You’d think Adrian Edmondson would have left his flatsharing days far behind him in the 1980s, along with his psychotic The Young Ones incarnation Vyvyan, but he’s getting back into the old Pot Noodle, mouldy-cheese-in-the-fridge game for ITV’s latest stab at sitcom glory, Teenage Kicks.
The series, which started out life on Radio 2, debuts on ITV1 on Friday 28 March and stars Edmondson as ageing rocker and ultimate embarrassing dad Vernon who moves in with his student kids when his wife throws him out.
If we’re honest, it owes more to cosy shows like My Family than the anarchy that Edmondson is usually associated with, but it’s a fairly inoffensive way to spend half an hour on Friday night when you don’t fancy popping down to the pub.
Last year’s celebrity version of The Apprentice in aid of Comic Relief provided one of our favourite TV moments of 2007 when Piers Morgan was finally given his marching orders by Sir Alan.
This year’s, in aid of Sport Relief, will see a team of male celebs including ex-editor of The Sun Kelvin MacKenzie and Phil Tuffnell take on a women’s team featuring Kirstie Allsopp and Louise Rednkapp as they run rival shops in the West End of London. And, judging from the preview clip below, promises to be every bit as enjoyable.
The fun begins on BBC1 tomorrow night at 9pm and concludes at around 9.30pm on Friday.
8.00, Unknown Africa, BBC2 NEW SERIES Wildlife presenter Saba Douglas-Hamilton ventures off the beaten track in her native Africa, travelling to parts of the continent she has never seen before which have largely escaped the attention of other film-makers too.
10.00, Keith Lemon’s Very Brilliant World Tour, ITV2 NEW SERIESBo’ Selecta star Leigh Francis gives his comedy creation Keith a show of his own. In a bizarre mix of comedy and reality TV, the blond, self-styled ladies’ man travels the world with various celebrity companions in tow. The famous faces letting their guard down include Dermot O’Leary, Tamzin Outhwaite and Holly Willoughby. First stop - Vegas!
10.30, Laura, Ben and Him, ITV2 NEW SERIES Up-and-coming comedians Laura Solon, Ben Willbond and Marek Larwood are the stars of this promising new sketch show, with characters including a foul-mouthed vicar, two macho City bankers having a bit of a Brokeback Mountain moment, and a pair of obsessive cyclists who literally bore people to death.
6.15, Athletics, Eurosport LIVE There’s loads of athletics action today, with highlights on Eurosport from 11.45am, but the live coverage starts at 6.15, and you can also see it on BBC2 from 7.30. The race everyone will be watching is the 60m, as controversial sprinter Dwain Chambers returns to the track after a two-year ban.
9.00, New Hero of Comedy, Channel 4
This week’s featured comedian is Sacha Baron Cohen, who has gained notoriety with his outrageous characters Ali G and Borat. Friends and victims of his maverick interviewing style discuss the impact of his comic creations.
10.35, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, BBC1
Ex-EastEnder Michelle Ryan joins Rossy to talk about her starring role in the glossy remake of Bionic Woman, which begins next Tuesday on ITV2. The other guests are Goldie Hawn and chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, and there’s music from 1960s Motown group The Temptations.
If you’ve been watching Bravo’s highly implausible but fun new heist drama The Kill Point, you may, like us, have found yourself playing Who’s That Corner Boy? on several occasions.
Two episodes in, and we’ve already spotted three faces from The Wire. With the fifth and, sadly, final season of that particular series yet to hit our screens, we can’t help feeling it just doesn’t seem right to have them playing away from the projects…
War veteran turned heister Mr Cat (second from right, played by J D Williams) was last seen face-down on a Baltimore corner as ’Bodie’ Broadus, after being capped by crimelord Marlo’s henchmen.
Leo Fitzpatrick, who played Bubbles’ doomed drug buddy Johnny Weeks, is Mr Cat’s colleague Mr Mouse (second left – and, yes, there is a Reservoir Dogs theme developing here).
And finally, and most shocking, Omar Little (Michael K Williams), Baltimore’s finest stick-up artist, is rigged out in full SWAT uniform as ‘Q’, fighting for the good guys! Omar would turn in his grave.
