FX renew LOUIE, WILFRED & IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA

FX have renewed their orders for Louie, Wilfred and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. This is particularly good news for Wilfred, their remake of an Australian series about an introvert who sees his attractive neighbour's pet dog as a gauche man in a dog-suit.

I wasn't sold on Wilfred's pilot, you may recall, but it's developed into one of the most interesting and bizarre comedies around. It did that by not lazily emphasizing the obvious "man-as-dog" jokes and instead focusing on its off-kilter tone and some twisted ideas. Plus Elijah Wood and Jason Gann are great, both individually and as a weird double-act.

Meanwhile, Louie has grown in popularity in its second season. It's another comedy I enjoy, although I sometimes think people daren't criticize it because it's widely seen as a masterpiece. Sometimes it's not especially funny, very indulgent, and the pacing drags, admit it. Sometimes. But it's still a comedy that's definitely pushing barriers and doing something unusual, uncomfortable, and memorable.

And as for It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia... well, I've never seen it, so I have nothing to say. But FX have ordered another two seasons, despite the fact season 7 hasn't even premiered yet, so that's an astonishing show of faith. Any fans out there?

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY - "The Categories Of Life"

I wonder if this miniseries would have been better received if it wasn't connected to Torchwood, and was instead just a speculative SF special commissioned by Starz. You could easily replace Captain Jack (John Barrowman) and Gwen (Eve Myles) with equivalent American characters, as so little of Miracle Day relies on things that are unique to the Torchwood universe. Even Jack's signature immortality has been reversed as a result of the story's miracle itself, together with most of his personality when American writers are behind the script. I'm going to try and watch the remainder of this miniseries by divorcing myself from the expectations of the Torchwood brand, just to see if that helps...

"The Categories Of Life" was the usual tangle of good ideas spoiled by implausible execution and annoying contrivances. But the fact it took some significant steps forward with the story, while giving us a pretty dark "final solution" to the endemic of undying people, worked greatly in its favour. It even managed to turn sourpuss Vera Juarez (Arlene Tur) into a moderately less pointless character, before killing her off.

This week, despite being a wanted international fugitive, Gwen both risked and manage to travel back to Wales to help Rhys (Kai Owen) rescue her sick dad from one of the many PhiCorp sponsored "overflow camps" that have sprung up around the world. Governments are now passing a law that says life can be re-categorized into three separate groups—apparently symbolized by the red, white and blue of the US flag. There's Category 1, where you're "fatally" injured or sick and beyond help; Category 2, where you're hurt and would ordinarily die, but can continue living after treatment; and Category 3, where you're fine and dandy. Those in Category 1 are in the greatest danger, as Torchwood come to realize such patients are taken to secret campsite "modules" for processing—which it's revealed means being incinerated alive, in a chilling echo of Nazi concentration camp ovens.

I've actually wondered how Miracle Day would get around the problem that reducing a body to ash must bring certain death, so it seems "the miracle" does have its limits after all. Now the question is: if PhiCorp are burning the people who should actually be dead, aren't they just providing a cruel mass cremation service to the world? It's still hard to see what's in this for them. But incinerating the should-be-dead is apparently enough to justify the cost of setting up all these global camps, even if they're not doing a good job of caring for the people who end up inside them—as Vera discovered abandoned patients who aren't being fed, all sleeping in cramped conditions next to unwashed laundry. Oh, and a pen-pushing racist misogynist called Colin (Marc Vann).

The Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) story plodded on, but it's still difficult to comprehend why any of it matters. PR whizz Jilly (Lauren Ambrose) has helped organized a Miracle Rally for Oswald to give a key speech at, which requires he read a prepared PhiCorp speech that must include the word "revelation". But why's that? Is "revelation" a codeword for something to happen? Is it perhaps a sign to the people pulling Jilly's strings that Oswald's fully malleable? Jilly herself doesn't seem to know what's going on, as she was approached by a man who praised her and mentioned she's been "noticed"? I assume the people who've noticed her are Miracle Day's architects (the group symbolized by a rotating triangle logo), which suggest she's not working for them already? If so, is everything she's doing on behalf of PhiCorp is a separate issue to the white-triangle group? Oh, who knows, but we need some focus on this matter very soon.

