Monday 9 February 2015

TV Picks: 9-15 February 2015 – Arrow • Asylum • Better Call Saul • The Casual Vacancy • Bosch • The Flash • The Great Comic Relief Bake Off • The Walking Dead

Monday 9 February 2015

Below are my picks of the most notable new shows, returning or premiering on UK screens over the next 7 days...

MONDAY 9th
Heston's Recipe for Romance (Channel 4, 9pm) Culinary special where chef Heston Blumenthal tries to create a dish, with the help of scientists, that will instil romantic feelings in those who eat it.
Asylum (BBC4, 9pm) New satirical comedy about a government whistleblower and an internet entrepreneur, stuck together in a London embassy of a Latin American country after seeking political asylum. Starring Ben Miller, Dustin Demri-Burns, Kayvan Novak, Niky Wardley & Yasmine Akram. (1/3)
The Walking Dead (Fox, 9pm) Season 5 of the U.S post-apocalyptic thriller returns after a mid-year hiatus. (9/16)
Science of Stupid (Fox, 9.30pm) Series 2 of the show where Richard Hammond uses science to explain the pain behind popular online clips. (1/14)
Bob Servant (BBC4, 9.30pm) Series 2 of the comedy about an ambitious would-be politician living in Dundee. Starring Brian Cox, Jonathan Watson & Anita Vettesse. (1/3)
Better Call Saul (Netflix) Season 1 of the U.S legal drama and spin-off to Breaking Bad. Starring Bob Odenkirk, Michael McKean & Jonathan Banks.


TUESDAY 10th
The Big Bang Theory (E4, 7.30pm) Season 8 of the U.S comedy about a group of geeks friends. (1/24)
The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds (Channel 4, 8pm) Documentary snooping on a group of four-year-olds in a nursery full of hidden cameras, to assess their mental and social development.
The Flash (Sky1, 8pm) Season 1 of the U.S comic-book drama resumes after a mid-year hiatus. Starring Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker & Rick Cosnett. (10/22)
The Gift (BBC1, 9pm) New series where Mel Giedroyc and Matt Baker help people say 'thank you' or 'sorry' to people they've long since lost contact with. (1/4)
Young War Widows (ITV, 9pm) Profile of three women whose husbands died serving their country in Afghanistan.
Kid Criminals (Channel 4, 10pm) Two-part documentary about some of the 70,000 American children who are imprisoned today.
Uncle (BBC3, 10pm) Series 2 of the sitcom about a dysfunctional uncle and his nephew. Starring Nick Helm, Elliot Speller-Gillott & Daisy Haggard. (1/6)


WEDNESDAY 11th
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off (BBC1, 8pm) Series 2 of the charity special. The first contestants are Dame Edna Everage, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Lulu. (1/4)
Can You Cure My Cancer? (BBC1, 9pm) Panorama special about pioneering new drugs to treat cancer.
An Idiot's Guide to Politics (BBC3, 9pm) Documentary where comedian Jolyon Rubinstein tries to find out why modern youth are so disengaged with politics.
Tiny House Nation (More4, 9pm) New series looking at small living spaces across the U.S. (1/14)
Stella (Sky1, 10pm) Series 4 of the comedy. Staring Ruth Jones, Catrin Stewart, Steve Speirs & Daniel Gammond. (1/10)


THURSDAY 12th
Modern Times: 24 Hour Parcel People (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary capturing the months when City Link went into administration.
Britain's Biggest Primary School (Channel 5, 9pm) Documentary spending time at the large Gascoigne Primary School in Barking, east London. (1/4)
Arrow (Sky1, 8pm) Season 3 of the U.S comic-book drama resumes after a mid-year hiatus. Starring Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Willa Holland & Emily Bett Rickards. (10/23)
Quiz Nights (Sky2, 9pm) Pub quiz featuring groups of quizzers from around the UK. (1/8)
The Mentalist (Channel 5, 10pm) Season 7 of the U.S crime drama. (1/13)

FRIDAY 13th
Barging Round Britain with John Sergeant (ITV, 8pm) New series where the broadcaster explores the UK's canals and looks at their history. (1/8)
Flintoff: Lord of the Fries (Sky1, 8pm) New series where the ex-cricketer runs his own fish n' chip shop with cyclist Rob Penn. (1/6)
Bosch (Amazon Prime) Season 1 of the U.S detective drama, based on a best-selling series of books. Starring Titus Welliver.


SATURDAY 14th
How We Got to Now with Steve Johnson (BBC2, 7.35pm) New series where the science author explores the impact of six technologies on the world. (1/6)

SUNDAY 15th
Super Cute Animals (BBC1, 6pm) New series where cameraman Gordon Buchanan travels the world to find some of the cutest animals, revealing the science behind each one.
The Auction House (Channel 4, 8pm) Series 2 of the documentary about Lots Road Auctions. (1/3)
The Casual Vacancy (BBC1, 9pm) New series adapting J.K Rowling's novel about a seemingly genteel English village that's secretly at war. Starring Michael Gambon, Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Julia McKenzie, Joe Hurst, Richard Glover, Silas Garson & Rufus Jones. (1/3)


For a look at what the rest of the year's going to bring,