Saturday 22nd - Friday 28th January 2011

Saturday
9.00pm British Comedy Awards Channel 4 - Jonathan Ross hosts this year's British Comedy Awards live on C4. Before a room of comedic greats, Jonathan reveals the winners from the 13 categories including the new gold award that will crown the King or Queen of Comedy 2010, as voted by the public. Plus there are more new categories with a greater focus on celebrating the country's best comedy performers. In addition to Best Comic Actor and Actress, and Best Comedy Entertainment Personality, there will be recognition of the Best Male and Female TV Comic for the first time ever. And as always a gang of A-List guests will keep the winners and audience on their toes. Lauren Laverne and Rick Edwards host the British Comedy Awards: Live Lock-In on E4 straight after the Awards air on4.
9.45pm The Tudors BBC2 - New series of the American series.
10.40pm Nurse Jackie BBC2 - Second series of the American drama series starring Edie Falco.
Sunday
8.00pm Top Gear BBC2 - Clarkson, Hammond and May return for the 16th series of the motoring series.
9.00pm Terry Wogan's Ireland BBC1 - The former Radio 2 host tours his homeland. He travels back to Dublin, the city he left behind as a teenager, and all the way back to his birth town of Limerick, taking in the length and breadth of the heart-stoppingly beautiful Irish Coast en route. For Sir Terry, this is an opportunity to cherish the old, and to seek out and celebrate the new face of Ireland.
9.00pm Being Human BBC3 - Third series of the sci-fi comedy/drama. A move to Wales sees them continue their quest to live like normal human beings, but the net is closing in on Mitchell, Annie is trapped in purgatory and George and Nina battle domestic challenges. If Mitchell is to rescue Annie from purgatory, he must face up to his haunting past. George is arrested moments before the full moon. Guest starring Robson Green and Ex-EastEnder Lacey Turner.
9.00pm Justce BBC4 - Michael Sandel casts an outsider's eye on contemporary Britain and explores the big philosophical themes behind such present-day dilemmas as what is meant by the 'big society' and 'fairness' in a special televised debate.
Monday
9.00pm Laura Hall: My Battle with Booze BBC3 - The efforts of 21-year-old Laura Hall, who was given the first-ever UK National Drinking Banning Order, to kick her alcohol habit and get her life back on track are followed in a documentary in BBC Three's season exploring the pleasures and the dangers of sex, drugs and drink.
9.00pm Justice: A Citizen's Guide to the 21st Century BBC4 - Documentary in which renowned Harvard professor Michael Sandel looks at the philosophy of justice. Is it acceptable to torture a terrorist in order to discover where a bomb has been hidden? Should wearing the burka in public be banned in Europe, if the majority of citizens disapprove? Sandel goes in search of Jeremy Bentham, Immanuel Kant and Aristotle, three philosophers whose ideas inform much contemporary thinking on justice, and tests their theories against a range of contemporary problems.
Tuesday
10.00pm How TV Ruined my Life BBC2 - Brand new comedy series in which Charlie Brooker uses a mix of sketches and jaw-dropping archive footage to explore the gulf between real life and television. From hysterical public information films to grisly crime dramas, terror spills out of almost every channel. As Charlie explores TV's approach to fear, you won't know whether to laugh or scream. Warning: contains traces of Michael Buerk and a semi-naked lady.
10.35pm The Science of Pain & Pleasure with Michael Mosely BBC1 - Michael Mosley learns how the hottest chilli in the world creates euphoria in the brain, why parents have an overwhelming surge of love for their newborn child and what happens if you turn your own wedding into a chemistry experiment. We all know that where there is pleasure, pain can't be far behind, and Michael gamely exposes himself to some painful experiments to show why the two are so interlinked. Why is pain so important and how can we measure it? How much pain are we prepared to put up with if the reward is right and what would happen if we couldn't feel pain at all? And how far is Michael prepared to go in the name of pleasure?
Wednesday
7.30pm The National TV Awards 2011 ITV - Dermot O'Leary presents this year's ceremony live from London's O2 Arena. This year's show promises to be the biggest ever, so expect a spectacular night of red carpet glamour, high-octane music performances, surprise special guests and nail-biting drama. Over the course of the evening, Dermot - himself a first-time nominee - will reveal the results of a massive nationwide public vote. Programmes up for awards include The X Factor, Doctor Who, Sherlock and the soaps, while nominated stars include EastEnders' Lacey Turner, Philip Glenister, David Jason and Matt Smith. The Afterparty can be seen on ITV2 at 10.00pm
9.00pm Posh & Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britain BBC2 - For 33 years from 1964 and 1997 - from Harold Wilson to John Major - every single British prime minister of all parties went to a state school. But now public school boys seem firmly back in charge again. In this very personal journey Andrew Neil questions if their rise symbolises the decline of social mobility in the British society and asks if our politics is set to get posher still.
Thursday
8.00pm Britain's Secret Schindler Revealed Five - Documentary exploring the remarkable story of Nicholas Winton, an unlikely hero who rescued hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in the run-up to World War II. Featuring archive footage alongside testimony from Winton and many of the people he saved, the film gives credit to the man who took action at a time when the rest of Britain seemed to be turning a blind eye to the plight of the Jews.
9.00pm JLC: Turning Japanese Five - Documentary series following Justin Lee Collins as he attempts to get to grips with Japanese culture. In a quest to find out what makes Japanese men and women tick, Justin visits a 'love doll' emporium, attends a dating college, and spends an evening as an escort.
9.00pm Cannabis: What's the Harm? BBC3 - Ex-EastEnders star James Alexandrou, who was caught smoking cannabis by the tabloids, finds out the truth about the most popular illegal drug in Britain, sees the lengths people will go to get it and discovers exactly where it comes from.
9.00pm The Highest Court in the Land BBC4 - Four of the Justices of the Supreme Court talk about the nature of justice and how they make their decisions in a film that offers a revealing glimpse of the human characters behind the judgments and explores why the Supreme Court and its members are fundamental to our democracy.
10.00pm Skins E4 - Fifth series of the teen drama with a brand new cast. There are eight new friends, four boys: Nick, Rich, Alo, Matty and four girls: Franky, Liv, Mini and Grace. Franky starts at Roundview and is determined not to be a loner and things seem to be going well until she accidentally challenges Mini's position as queen bee and when she doesn't conform to Mini's expectations, she's spat out. Franky then meets Matty who understands and empowers her giving her the strength to stand up to Mini. Grace admires Franky, and a new gang is formed with Alo, Rich and Grace. Franky has finally found friends, but in doing so has started a war with Mini.
Friday
9.00pm Embarrassing Bodies Channel 4
10.00pm The Million Pound Drop Live Channel 4

