off on a tangent, the supporting players have to strain to get everything back on-track -- even if its means contradicting something they say!
SUNDAYS
Lost -- Sky One, 10.00 pm
A welcome return for the best sci-fi series since The X-Files, now in its fourth season and heading for the home stretch. Sadly, because of the writers' strike, only 8 episodes will air of the scheduled 16, but that should satiate fans left gasping after season 3's finale... with rescue now for the castaways, apparently, on the way...
Supernatural -- ITV2, 10.00 pm
I'm actually debating whether or not to watch this. I've only ever seen 5 episodes of season 1, as ITV chose to market it under the heading "supernatural just got sexy", and that instantly put me off it! I just assumed it must be a cheap piece of sci-fi trash they regretted buying, so had to push it on the two leads' handsome looks. But, thanks to OnDemand with Virgin Media, I did watch season 1's first 5 episodes, and enjoyed them... but not enough to continue watching.
But the new trailers on ITV look very cool, and I know the show really began to hit a stride in season 2, so I want to give it a shot. I'm just not convinced it's best to drop into season 3, and don't have the time (or cash) for a DVD box-set marathon. So, I might not watch this... but I know many people will.