We caught up with rising young star Nathalie Lunghi, who recently appeared in The Palace and will soon be gracing your screens again in BBC3 teen drama The Things I Haven’t Told You.
How would you describe The Things I Haven’t Told You?
It’s a David Lynch style, dark thriller but also young and exciting - full of twists and turns you don’t expect. Every character has a secret, so much so that a lot of the actors didn’t even know what they are. All of the characters are petrified that their secrets are going to come out and ruin their reputations.
Is it still a teen drama at heart?
I don’t think of it as a teen drama because there is so much other stuff going on that you wouldn’t typically associate with one. None of us are fans of the usual teenage shows, to the point of being anti them. Everyone who made the show was young so it feels uniquely real and not patronising. It’s an observation of teenagers put in extremely stressful situations and seeing how they deal with them. It deals with the dark side of the internet for example and is definitely darker than most teen dramas at the moment. The writers have told us it will only get more shocking if it is turned into a series. Some of the secrets are certainly unexpected.
Did you know what was going to happen to your character, Geri, when you started filming?
We all agreed at the beginning that it would be helpful not to know each other’s secrets if that was how it was written for the characters. But I did know Geri’s secret, although there’s still a lot they haven’t told us – as it were – about where those secrets will lead and how they will develop.
So you would be as frustrated as the viewers if it didn’t become a series?
Yes, definitely. It’s also an incredible drama and like nothing else on TV. The director has made something incredibly visual which you don’t see every day.
Geri is the school bully. Was it difficult for you to play her?
It was difficult because I’m not a bitch like her! When I was at school I was bullied a bit so it was hard to play the bully for a change. It was fun eventually and you respond to how the other people react to you when you’re filming. I enjoyed the power after a while. I didn’t enjoy being mean to people who I had become great friends with and felt I had to say sorry to some of the others after a particularly nasty scene. In the original script I was shocked by how vicious Geri was, but in auditions and rehearsals they kept saying take it further – be really mean! In fact, she’s not just a spoilt bitch and she has her reasons. I think she’s started to believe her own hype too much. Also, she lives in a huge house without her parents around a lot so she’s not got a lot to fall back on. Without anyone to care about her, she’s been let loose to behave how she wants. And what will happen to her nemesis Aisling [Elizabeth Day], seeing as her death starts the story?
The story is told in flashback by Aisling, but it’s going to be as much about what happens after she dies as it is about what happens in the build up to her dying, which is what makes the idea of a series so intriguing. We’ll have to wait and see.
You’ve starred in ITV1’s The Palace this year too. What else is coming up for you?
I have my fingers crossed about both The Palace getting a second series and The Things I Haven’t Told You being commissioned. I can’t say yes to anything else until I know, and I don’t really want to move on from them yet either. The Palace was great fun to film. Spending three months in Lithuania was fantastic and the cast were amazing. I learnt so much from the older actors and I was pleased that my character, Princess Isabelle, got to be so rebellious! I know what would happen to her if there is a second series and her story has some interesting turns to come. She becomes even nastier in her rebellion against her family. While her sister, Princess Eleanor [Sophie Winkleman], wants to be queen, Isabelle doesn’t believe in any of it. She doesn’t want anything to do with it.
Please sir, can I have a job… Yes, Graham Norton is back with another star search and, this time around, he’s looking for a Nancy in a new West End production of Oliver!
I’d Do Anything begins on Saturday 15 March on BBC1, and promises to be essential viewing here at TV & Satellite Week Towers.
As much as we loved the ever-so-slightly-creepy-looking Andrew Lloyd Webber’s previous trawls for a new Maria and Joseph, we much prefer top-hatted pickpockets, kindly prostitutes and a bit of oom-pah-pah to twee nuns or sartorially-dressed biblical figures.
The series kicks off with nationwide auditions as girls from all over the land give their best Cockernee tart-with-a-heart impressions as they audition to play ill-fated Nancy.
In a new twist – pardon the pun – to the main search, Lloyd Webber is also looking for some wide-eyed, urchin-faced little boys to ask for more and become the next Oliver.
When it gets to the live knockout stages, John Barrowman and Denise Van Outen will be back on the judging panel, along with Barry Humphries, who has played Fagin on stage. Maybe Dame Edna herself might audition for Nancy!
