Monday 17 February 2014

TV Picks: 17-23 February 2014 (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Arrow, Brit Awards, Doll & Em, Moone Boy, The Smoke, True Detective, etc.)

Monday 17 February 2014

Below are my picks of the week's most notable shows, returning/premiering to UK screens...

MONDAY 17th
The British Immigration Row: Live (Channel 5, 8pm) Live studio debate about immigration.
Modern Family (Sky1, 8pm) Season 5 of the US sitcom. Starring Ty Burrell, Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sofia Vergara & Eric Stonestreet. (1 & 2/24)
Benefits Britain: The Live Debate (Channel 4, 9pm) Live studio debate about the welfare system. Hosted by Richard Bacon.
PICK OF THE DAY Moone Boy (Sky1, 9pm) Series 2 of the comedy-drama about a young boy growing up in Ireland during the late-'80s, with his imaginary friend. Starring David Rawle, Chris O'Dowd, Deirdre O'Kane & Peter McDonald. (1/6)
Is Amanda Knox Guilty? (BBC3, 9pm) Documentary about the American woman found guilty of murdering British student Meredith Kercher, after an Italian retrial.
8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4, 10pm) Series 17 of the comedy panel show about statistics and polls. Hosted by Jimmy Carr with team captains Sean Lock & Jon Richardson. Guests are Paul Hollywood, Dawn O'Porter, Joe Wilkinson & Rob Beckett. (1/9)
My Mad Fat Diary (E4, 10pm) Series 2 of the comedy-drama about an overweight teenager living in the mid-'90s. Starring Sharon Rooney, Ian Hart, Claire Rushbrook & Bamshad Abedi-Amin. (1/7)


TUESDAY 18th
The Great British Sewing Bee (BBC2, 8pm) Series 2 of the reality competition about amateur sewing. Presented by Claudia Winkleman. (1/8)
Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (Watch, 8pm) Series 2 of the wildlife show. Hosted by Sir David Attenborough. (1/10)
This World: How China Fooled the World with Robert Peston (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary about the hidden problems the Chinese economy has, which underpins its success.
Holiday Love Rats Exposed (Channel 5, 9pm) Documentary about Brits who have been conned out of small fortunes by con artists posing as lovers.
PICK OF THE DAY Dissected: The Incredible Human Hand (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary where anatomy experts dissect a real human hand. Presented by Dr George McGavin. (1/2)
Selling Houses with Amanda Lamb (More4, 9pm) New property series. (1/10)
Sexting Teacher (Channel 4, 10pm) Documentary about three teacher-pupil relationships in the modern age.
Doll & Em (Sky Living, 10pm) Semi-improvised comedy about a Hollywood actress who hires her childhood friend as a P.A. Starring Dolly Wells & Emily Mortimer. (1/6)


WEDNESDAY 19th
PICK OF THE DAY The Brit Awards 2014 (ITV, 8pm) Annual music awards show. Hosted by James Corden. Featuring Katy Perry, Bastille, the Arctic Monkeys, Bruno Mars, Ellie Goulging, Pharrell Williams, and many more.
Infested! Living with Parasites (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary about the many parasites that co-exist with mankind. Presented by Michael Mosley.
The Truth About Webcam Girls (BBC3, 10pm) Documentary looking at the world of adult webcam shows.
The Cleveland Show (Fox, 10pm) Season 4 of the US animated comedy. (1/23)

THURSDAY 20th
Reggie Yates's Extreme South Africa: The White Slums (BBC3, 9pm) Special where the presenter travels to South Africa, 20 years after the first democractic elections. (1/3)
Arrow (Sky1, 8pm) Season 2 continues. (10/23)
PICK OF THE DAY The Smoke (Sky1, 9pm) New fire-fighting drama. Starring Jamie Bamber, Jodie Whittaker, Rhashan Stone, Gerard Kearns & Pippa Bennett-Warner. (1/8)


FRIDAY 21st
PICK OF THE DAY Edge of Heaven (ITV, 9pm) New comedy-drama set in a 1980s-themed B&B in Margate. Starring Blake Harrison, Camille Coduri, Marcia Warren & Adrian Scarborough. (1/6)
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4, 9pm) Series 4 of the comedy panel show mash-up of 8 Out of 10 Cats and Countdown. Presented by Jimmy Carr with team captains Sean Lock & Jon Richardson. Guests are James Corden, Jack Dee, Joe Wilkinson & Joe Lycett. Also featuring Rachel Riley & Susie Dent. (1/2)

SATURDAY 22nd
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV, 7pm) Series 11 of the light entertainment show. Hosted by Ant & Dec with guests Michael Buble, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Langsford & Ashley Roberts. (1/7)
PICK OF THE DAY True Detective (Sky Atlantic, 9pm) New detective mystery drama spanning the 17-year-old case to catch a serial killer. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson & Michelle Monaghan. (1/8)


SUNDAY 23rd
PICK OF THE DAY Hunt vs Lauda: F1's Greatest Racing Rivals (BBC2, 7pm) Documentary about the famous rivalry in Formula racing during the 1970s, recently the basis of the movie Rush.