Monday 25 March 2013

Easter TV Picks: 25-31 March 2013 (Doctor Who, Labyrinth, Life's Too Short, Mindy Project, New Girl, Plebs, Revolution, The Village, The Voice, etc.)

Monday 25 March 2013

Below are my picks of the most notable TV shows premiering/returning to UK screens this week, which includes the Easter weekend...

MONDAY 25th
Boris Johnson: The Irresistible Rise (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary on the divisive Mayor of London, whose popularity appears to be mostly down to his eccentric personality.
Woodhouse in Exile (BBC4, 9pm) WWII drama about the famous author and how he was charged with treason and exiled from Britain. Starring Tim Piggott-Smith, Zoe Wannamaker, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Paul Ritter, Flora Montgomery, Ian McElihinney, Richard Dormer & Conor Mullen.
PICK OF THE DAY Plebs (ITV2, 10pm) New comedy about three young idiots living in Ancient Rome. Starring Tom Rosenthal, Joel Fry & Ryan Sampson. (1&2/6)


TUESDAY 26th
The Great British Bake Off: Easter Masterclass (BBC2, 8pm) Special edition of the baking series, where judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood present a masterclass on Easter recipes.
Keeping Britain Alive: The NHS in a Day (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary series looking at the whole of the NHS, with fly-on-the-wall camera crews. (1/8)
A Special Kind of Mum (BBC3, 9pm) Documentary on disabled mothers and the challenges they face raising their children.
How to Be a Lady: An Elegant History (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary where former editor of the Lady magazine, Rachel Johnson, tries unearth what makes a lady.
New Girl (E4, 9pm) Season 2 of the US sitcom about a quirky young woman living with three male housemates. Starring Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Jake Johnson & Hannah Simone. (1/25)
PICK OF THE DAY The Mindy Project (E4, 9.30pm) Season 1 of the US sitcom about a gynaecologist looking for love. Starring Mindy Kaling, Chris Messina, Ed Weeks, Anna Camp, Zoe Jarman, Amanda Setton, Stephen Tobolowsky, Bill Hader & Ed Helms. (1/24)


WEDNESDAY 27th
Phil Spencer: Secret Agent (Channel 4, 8pm) Series 5 of the property series helping home-owners secure a sale. (1/5)
PICK OF THE DAY Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time (BBC1, 9pm) Documentary on the infamous 79 A.D. disaster where Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city of Pompeii. Presented by Margaret Mountford.
Terry Pratchett: Facing Extinction (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary where the author revisits Borneo to see what's happening to the indigenous orangutans.
Prison Dads (BBC3, 9pm) Documentary following various fathers in HM Prison Glen Garva, Leicestershire.
A Horizon Guide to Transplants (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary on the breakthroughs in transplant surgery. Presented by Michael Mosley.
Are You Having a Laugh? Comedy & Christianity (BBC1, 11.05pm) Documentary on the British tradition of poking fun at Christianity. Presented by Ann Widdecombe.

THURSDAY 28th
PICK OF THE DAY James May's Man Lab (BBC2, 8pm) Series 3 of the show aiming to teach the nation's men valuable life skills many believe are being lost. (1/5)
Secret Eaters (Channel 4, 8pm) Series 2 of the show where Anna Richardson puts overweight households under 24-hour surveillance. (1/8)
Kids with Tourette's: In Their Own Words (ITV, 9pm) Documentary on there boys with Tourette's Syndrome, following their lives over six months.
40 Year Old Virgins (Channel 4, 9pm) Documentary on a 45-year-old man and 29-year-old woman who haven't had sex because of psychological issues.
Love Matters (Sky Living, 9pm) New series of comedies about modern-day love and romance. (1/6)
Imagine - Beyonce: Life is But a Dream (BBC1, 10.35pm) Profile of the global singing sensation and pop diva. Presented by Alan Yentob.

FRIDAY 29th
Modern Family (Sky1, 8.30pm) Season 4 of the US family drama resumes. (11/22)
My Hero: Miranda Hart on Eric Morecambe (BBC1, 9pm) Documentary on the late entertainer, from fan Miranda Hart.
PICK OF THE DAY Revolution (Sky1, 9pm) New US sci-fi drama about a world struggling to cope without any electricity. Starring Billy Burke, Tracy Spiridakos, Giancarlo Esposito, Zak Orth, David Lyons, Anna Lise Phillips & Graham Rogers. (1&2/22)


SATURDAY 30th
PICK OF THE DAY Doctor Who (BBC1, 6.15pm) Series 7 of the sci-fi drama resumes. Starring Matt Smith & Jenna-Louise Coleman. (7/14)
Richard Briers: A Tribute (BBC2, 7pm) Profile of the popular actor and sitcom star, who died recently after a 50-year showbiz career.
The Voice (BBC1, 7pm) Series 2 of the singing competition where the initial judgement is done blind. Coaches are Jessie J. Will.i.am, Tom Jones & Danny O'Donoghue. Hosted by Holly Willoughby & Reggie Yates.
Walking Through History (Channel 4, 8pm) Documentary series looking at some of the UK's most historic landscapes. Presented by Tony Robinson. (1/4)
Labyrinth (Channel 4, 9pm) Fantasy drama about a modern-day PhD graduate and a 13th-century Carcassonne whose lives are intertwined. Based on the novel by Kate Mosse. Starring Jessica Brown Findlay, Vanessa Kirby, John Hurt, Katie McGrath, Danny Keogh & Claudia Gerini. Concludes tomorrow. (1/2)
Life's Too Short (BBC2, 10pm) Hour-long special episode of the mockumentary following the fictionalised life of Warwick Davis. Co-starring Val Kilmer, Keith Chegwin, Les Dennis, Shaun Williamson, Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant.


SUNDAY 31st
All About The Good Life (BBC2, 5pm) Documentary on the classic British sitcom, 35-years after it premiered.
Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years (ITV1, 6.30pm) Entertainment special focusing on the 40-year oeuvre of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Featuring Nicole Scherzinger, Myleene Klas, Tim Minchin, Kimberley Walsh, Il Divo, Chris Moyles, Simon Cowell, Alex Ferguson, Michael Caine, and many more.
Donald Campbell: Speed King (BBC2, 8pm) Profile of the man who set world land and water speed records during the '50s and '60s. Narrated by Jim Broadbent.
Easter Eggs Live (Channel 4, 8pm) Live hatching of various animals, from crocodiles to cockroaches. Presented by Mark Evans. (1/2)
PICK OF THE DAY The Village (BBC1, 9pm) New drama following the villagers of a community throughout the past century. Starring John Simm, Maxine Peake, Rupert Evans, Juliet Stevenson & David Ryall. (1/6)