Saturday 15th - Friday 21st January 2011

Saturday
7.05pm Dispatches Channe 4 - As part of the The Big Fish Fight season on Channel 4 championing sustainable seafood, Dispatches investigates the fish sold on Britain's high street to find out where it is sourced, how it is processed and what is actually in it. In this report, Channel 4 News presenter Alex Thomson unwraps one of the nation's favourite dishes.
7.30pm Pete Postlethwaie Tribute BBC2
10.05pm The British Comedy Awards: The Nominations Channel 4
Sunday
9.00pm Gordon Ramsay: Shark Bait Channel 4 - Gordon Ramsay loves sharks - and this passion leads him on his most personal mission yet: to investigate the controversial dish, shark fin soup. To understand more about the kings of the ocean, Gordon plunges in to swim with the deadly bull shark, in his scariest challenge to date.
10.00pm Comic's Choice Channel 4 - n the week leading up to The British Comedy Awards some of the UK's favourite comedians talk to Bill Bailey about who they think deserves an award. Alan Davies kicks off the first show followed by Lee Mack, Jo Brand, Jessica Hynes and Sean Lock who each talk to Bill about their all-time fantasy nominations; from past comedic greats to present day comedy icons, in some of the categories from The British Comedy Awards.
Monday
2.15pm Land Girls BBC1 - The Period drama returns for a second series.
4.30pm Perfection BBC2 - General knowledge quiz show hosted by Nick Knowles. One thousand pounds is up for grabs in each game but only by achieving absolute perfection will contestants win the prize. If they fail to achieve perfection the money rolls over to create an even bigger jackpot for the next game.
8.00pm The Birth of Britain Channel 4 - Tony Robinson tells the epic story of how the Britain was formed, and how the earth beneath our feet has shaped the country we live in today. Scattered across Britain are the remnants of a surprising volcanic past. In the first episode of the series, Tony Robinson unearths these volcanic treasures, which lie hidden in the landscape and beneath some of our most iconic landmarks. Tony travels the country, meeting the experts who reveal the impact of volcanoes on Britain's development, from a volcano blasting in the heart of Edinburgh and mega-volcanoes unleashing Armageddon in Snowdonia, to unstoppable lava floods in Skye and a gigantic slab of magma beneath Northumberland giving a helping hand to the Romans.
9.00pm Ready, Steady, Drink BBC3 - Inbetweeners star Emily Atack takes a look at the culture of drinking games and 'speed-drinking' in the UK, the consequences it can have and what is being done to tackle some of these problems. She meets people who love to pre-drink and others who take drinking games to the extreme - including a group of vodka eyeballers - in order to try and find out why we drink so quickly in this country.
Tuesday
8.00pm The Year Britain Froze Channel 4 - Britain's roads were in chaos; aircraft were strewn over runways as airports ground to a halt; thousands of cars were abandoned; trains and passengers froze overnight; ambulance services had their busiest day ever; and lives were lost as a deadly freeze gripped the country. All over the country people suffered inconvenience, hardship and danger.
9.00pm Britain's Banks: Too Big to Save? BBC2 - More than two years since the giant banks were bailed out with billions of pounds of tax-payers' money, little has been done to reform or regulate these vast institutions. The BBC's business editor Robert Peston looks at how the international regulators, a little-known and secretive committee that sits in the Swiss city of Basel, have consistently failed to curb the excesses of the giant banks and how new proposals fall short of the root-and-branch reform promised after the crash.
9.00pm My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding Channel 4 - Five-part fly on the wall follow up to last year's Cutting Edge Documentary that follows the preperations of Traveller Weddings.
10.00pm The Cleaveland Show E4 - The second series of the Family Guy Spin-off.
10.30pm Coming of Age BBC3 - Return of the Teen Sitcom.
10.35pm Kara Tointon: Don't Call Me Stupid BBC1 - Documentary first shown on BBC3 last year where the Strictly winner disscusses her battle with Dyslexia subjecting herself to tests to try and find a way to beat the hold the conditon has on her life.