I was intrigued by the possibility that Jack might talk Oswald into working for Torchwood, by giving him a different speech that would denounce PhiCorp as the people behind Miracle Day, in exchange for helping him die, but that didn't come to pass. That would have been a very unexpected twist, but it seems the writers would prefer to go down the Oswald-as-Messiah route... so he finally gave his approved speech about mankind's ascendancy to "angels", like a lapdog. Pullman's performance again oscillating from enjoyably creepy to outright laughable and weird. It often feels like he's not sure how to treat any of this material; with tongue-in-cheek humour or deadly serious? He's fallen somewhere in the middle.

Overall, "The Categories Of Life" wasn't a totally successful turnaround for Miracle Day, as there are still messy areas and ridiculous moments, but some things seem to be developing at last. It's just unforgivable that Captain Jack's almost surplus to requirement. While Rex (Mekhi Phifer), Esther (Alexa Havins), Gwen, and Vera went undercover in two overflow camps, poor Jack was stuck in Los Angeles and only given one notable scene with Oswald at the Miracle Rally stadium? That's an unforgivable, tragic waste of the show's lead character who, at least until Miracle Day, was the beating heart of Torchwood... now reduced to a bit-part player.

What did you make of episode 5? Was there some improvement, or are you on the brink of giving up? Maybe you stopped watching weeks ago?

written by Jane Espenson / directed by Guy Ferland / 5 August 2011 / Starz

Review: TROLLIED (Sky1)

Having already cornered the majority of the British marketplace when it comes to sports, movies and premium US drama, Sky are now making headway into domestic comedy and drama. Eight-part supermarket comedy Trollied is their latest venture (with Mount Pleasant, Hit & Miss, This Is Jinsy, and Spy still to come), ironically starring a few actors from Asda/Tesco commercials, set in the fictional north-west supermarket Valco. The store's tagline is "serve you right", but thankfully I wasn't left thinking the same thing to myself after watching it.

Jane Horrocks plays acting Deputy Manager Julie, a brittle woman covering for maternity leave but determined to keep the job, which means trying to impress Store Manager Gavin (Jason Watkins) at every opportunity. They're joined in the store by lonely heart butcher Andy (Mark Addy) and his laddish young assistant Kieran (Nick Blood); stuck-in-a-rut checkout girl Katie (Chanel); lazy, disobedient shelf-stacker Colin (Carl Rice); aged, dotty store assistant Margaret (Rita May); gossiping customer service duo Sue (Lorraine Cheshire) and Linda (Faye McKeever); and spaced-out trolley collector Leighton (Joel Fry).

They're a believable and amiable bunch of actors/characters, and certainly the prime reason to keep watching Trollied—which only suffers because it's at that embryonic stage where it almost has to empty its system of obvious supermarket-themed jokes (customers returning half-eaten produce, staff getting stage fright when asked to use the public address system, etc.) It'll be interesting to see how Trollied fares when it's exhausted that top layer of unavoidable japes the audience are almost expecting to hear, and is then forced to get imaginative and rely more on the characters for material that isn't tethered to the environment.

This is still a show where the familiar milieu is the star, see—partly because we don't know the characters that well yet, but I'm hopeful the writing will get stronger. There are definitely signs of potential greatness: such as the wonderful, easy chemistry between butchers Andy and Kieran. In particular, a scene where middle-aged Andy was challenged to chat-up a customer to prove he's still a virile man worked very well. Those characters also walked off with the premiere's funniest moment: having fun at Julie's expense with the homonym "interim-ing" and "into rimming". A laugh-out-loud misunderstanding that, frankly, kept me watching and actively willing the show to deliver a few more belly-laughs like that. None really came, but it wasn't a bad viewing experience. In fact, Trollied is already the best new British comedy I've seen in a very long time, but perhaps that just underscores how uninspired recent British comedies have been.

It's also nice to have a sitcom on TV that stands a real chance of becoming that rare thing in the UK comedy landscape: a show that speaks to multiple generations, thanks to how supermarkets are themselves melting pots for millions of different people. Younger viewers can attach themselves to the ennui of checkout operators, middle-aged viewers can enjoy the management shenanigans, and the elderly can enjoy seeing a few people their own age being represented. The supermarket backdrop also ensures a steady and ever-changing supply of one-off and recurring guest-star customers, albeit without much scope for big storylines because shopping's generally a brief activity.