We caught up with Norton to find out more – click on the read more link below to, er… read more! Keep reading →
9.00, The Fastest Man on No Legs, Five NEW The Extraordinary People features the amazing Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympian who has caused no end of controversy by asking if he can compete against able-bodied athletes in the Olympics.
9.00, Rock Rivals, ITV1 NEW SERIES Michelle Collins and Sean Gallagher play rival judges on a Pop Idol-esque TV talent show who are going through a bitter divorce, with the nastiness inevitably spilling over into their professional lives as they search for the next big pop star. The show’s makers claim it’s going to be as bitchy and over-the-top as Footballers’ Wives, and there’ll be a real-life viewers’ vote for the talent show winner at the end.
10.00, The Kill Point, Bravo NEW SERIES John Leguizamo leads a group of disillusioned ex-marines on a daring bank heist, but when it goes wrong he finds himself pitted against dogged hostage negotiator Donnie Wahlberg in a game of wit and bravado.
7.45, Champions League, ITV1, ITV4 & Sky Sports 2 LIVE Man United, Arsenal and Celtic all face crucial second-leg encounters with quarter-final places up for grabs. Arsenal have a chance to make history if they can be the first team to beat AC Milan on their home ground, and Man U are well-placed for their match against Lyon, but Celtic may have a tough time against Barcelona at the Nou Camp.
8.30, Johnny’s New Kingdom, BBC2 NEW SERIES Animal lover Johnny Kingdom returns for a fresh challenge as he tries to attract wildlife to redeveloped land near Exmoor in the hope of creating a new sanctuary. The series continues tomorrow night.
9.00, CSI, Five
Warrick finds himself on the wrong side of the interrogation table tonight after a rather maverick attempt to find out the truth about a club owner’s death. The episode is directed by William ‘Exorcist‘ Friedkin, so expect a suitably dark journey for the troubled team member.
Last night, after fighting our way past a huge crowd of fans (OK, geeks) dressed as wizards, we arrived at the world premiere of The Colour of Magic in London’s West End.
The lavish two-parter, which airs on Sky One over Easter weekend, is based on the first two novels in Terry Pratchett’s best-selling Discworld fantasy series, and Pratchett, together with stars David Jason and Sean Astin were in attendance at the screening.
The action follows inept wizard Rincewind (Jason), who is forced to become a tour guide to Discworld’s first tourist Twoflower (Astin), and for those who saw Sky’s first Pratchett adaptation, Hogfather the Christmas before last, The Colour of Magic definitely looks much more fun.
It’s full of slapstick, clever one-liners and for the Pratchett novice, the plot is fairly easy to follow, as our heroes travel from one disaster to another, battling dragon ladies, menacing thieves and Death himself.
It’s perfect viewing for the holiday weekend with great CGI, superb action sequences – including Jason fighting with a magic sword while suspended in an upside-down mountain (don’t ask) – and, best of all, a fantastically villainous turn from Tim Curry as Rincewind’s nemesis Trymon.
• For more news and backstage interviews go to the official website.
Twoflower and Rincewind.
Is the Head Librarian leading Rincewind and Twoflower into trouble?
The news that the much-missed Channel 4 comedy Spaced is being remade for American TV should, you would think, be cause for celebration. Think again. Simon Pegg, who created the original series with Edgar Wright and Jessica Hynes, is decidedly miffed and claims he has not been consulted in any way.
He has issued a lengthy statement attacking American broadcasters Fox and Granada, which holds the format rights to the show, on the fansite Peggster.net and he certainly doesn’t hold back. The full statement follows…
“Now that the pilot has been officially announced, I thought it might be a good idea to clarify my position on the subject. The whole affair seems to have inspired some spirited debate and some heartening displays of loyalty and love. All this for a show which is almost 10 years old, is all rather wonderful and a vindication of all the blood, sweat and tears (both of joy and pain) we shed in the show’s creation. It was always our aim to create a comedy which spoke to its audience on such a personal level, it almost felt one on one. It would seem the fan reaction to the news that Fox has appropriated the format, confirms at least, that we succeeded.
