Monday 5 January 2009

TV Picks: 5-11 January 2009

Monday 5 January 2009
Pick Of The Week: "QI" -- BBC1, Fri, 9pm

I think we're back to normal service now, don't you? And it's New Year, so the schedules are fatter than they were before Christmas (just like the rest of us, eh?) This week's most mentionable new television shows, airing in the UK, are as follows:

MONDAY 5th
  • The Diary Of Anne Frank (BBC1, 7pm) Five-part drama based on the real story of a Jewish girl who hid from Nazi's in the attic of her Amsterdam family home. Stars Deborah Maggach, Iain Glen, Tamsin Greig, Felicity Jobnes, Roger Frost, Kate Ashfield & Lesley Sharp.

TUESDAY 6th
  • Oz & James Drink To Britain (BBC2, 8pm) Oz Clarke and James May travel the UK, tasting drinks.
  • Nicholas Crane's Britannia (BBC2, 9pm) Three-part series involving a 5,000 mile journey around Britain to visit placed chronicles by William Camden's 1586 document Britannia.
  • Dead Set (Channel 4, 10pm) Repeat of the E4 zombie drama, truncated into three parts.
  • The Office: An American Workplace (ITV2,) Season 4 of the US version of The Office.

WEDNESDAY 7th
  • Waterloo Road (BBC1, 8pm) Return of the drama set in a secondary school. Stars Eva Pope, Denise Welch & Neil Morrissey.
  • Relocation, Relocation (Channel 4, 8pm) New series of the property series hosted by Kirstie Allsopp & Phil Spencer.
  • It's Not Easy Being Green (BBC2, 8pm) Eccentric Dick Strawbridge and his son try to become environmentally self-sufficient.
  • Ice Road Truckers (Five, 8pm) Documentary about Canada's treacherous ice highways
  • Movie Connections (BBC1, 10.45pm) Ashley Jensen narrates this series about famous British films, beginning with Monty Python & The Holy Grail.

THURSDAY 8th
  • Life Of Riley (BBC1, 8pm) Caroline Quentin stars in this sitcom, playing a woman who has married for the second time. Co-stars Neil Dudgeon, Lucinda Dryzek, Ava Lamb & Taylor Fawcett.
  • The Green Green Grass (BBC1, 9pm) The return of the popular Only Fools & Horses spin-off sitcom.
  • Hustle (BBC1, 9pm) His CV tarnished by Bonekickers, Adrian Lester returns to the popular drama about con artists. Co-stars Robert Glenister, Robert Vaughn, Kelly Adams, Matt Di Angelo & Bill Bailey.
  • ER (More4, 9pm) Fifteenth and final season of the long-running US medical drama.
  • Brothers & Sisters (More4, 10pm) Season 3 of the US family drama, starring Calista Flockheart, Rob Lowe & Sally Field.
  • Family Guy (FX, 10pm) Season 6 of the adult animation.
  • Dexter (ITV1 10.35pm) Season 2 of the award-winning series about a forensics expert who moonlights as a serial-killer.
  • The Closer (More4, 11pm) US drama following the L.A.P.D murder squad.

FRIDAY 9th
  • QI (BBC1, 9pm) Series 6 of the highbrow quiz, with Stephen Fry and Alan Davies. Guests this week: Charlie Higson, Rob Brydon & Andy Hamilton.
  • NCIS (Five, 9pm) US drama about the US Navy's federal agency.
  • Plus One (Channel 4, 10pm) Five-part sitcom starring Daniel Mays as a singleton who doesn't have much luck with the ladies. Commissioned after this successful pilot.
  • Numb3rs (Five, 10pm) US detective drama about a maths genius who helps the FBI with tough cases.

SATURDAY 10th
  • Most Haunted Live: The Search For Evil (LivingTV, 8pm) Yvette Fielding presents another live paranormal investigation, stretched over seven nights. They're not orbs, they're specks of dust, woman!
  • CSI: NY (Five, 9.25pm) Return of the US forensic police procedural.

SUNDAY 11th
  • Dancing On Ice (ITV1, 7pm) The celebrity ice skating competition returns, featuring Coleen Nolan, Todd Carty, Roxanne Pallett, Jeremy Edwards, Ellery Hanley, Gemma Bissix, Melinda Messenger, Ray Quinn, Donal McIntyre, Michael Underwood, Zoe Salmon & Graeme Le Saux.
  • Wild At Heart (ITV1, 8pm) Return of the drama about a British family living in Africa, starring Stephen Tompkinson, Lucy-Jo Hudson & Hayley Mills.