Trollied certainly got the atmosphere of a supermarket just right, too. It was filmed on a replica set in Bristol, but you'd never tell. The performances were also good—although there were times when it felt like a few of the actors (Horrocks, Watkins) were playing things a little broader than their colleagues. Maybe some people were convinced this is the retail equivalent of The Office (seeing as they've even gender-reversed that show's Tim/Dawn/Lee love-triangle), while others are treating it as something more lightweight and cartoonish. Like a sitcom version of Coronation Street's Bettabuys storylines from the '90s, with gurning Reg Holdsworth and gangly Curly Watts. And to be fair, the show itself felt a little unsure what the tone should be. Fairly adult jokes about sexual acts like "rimming" suit the post-watershed 9pm timeslot it was in, yet the overall tone and style of the show was screaming family-friendly 8pm.

If Trollied can settle on what kind of show it wants to be, while also remembering that all the great sitcoms had complex characters you cared about or sympathized with, I envisage this working rather nicely when the birthing pains are over. I'm not sure the writing's good enough for it to become Dinnerladies-in-a-supermarket, but thanks to a strong premise and excellent cast, I think this could grow to become a perfectly decent and inoffensive sitcom.

written by Julie Rutterford / directed by Paul Walker / 4 August 2011 / Sky1

Trailer: DOCTOR WHO, series 6 part 2 (BBC)

"An impossible astronaut will rise from the deep and strike
the Time Lord dead... and this is where it begins..."

The BBC have debuted another trailer for the second half of Doctor Who's sixth series. It's not as good, or as long, as the trailer shown at Comic-Con recently, but it gives us a few extra teases about what the final batch of episodes have in store: like a pterodactyl and a giant pyramid. How do they get involved?

DOCTOR WHO returns to BBC1 and BBC America on 27 August.

Review: BEAVER FALLS (E4)

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Lara Pulver joins SHERLOCK as Irene Adler

Lara Pulver has joined the cast of Sherlock for series 2, which is currently filming. She will be playing Irene Adler, the famous "love-interest" of Sherlock Holmes, for the episode "A Scandal In Belgravia".

This is great news. I've been a fan of Pulver since her wonderful Disney villain-esque turn in Robin Hood a few years ago, and hated watching her get wasted in True Blood as Sookie's fairy godmother. Adler will undoubtedly be a much juicier role for her, full of sparkling dialogue. I hope she has good chemistry with Benedict Cumberbatch's sleuth, too. Incidentally, Pulver's also joined Spooks for its tenth series, so her star's clearly on the rise.

I guess this kills the internet rumour that Jekyll's Michelle Ryan was being lined up by co-creator Steven Moffat as Irene Adler! What do you make of Pulver's casting? A great choice, or are you concerned?

SHERLOCK series 2 returns in early-2012 on BBC1 with three new 90-minute episodes: "A Scandal In Belgravia", "The Hounds Of Baskerville" and "The Reichenbach Fall".

BREAKING BAD, 4.3 - "Open House"

This third episode revolved around territory, at home and at work. Walt (Bryan Cranston) was seething that Gus has installed a surveillance camera in the Superlab, so he can keep an eye on his cooks without interacting with them; Marie (Betsy Brandt) escaped from her life caring for disabled Hank (Dean Norris) by attending open houses, posing as various imaginary characters, while feeding her latent kleptomania; Jesse's (Aaron Paul) allowed his family's once-respectable home to become a chaotic round-the-clock meth party for reprobates to fight, have sex, take drugs, and play music; and Skyler (Anna Gunn) managed to get Walt focused on buying the car wash to launder their money, before hatching a plan to get their hands on the business for a knockdown price...