Wednesday
8.00pm Will My Crash Diet Kill Me? Channel 4 - 2-part documentary that investigates the dangers of Crash diets.
8.00pm Cowboy Builders Five
9.00pm Mary Portas: Secret Shopper Channel 4 - Mary Portas moves to Channel 4 with a brand new 4-part series where she goes undercover to see just how bad Customer Service has become.
9.00pm Hattie BBC4 - Drama, based on true events, showing how Carry On actress Hattie Jacques's home life was blown apart by a secret sexual liaison with her handsome young driver while she was married to Dad's Army star, John Le Mesurier. Starring Ruth Jones as Hattie.
10.00pm Never Mind the Buzzcocks BBC2 - The hidden Russell Brand episode finally gets an airing.

10.00pm The Joy of Teen Sex Channel 4 -  New series offers a frank  exploration of the love and sex lives of today's teenagers - presenting solutions to the emotional and physical problems many of them experience. Fronted by Dr Rachael Jones, social worker Ruth Corden, and resident sex coach Joanna Wierzbicka, the series revolves around visitors to the Sex Advice Shop walk-in clinic, where the team are on hand to offer young people, and sometimes their parents, support and professional advice.
Thursday
7.00pm Who Does What BBC2 - Six couples undergo the most probing and thorough relationship audit imaginable. Undergoing 24 hour filmed surveillance, statistics reveal the percentage of who really does what in the couples' relationships. Household activity is analysed using hard facts and figures, comparing what couples think they do with what they actually do. In this episode Lisa and Jon from Essex, and Jayne and Neil from Salisbury are under the microscope. Lisa and Jon are feeling the strain running their own businesses and looking after two young children. Lisa feels she needs more help in the house. Jon thinks she should stop working so hard and that he does plenty to help. Jayne and Neil run a demanding business together, have two daughters aged 10 and 14 to look after and an immaculate home to keep in order. But Jayne feels she is doing more than her fair share and that Neil does little to help her - so what is the truth?
8.00pm American Idol ITV2 - The signing competition returns with host Ryan Seacrest and new judging panel Randy Jackson, Stephen Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. Continues Friday.
9.00pm Rome Wasn't Built in a Day Channel 4 - Six-part series where Foreman Jim, plasterer Tim, plumber Kevin, carpenter Fred, brickie Darren and labourer Ben are going to try to construct the first authentic Roman villa in Britain in 1,600 years, using only tools and materials that were available to the Romans.
10.00pm 10 0'Clock Live Channel 4 - A new weekly, live comedy and current affairs show hosted by David Mitchell, Jimmy Carr, Charlie Brooker and Lauren Laverne. Each week the hosts present an intelligent, informative and - most importantly - funny take on the world of current affairs, via a mix of debates, interviews, topical comedy, investigations and opinion pieces. They are joined by the finest and sharpest minds from comedy, politics, science and culture - live, in front of a studio audience.
Friday
7.30pm Island Parish BBC2 - Series following a year in the life of the most southerly islands of the Outer Hebrides, off the north-west coast of Scotland. A nervous young Roman Catholic priest, Father John Paul Mackinnon, arrives on the tiny island of Barra to take up his new post as parish priest, but how will he cope with life in one of Britain's remotest communities? And will he ever be able to live up to the expectations of his two fellow experienced priests, Father Calum and Father Roddy?
8.00pm Ice Road Truckers Five
9.00pm The 50 Funniest Moments 2010 Channel 4 - Chris Moyles, Alistair Campbell, Andi Osho and a sackful of comedians and celebrities look back at the 50 funny, weird and sometimes frankly disturbingly wrong moments that made 2010 what it is today. Warning: contains footage of donkeys and Gillian McKeith!
9.00pm Lost for Words ITV3 - Drama about an opinionated old woman who loses the power of speech after a stroke. Eccentric Mrs Longden is used to having her own way - from choosing her own Mother's Day card to explaining the best way to wash a cat - but when she has a stroke, Deric remains devoted to his dotty mum. Played in tribute of Pete Posethwaite.