As far as remaking TV shows for different territories is concerned, I don’t have a problem. The Office remake being a perfect example. Yes, the original British version is a wonderful and compact piece of comedy writing and performance, but I think it’s bit much to expect a large scale American television audience to fully relate to the minutiae of day-to-day business life in an obscure British suburb. I’m sure if you’re reading this, you are the type of person who takes pleasure in the variety of entertainment you enjoy, relishing the differences between our various cultural touchstones but there is a massive audience out there, which perhaps isn’t as culturally savvy (euphemistic phrase for ‘geeky’) as we are and need their signifiers to be a little more familiar. So, Slough is replaced by Scranton, and the office archetypes become a little more archetypal to an American audience. The spirit of the show remains intact. The performances are uniformly great and the show scores big ratings and wins EMMYs, whether we as comedy purists prefer the original or not. The success of the remake is born out by it’s undoubted success and appeal.
My main problem with the notion of a Spaced remake is the sheer lack of respect that Granada/ Wonderland/Warner Bros have displayed in respectively selling out and appropriating our ideas without even letting us know. A decision I can only presume was made as a way of avoiding having to give us any money, whilst at the same time using mine and Edgar’s name in their press release, in order to trade on the success of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, even professing, as Peter Johnson did, to being a big fan of the show and it’s creators. A device made all the more heinous by the fact that the press release neglected to mention the show’s co-creator and female voice, Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson). The fact is, when we signed our contracts ten years ago, we had neither the experience or the kudos to demand any clauses securing any control over future reversioning. We signed away our rights to any input in the show’s international future, because we just wanted to get the show made and these dark days of legal piracy seemed a far away concern. As a result, we have no rights. The show does not belong to us and, those that do own it have no obligation to include us in any future plans. You would perhaps hope though, out of basic professional respect and courtesy, we might have been consulted. It is this flagrant snub and effective vote of no confidence in the very people that created the show, that has caused such affront at our end. If they don’t care about the integrity of the original, why call it Spaced? Why attempt to find some validation by including mine and Edgar’s names in the press release as if we were involved? Why not just lift the premise? Two strangers, pretend to be a couple in order to secure residence of a flat/apartment. It’s hardly Ibsen. Jess and I specifically jumped off from a very mainstream sitcom premise in order to unravel it so completely. Take it, have it, call it Perfect Strangers and hope Balkie doesn’t sue. Just don’t call it Spaced.
It’s a shame, since the pilot is now a certainty, whether we like it or not, a simple phone call and a few reassurances might have helped to at least curtail the tide of indignation from fans and creators alike. I have, as of yet, heard nothing.”
The second series of Gavin and Stacey begins on BBC3 later this month and picks up with the newlyweds, played by Mathew Horne and Joanna Page, returning home from their honeymoon to a big welcome from both families. To get you in the mood, here are a couple of preview clips from the first series…
8.00, Flash Gordon, Sci-Fi
NEW SERIES Eric Johnson plays the legendary interplanetary hero in this 21st-century revamp. Ming’s lost his goatee and epaulets, but he’s just as merciless as ever.
9.00, Mrs In-Betweeny, BBC3
NEW Amelia Bullmore has been lying low for a while, but with her recent appearance on Ashes to Ashes and now this dark drama it seems she’s back with a vengeance. She plays an eccentric pre-op transsexual who returns home from America to look after her orphaned nephews and nieces.
9.00, Breaking Into Tesco, Five
NEW SERIES Chef Simon Rimmer mentors a group of cooks as they vie to get their dishes on Tesco’s shelves. The products up for grabs include ’soup in a bun’ and a range of biscuits aimed at both humans and dogs. Harry Hill is going to have a field day.
9.00, Rob Brydon’s Identity Crisis, BBC4 NEW The comic reveals how a friend reacting badly to one of his stand-up routines has made him question the nation’s psyche, and investigates what it is to be Welsh by talking to fellow countrymen, including Rhys Ifans and Michael Sheen.
9.00, Walliams and Lucas: New Heroes of Comedy, Channel 4
After last week’s focus on Ricky Gervais, this week the Little Britain duo get the spotlight treatment, and reveal the many stumbling blocks they faced en route to success.