I really enjoyed "Open House", despite the fact it was something of a piece-moving exercise and lacked any big thrills. The show's so rich and involving that episodes like this can be oddly enthralling, and I'm intrigued by how season 4's been emphasizing the roles of Skyler and Marie. One criticism of Breaking Bad it's always been hard to argue against is that it's focused on the male demographic, but this year's been redressing the gender balance. There was an extended period of time when Walt didn't even appear in the episode, and Jesse's role was also very minor. In the past, the prospect of an episode that featured more Skyler and Marie wouldn't have been very appealing, but both actresses are being allowed to do great work this year. Our sympathies are primarily with Marie, given her insensitive treatment by bedridden Hank, who picks fault at the smallest mistakes she makes while looking after him, and her storyline was an interesting way to return to Marie's kleptomania—which never sat right in season 1, as it felt like unnecessary filler, but here it was a plausible way to show Marie's breakdown and desire to escape.

Skyler's also becoming a genuine asset to Walt's nascent "empire", although he's only just beginning to realize this. Incensed over Bogdan refusing to sell her the car wash for $897,000, affronting Walt's manhood in the process, it's Skyler who comes up with a fantastic plan to get her hands on the business, with a little help from Saul (Bob Odenkirk). A fake environmental inspector was sent to the car wash, alerting Bogdan of various erroneous problems with his water treatment system, meaning Bogdan's suddenly keener to sell Skyler his business—believing he's offloading an expensive liability—for a greatly reduced $800,000.

If "breaking bad" has given underachieving Walt a way to channel his chemistry skills and find a lucrative ruthlessness within himself, it seems that Skyler's beginning to discover hat her intelligence can be used for more than accounting in dead-end jobs. She's getting what she wants through non-violent means, and is clever enough to realize Walt can't go buying $320 bottles of wine because it will arouse suspicion, given he's an unemployed school teacher. "The devil's in the detail" as she puts it. But there will be a cost for Skyler somewhere down the line, as there's been for Walt, I'm sure. The lovely shot of milk suds slipping down a sink symbolizing Skyler's morals going down the drain.

I've been concerned that Hank's role is in danger of becoming tedious, or that keeping him unable to walk for a whole season might be problematic for storytelling possibilities. Here we got our first sign that Hank's going to have his occupational passions rekindled, as his colleague Tim (Nigel Gibbs) visited and gave him the "Lab Notes" book they found at Gale's murder scene. Hank will assumedly find connections between Gale's scribblings and the work of nemesis "Heisenberg", and become Breaking Bad's own Perry Mason. Now with a purpose beyond cataloguing minerals, and watching soft porn or bowling on TV, the atmosphere between Hank and Marie will hopefully lift and get back to something approaching normality.

I know there's been some concern that season 4's started on a less exciting and propulsive note than previous year. Season 1 had the core idea of a teacher becoming a criminal (and we were dissolving a corpse by episode 2), season 2 had Walt and Jesse's kidnapping by a drug kingpin, season 3 had the portentous presence of the Mexican twins, but season 4 doesn't have anything as comparatively gripping. But I'm not too concerned yet, because it feels like the writers are just confident its audience have patience, and the story is simply building its foundations ready for a spurt of energy. If there's one thing that dragged season 3 down, for me, it was how the pacing would rise and fall in such extremes, but season 4 is hopefully going to just keep building and building on an upward trajectory.

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode for many reasons. There were plenty of interesting and memorable sequences, particularly with Jesse's continuing private meltdown. The moment when he went go-karting alone, literally screaming around the track, again showed how desperate he is to be distracted and regain some sense of control. This was then topped by the moment Jesse got his lethargic house guests active by throwing money into the air, watching them scramble for it like maggots at his feet. As usual, lots to ponder. Will Skyler and Walt's car wash business go well? Can Walt get Mike on his side? Is Gus going to remain hands-off with the business now? How far will Jesse descend before he gets help, or snaps out of it? Just how exactly is Hank going to figure into Gale's murder case, and will he perhaps blow Gus's entire operation sky high? And if so, can Walt and Jesse escape the fallout?