Episodes, BBC2

There’s a lovely exchange in this superb new comedy as husband and wife BAFTA Award-winning writers, Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig), debate whether to adapt Lyman’s Boys for an American audience after meeting brash executive Merc Lapidus (John Pankow).


The enthusiastic Sean is trying to convince the more circumspect Beverly. He says, “We’d never have to work again!” There’s a silence before Bev replies, “What would we do instead?”

This encapsulates the dilemma of artists and performers the world over – whether to follow the money for the luxury it provides or the fulfilment of artistic integrity – which is the central theme explored. Loosely speaking, the two leads are the opposite desires, which are followed from moment the first cracks appear in the previous determination to make brilliant TV shows without the risk of dilution through the compromise demanded by the American market.

Sean persuades Beverly to follow his dream of working in Hollywood. As the episode progresses his bravado is slowly eroded by a series of unexpected events as one after another promises made to them are broken.
 
Their luxury house turns out to be the fag end of a lease from a reality TV show (explaining the fake Greek columns Sean keeps bumping into), while in a meeting it becomes clear none of the Americans producing the show has actually watched a single episode, their excitement generated by the “success” and “awards” rather than the quality of the writing, effectively casting Sean and Beverly as redundant figureheads in the creative process to be chewed up and spat out as if they were dog-eared first script drafts.


It culminates in a painful scene where Julian Bullard (Richard Griffiths) has to audition before Merc and his cronies for the lead role he had in the successful British version of the show. Julian plays the scene marvellously opposite Andy, one of Merc’s lapdogs. In the audience, Sean and Beverly laugh in tandem with Merc’s cronies, who in turn echo Merc’s own ostensibly authentic mirth.

After the audition is over, Sean and Beverly assume he’s got the role until Merc makes a few minor, apparently innocuous observations on the way Julian played the role. His views are deliciously compounded by the ripple of disapproval that races across the faces of his stooges until he insists – but insists by way of blithe suggestion – that Julian redo the audition playing it as an American. After asking Julian to come back, Sean says to the small audience, only half-jokingly, “You all remember Julian Bullard?” But he blows the audition, and walks out halfway through.
 
The whole script is wonderfully embroidered with such moments of witty pathos, and is beautifully played by the whole cast, among who Tamsin Greig is especially exquisite, sometimes hardly breathing the lines to convey her despair at the butchery of the original show.
 
The one small flaw is that, despite being a ‘behind-the-scenes’ comedy nothing in it surprised us. Admittedly much of the humour was derived by matching expectations rather than confounding them, but this sort of show has been done enough now that the synthetic whitewashed offices decked out in cream furniture and the glue-on smiles of the insipid executives border on the cliché.
 
Thankfully, the indelible humour and wonderful cast relegate these familiarities into extraneous background details that hardly dim the uncompromised brilliance.