10.00, Kung Fu Killer, Sky One & Sky One HD NEW David Carradine and his Kill Bill co-star Daryle Hannah reunite for a martial arts revenge drama set in 1929 China.
8.00, Army Wives, Living NEW SERIES Kim Delaney heads the cast of this glossy new Desperate Housewives-style drama set on an army post. To the outside world they appear to have model marriages, but there’s plenty of domestic disarray behind closed doors. It’s fairly engaging, although it does become a bit mawkish in parts - not unlike the tone of Brothers and Sisters.
9.00, When Were We Funniest?, UKTV Gold NEW SERIES Alexander Armstrong presides over the search for Britain’s best decade of comedy, with heavyweights like Steptoe and Son competing against Fawlty Towers and The Office, giving the perfect excuse to dig out all those classic clips again.
10.00, Empty, BBC2 (regional times vary) NEW SERIES This is a poignant Glasgow-set sitcom, with Rab C Nesbitt actor Gregor Fisher and Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd starring as a pair of house clearers who strike up an unusual friendship through their work together, indulging in daft flights of fancy inspired by everyday circumstances.
9.00, Hope for Hayley, Five NEW A catch-up with nine-year-old Hayley Okines who suffers from a rare ageing condition. Since her first appearance on TV in 2004, Hayley’s condition has deteroriated, leaving her with the physical problems of a 90-year-old, including narrow arteries, arthritic joints and an increased risk of heart disease. Now she is about to take part in a radical and highly secretive new treatment in the USA which may turn her whole life around.
9.00, The Worlds of Fantasy, BBC4 NEW SERIES Fantasy novels have always been popular, but they have become some of the best sellers in publishing in the past 10 years. This three-parter asks why, beginning with the concept’s development since Victorian times and the success of recent franchises like Harry Potter and the Philip Pullman series.
10.35, Dexter, ITV1 (not Wales) REPLAY If you missed this first time round then here’s another chance to see Six Feet Under’s Michael C Hall in action as the Miami police forensics expert who satisifies his secret bloodlust by murdering criminals who have evaded justice. It sounds gory, but it’s surprisingly stylishly executed with just the right amount of dark humour.
9.00, Hotel Babylon, BBC1/BBC HD GUEST STAR Alan Davies shows up as a fiery celebrity chef who tries to boost the culinary credibility of the restaurant after a scathing review - quite a brave choice of role after his recent headline-grabbing behaviour! Anita Dobson, Nathaniel Parker and Lesley Garrett show up too.
9.00, The Woman Who Stops Traffic, Channel 4 NEW SERIES While many Brits are warming to the idea of reducing their carbon footprint by recycling and insulating their lofts, it seems we still draw the line at the threat of having to forego the comfort of our cars. This three-parter follows Kris Murrin as she tries to persuade motorists around the UK to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk - a request that meets with some shocking levels of resistance.
9.00, Professor Regan’s Supermarket Secrets, Sky One & HD NEW Another woman on a mission, this time Professor Lesley Regan. You might recall her previous telly appearance when she caused a stir with her verdict on anti-ageing creams. Now she’s applying the same stringent level of scientific testing to so-called health foods, assessing organic and probiotic foodstuffs against mass-produced alternatives.
7.30 & 8.30, Coronation Street, ITV1 SOAP SHOCK Violet and Jamie’s plans to do a runner from the Street are scuppered when she goes into labour in the Rovers with real dad Sean right there. Seriously though, how fast did the pair of them think they could run down Corrie’s cobbled streets with Violet heavily pregnant? Still, at least there’ll be plenty of liquid refreshment available to wet the baby’s head.
9.00, Ricky Gervais: New Hero of Comedy, Channel 4 NEW SERIES This is the first of three shows profiling some of Britain’s best comedians. Ricky is first up, as the programme looks at his earliest appearances on the 11 O’Clock Show and of course cult classics The Office and Extras, and talks to some of his collaborators along the way.
9.00, The Choir: Boys Don’t Sing, BBC2 SERIES FINALE After tonight you’ll probably be thinking the programme should be called Boys Do Sing - Eventually as Gareth Malone works his magic and gets his choir to turn in a rousing performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Proper feel-good telly.