Asides

• In related news, you may have heard that Breaking Bad has been shopped around to three rival cable channels, owing to the fact AMC want to reduce the fifth season to between 5 and 8 episodes. This could just be posturing, to convince AMC to stump up for a full 12 episodes, by sending a sign that they're prepared to jump ship. Of course, if AMC really did let Breaking Bad go, I can't see its new broadcaster agreeing to finance just the one season. So maybe we'd end up with six seasons instead of the five creator Vince Gilligan wants to do? More than likely, AMC will back down and we'll get a normal-sized fifth and final season in 2012. But it's worrying how AMC seem to be having problems justifying the costs of their top three shows: Mad Men was only renewed after a tense standoff with creator Matthew Weiner, and Frank Darabont allegedly left The Walking Dead partly because of budget cuts that will be imposed.
• Breaking Bad is a show that seems to attract notable guest directors. British director David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days Of Night, Twilight Eclipse) was behind the camera for this episode, in a less attention-grabbing capacity than Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom) last season, but it was still another example of fantastic TV direction. For the purposes of these reviews I screengrab the show, and Breaking Bad's one of the few TV productions that delivers visually interesting shots at almost every instance.

written by Sam Catlin / directed by David Slade / 31 July 2011 / AMC

TRUE BLOOD, 4.6 – "I Wish I Was The Moon"

If there's a theme running through season 4, it's the fragility and flexibility of personal identity. Tara (Rutina Wesley) had run away to become a New Orleans cage-fighter; Marnie (Fiona Shaw) has invited the spirit of an executed witch to possess her; similar is now happening to Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) with his boyfriend's creepy uncle, and Arlene's (Carrie Preston) baby with a mysterious ghost; Jason (Ryan Kwanten) spent this hour terrified he'll become a were-panther during the Full Moon; Tommy (Marshall Allman) accidentally triggered his newfound "skin-walking" ability, to shape-shift into his brother Sam (Sam Trammell) for a day; and Eric's (Alexander Skarsgård) been transformed from imperious vampire to an amnesiac sweetheart.

"Let me tell you a little something about King Bill: he is a self-loathing, power-hungry, pompous little dork, and you hate his guts."

Maybe I've just started to accept that True Blood's more of a hodgepodge soap than streamlined drama, but "I Wish I Was The Moon" was another hour that passed by pleasantly for me. There's no great secret behind why this is so: most of the stories are entertaining right now, the weaker ones slip by quickly, and there's been a noticeable move to emphasize characters over gore, violence and sex. A scene where Jason had a panic attack in the wilderness, finding unexpected support from Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), probably ranks as the show's best moment of simple humanity in a long time. It was just two people talking in the moonlight, finding a mutual connection when discussing their past, and being afraid of taking things further because of their friendship. Woll's been a highlight of the series for years, and I must admit I never expected her to really bounce off Kwanten so joyfully. Maybe the character of Jessica works best when she's trying to find love, as opposed to struggling through a relationship that's lost its spark. Whatever the reason, I hope the show explores this potential romance some more. Sorry Hoyt fans.

"It's like a werewolf, except a big-ass cat."

There was also a great performance from Trammell this week, who had to mimic his screen brother's mannerisms in scenes where Tommy had transformed into Sam and spent the day as his elder brother—firing Sookie (Anna Paquin) from her job, flirting with customers, and having sex with Luna (Janina Gavankar)—making it easy to see "Tam" as a hybrid of both brothers. This storyline may have been typical mistaken identity fare, done countless times in SF/fantasy circles, but it was performed well and opens the door for Tommy getting up to more mischief.

Eric continues to be a source of delight, and this episode marked a big turning point for his relationship with Sookie and Bill (Stephen Moyer). The latter having accidentally stumbled on Eric having sex with his ex-girlfriend, enraging him enough to incarcerate Eric at his mansion, using the excuse he's under the influence of witchcraft. Authority was even granted for King Bill to sentence Eric to a "one true death" staking, but Eric's change of personality and sweetness managed to work its charm on Bill and the execution was avoided. This meant Eric could return to Sookie for some rather stilted outdoor sex.

This is undoubtedly one of season 4's better storylines, if only because it's been given room to breathe and develop naturally over multiple episodes. I suspect Eric's going to be restored to normality before the season's done, though—ending a beautiful relationship when his memories return and denigrate the innocence that lies within him. Maybe it's inevitable, but the wrench should still work because of how well Skarsgård and Paquin are selling their moments together. I hope Eric's mental restoration is handled well, when it comes.

"Believe it or not, my entire existence does not revolve around what or who is between your legs."

I'm also enjoying Fiona Shaw's performance as Marnie, especially now we have insight into why she's being possessed. The spirit of dead witch Antonia (Paola Turbay), burnt at the stake by vampires, some of which she compelled out into the daylight as a final act of vengeance, has returned to finish what she started by killing survivors—including the vampire who raped her in prison. Shaw's great at flipping from bumbling fool to confident sorceress, and there's definitely a thrill to be had when she's turning the tables on vampires so effortlessly, mainly because True Blood's vampires are so supercilious it's satisfying to see them taken down a peg or two.

The situation with Jesus (Kevin Alejendro) seeking help from his mystical uncle isn't something I'm connecting with, as it feels a little extraneous and unnecessary right now. Lafayette being the conduit for a dead uncle, who assumedly has powers similar to Antonia, is perhaps setting up a finale where two possessed people fight each other for domination of vampirekind—but given how Jesus's family are being written as dodgy weirdos, it's hard to know if we're supposed to be glad Jesus and Lafayette are making progress.

"The ghost of my serial-killin' ex-fiance just tried to murder us in our sleep. We're just peachy."

Overall, "I Wish I Was The Moon" was another sign this season's settled into a groove, with enough good outweighing the bad. I can even stomach Arlene's fretting over her baby son, who burned down their home this week, as there are signs it's nothing to do with her ex-fiance, but rather the creepy doll Jessica gifted them and the ghost of a young black woman. It's still filler for the sake of providing minor characters with something to do, but at least the show isn't dwelling on it. Plus there were more down-to-earth moments I enjoyed this week—like Jason and Sookie spending some time together as brother and sister, amusingly referring to the fact there are so few "normal people" in town these days. True Blood's made its name with ostentatious sequences and a compulsive verve, but it's with quiet moments of simple interactions that the show feels like something worth watching again.

Asides

• I didn't see Andy (Chris Bauer) and Holly (Lauren Bowles) as a potential love-match, but that seems to be where we're headed. A good move, I feel. If you have two limp characters you don't know what to do with, make them a couple. It's a TV rule.
• Am I right in thinking Tommy can only change into family members as a "skin-walker", not anyone he pleases?
• If Jason isn't in any danger of becoming a were-panther, just what was the point of all those scenes at Hot Shot? He must surely transform at some point, or it's been a waste of time. But if he does, I hate how the show's so determined to turn all of its human characters into supernatural creatures.

written by Raelle Tucker / directed by Jeremy Podeswa / 31 July 2011 / HBO

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: AUGUST 2011 (Angry Boys, Camelot S1, Hanna, Limitless, Red Riding Hood, Source Code, Stargate Universe S2, Sucker Punch, Your Highness, etc.)

1 AUGUST

Camelot: Season 1 [DVD] [BLU-RAY] (** out of four)
Hobo With A Shotgun [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Limitless [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
New Tricks: Series 7 [DVD]
Spiral: Series 1-3 Box-set [DVD]
Spiral: Series 3 [DVD]
Star Trek Voyager: Complete Series [DVD] (** out of four)
Super [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Submarine [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Twenty Twelve: Series 1 [DVD]
Twilight Zone: Season 3 [DVD] [BLU-RAY]

8 AUGUST

A Touch Of Frost: Series 1-15 Box-set [DVD]
Stand By Me [BLU-RAY]
Spy Kids 1-3 Box-set [DVD] [BLU-RAY] (*½ out of four)
Sucker Punch [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
The Witches Of Oz [DVD]
Your Highness [DVD] [BLU-RAY]

15 AUGUST

90210: Season 3 [DVD]
Angry Boys [DVD] (**½ out of four)
Gossip Girl: Season 4 [DVD]
Mars Needs Moms [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Source Code [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Quarantine 2 [DVD]

22 AUGUST

Final Destination 1-4 Box-set [DVD] [BLU-RAY] (**½ out of four)
Red Riding Hood [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Supernatural: Season 1 [BLU-RAY]
The Vampire Diaries: Season 2 [DVD] [BLU-RAY]

29 AUGUST

Hanna [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Hop [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Killing Bono [DVD] [BLU-RAY]
Monk: Season 1-8 Box-set [DVD]
Stargate Universe: Season 2 [DVD]
Supernatural: Season 6 Part 1 [DVD]

TV Picks: 1-7 August 2011 (Big Love, Deadly 60 On A Mission, Hell's Kitchen USA, Ronnie Corbett's Comedy Britain, Trollied, etc.)

TROLLIED - Thursday, Sky1, 9PM

MONDAY 1st

Victorian Pharmacy (BBC2, 7pm) Series where sick people try old-fashioned remedies to try and cure their ailments.
The Secret Life Of Buildings (Channel 4, 8pm) Architectural series where critic Tom Dyckhoff investigates the world's relationship with buildings. (1/3)
Dying For A Drink (BBC1, 8pm) Documentary about the destructive power of alcohol.
Great Thinkers: In Their Own Words (BBC4, 9pm) Series looking at the history of 20th-century thinkers. (1/3)
My Life As A Turkey: Natural World Special (BBC2, 9pm) Natural history documentary focusing on wild turkeys and the reputation these fowl have with mankind.
PICK OF THE DAY Hell's Kitchen USA (ITV2, 9pm) Season 9 of the culinary gameshow. Hosted by Gordon Ramsay. (1/16)

TUESDAY 2nd

DIY SOS: The Big Build (BBC1, 9pm) Return of the large-scale renovation series. Hosted by Nick Knowles. (1/3)
PICK OF THE DAY Timeshift: All The Fun Of The Fair (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary series on the history of the theme park, from the Victorian era, through the 1950s, to modern times. (1/2)
True Stories: The Redemption Of General Butt Naked (More4, 10pm) Documentary on evangelic minister Joshua Milton Blahyi, a feared warlord of the 14-year Liberian Civil War.
An Abuse Of Trust (BBC1, 10.35pm) Investigation into Derek Slade, a headteacher caught 30 years ago, who may have offended in Africa and Asia.

WEDNESDAY 3rd

PICK OF THE DAY My Resignation (BBC4, 10pm) Documentary on the practice of public figures to resign from their job, and how this decision can be influenced by the public and the media. Narrated by Tamsin Greig.

THURSDAY 4th

BBC Proms 2011 (BBC4, 7.30pm) Pre-recorded concert of Tasmin Little performing Elgar's Violin Concerto.
PICK OF THE DAY Trollied (Sky1, 9pm) Brand new supermarket sitcom. Starring Jane Horrocks, Mark Addy, Nick Blood & Jason Watkins (1/8)
The TA And The Taliban (Watch, 9pm) Documentary about the Territorial Army's role fighting in Afghanistan. (1/6)
Warehouse 13 (Syfy, 9pm) Season 3 of the US sci-fi drama. (1/13)
Little Box Of Horrors (E4, 10pm) Clipshow series of bizarre adverts, TV shows and public information films. Hosted by James Buckley. (1/5)
Amy Winhouse: The Untold Story (Channel 5, 10pm) Tribute to the Grammy-winning British singer, who died last week.

FRIDAY 5th

Superheroes Of Suburbia (Channel 4, 7.35pm) Documentary on a modern-day, real-life superhero who patrols Torbay as "The Dark Spartan".
Someone's Daughter, Someone's Son (ITV1, 9pm) Documentary on the murder of nurse Jane Clough, viciously stabbed 71 times in Blackpool. (1/3)
U2 At Glastonbury 2011 (BBC4, 9pm) Highlights of US at this year's Glastonbury festival.
PICK OF THE DAY Big Love (Sky Atlantic, 9pm) Season 3 of the US drama. Starring Bill Paxton, Chloe Sevigny, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Amanda Seyfried & Ginnifer Goodwin. (1/12)

SATURDAY 6th

Final Score (BBC1, 4.30pm) Return of the sports highlights series. Presented by Gabby Logan.
PICK OF THE DAY Ronnie Corbett's Comedy Britain (ITV1, 9pm) Series where the British comedian reflects on his 60-year career. Featuring interviews with Miranda Hart, Matt Lucas, David Mitchell, John Cleese & Stephen Merchant. (1/2)

SUNDAY 7th

PICK OF THE DAY Deadly 60 On A Mission (BBC1, 6pm) Series where Steve Backshall goes on a quest to find the world's 60 deadliest animals. (1/6)