Memorable TV

We've got another bumper crop of giveaways up and running for your delectation and delight. There's family comedy with Shrek the Third, sitcom The Librarians, drama with Rain Shadow, Johnny Depp (not the man himself but a great DVD featuring a rare interview), Burt Lancaster,gorgeous kids show Charlie and Lola, music with Tony Bennet and not to forget our mammoth classic movies contest with stacks of box sets up for grabs. As always Memorable TV for full details. See you there.

The BBC have announced plans to make archeology exciting and sexy (what haven't they seen Time Team - Phil in his denim shorts and Mick's stripey jumpers, guaranted to get any women's pulses racing!), Bonekickers promises to be a major new series for Spring 2008. Julie Graham (Dalziel & Pascoe, William And Mary) is Gillian, a feisty Celt who heads up a team of archaeologists working out of Bath University. Adrian Lester (Hustle, Ballet Shoes) is Dr Ben Akomfrah, a forensic expert who brings an objective understanding to the team, Hugh Bonneville (Miss Austen Regrets, Tsunami) is the encyclopaedic but terminally louche, Professor Gregory Parton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Spooks, Tish Jones in Doctor Who) is the eager, young, post-grad intern, Viv Davis. As a team their skills combine under a variety of imperatives to extract bodies, books, weapons and all manner of artefacts which lead them into an investigation of the past that will unlock dangers and mysteries in the present

Step aside Harry Potter, there's a new child hero in town! The first of a trilogy by best-selling author Philip Pullman, 'The Golden Compass' is one of the most anticipated films this year and ahead of its world premiere in London on Tuesday (November 27), cast and director spoke about the story that has already attracted controversy. The story of The Golden Compass is set in a world where witches rule the northern skies, ice bears are the bravest of warriors, and where every human is joined with an animal spirit who is as close to them as their own heart. But this world is dominated by the Magisterium, which seeks to control all of humanity and whose greatest threat is the last remaining golden compass and the one child destined to possess it. Twelve-year-old Lyra Belacqua (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards) lives an extraordinary life as a ward of distinguished Jordan College in Oxford, tearing unsupervised through the streets with her loyal friend Roger (Ben Walke

Blue Murder returns on 3 December and guest starring in the first episode is Kate Ford in her first appearance since leaving Coronation Street, we spoke to her recently about her role in the show. Why did you choose Blue Murder as your first role after Coronation Street? It was quite an attractive part for me to play as she is so different to Tracy. It was really nice to be working back at Granada. What sort of person is Adele and how did you find playing a character that’s so different to Tracy? Adele is very honest. What she says is the truth even though she’s been hiding a secret. She really cherishes her home-life and her children and she realises that she has everything she’s always wanted, whilst Tracy was always looking for something else. How does she end up getting mixed up with Dwayne? She’d just had her second child and wasn’t feeling especially attractive, so she started getting dressed up and going out flirting with guys. When she met him in the club she was really flatter

Returning to ITV1 on 3 December is Caroline Quentin who reprises her lead role as DCI Janine Lewis, a single mother of four children who juggles the demands of family life with her high-profile job in a new series of Blue Murder. Filmed on location in Manchester, three brand new 90-minute episodes have been produced for the ITV1 winter schedule and feature the likes of Kate Ford, Thomas Craig, Richard Fleeshman, Jill Halfpenny and Luke Bailey. In Not a Matter of Life and Death, Kate Ford plays Adele, a mysterious witness to a violent murder who is reluctant to tell the police what she has seen. As the investigation progresses, DCI Lewis and her team find themselves drawn into the hedonistic world of professional footballers, their “wags” and hangers-on. The drama also stars Thomas Craig as corrupt football agent Chris Milligan and Luke Bailey as Caleb Kent, brother of professional football star in the making, Dwayne Kent. Desperate Measures begins with the execution-style shooting of r

Ultimate Force star Christopher Fox is join the regulars at Sun Hill as Detective Sergeant Max Carter and his entry into the fray could be more explosive, in a two part action special Sun Hill finds itself under seige from masked gunmen. Having evacuated the station, most of Sun Hill are forced to watch from the outside with Sergeant Nikki Wright (Gillian Taylforth) and PC Sally Armstrong (Ali Bastian) being held on the inside. Unable to meet the hostage takers outrageous demands, Superintendent Heaton (Daniel Flynn) finds himself in a standoff but he has a way out. Unbeknown to the gunmen, DC Terry Perkins (Bruce Byron) is on the inside. Will he risk his life to save the day? Whilst previously working in the firearms division of C019, Carter gained a reputation for being able to make emotionless decisions in an instant. He only ever pulled the trigger twice and is responsible for two deaths. Returning to CID, Carter hits it off with his colleagues on his first day, and although he is

Another week another collection of scintillating DVD's for you to get your mits on. We have some major new giveaways just starting over at Memorable TV including such TV classics as The Sweeney, Minder and My Favorite Martian, scifi adventure with Battlestar Galactica, comedy with Will and Grace, music with Led Zeppelin and Tony Bennett and family fun with Shrek The Third. Truly something for everyone.

The ABC Australia network have formally announced their plans, after a period of intense speculation, for a dedicated free to air children's tv channel, set to go to air in April 2008. Helped of course by the $82 million that the government have provisionally agreed to cough up, arn't elections wonderful things! The channel will be known as ABC3, ABC Director of Television, Kim Dalton, speaking from the Screen Producers Association of Australia Conference on the Gold Coast, said ABC3, as the new channel will be known, will be a tremendous addition to the entertainment choices available to Australian families. Planning is already underway at the ABC for the provision of ABC3, which will be a digital channel, available free to viewers who have a digital television or a digital set-top box. Mr Dalton issued a caveat saying, “Provided the funds are approved by government soon after the election, we will be on air by April 2008.”

Derren Nesbitt may not be quite so well remembered now but back in the day he was very much the popular action man, cast in the same mould as Patrick McGoohan he was at the height of his powers when he starred in the first series of Thames classic Special Branch and funnily enough the Special Branch that most people will probably remember, that of the Patrick Mower and George Sewell era of kick down the door first and ask questions later era is a different kind of show altogether, much more of a police/spy procedural than a thick ear show. Nesbitt is the lead as Inspector Jordan and for the time was something of an original, his maverick womanising ways might be the stuff of every genre show you see now but back in 1969 he was leading the field somewhat, his immediate superior was initially Superintendant Eden (Wensley Pithey) (he appears in the first seven episodes before being replaced by Fulton McKay's Inman). Like all classic TV drama re-watched today the pace is much slower an

In 1978 ITC decided to revive their much loved Saint franchise with Ian Olgilvy in the lead, this time out although The Saint is still an adventurer always ready to save the country from crisis or help a damsel in distress there was a little more realism with actual location shooting and even one or two actual visits abroad. A real treat, a nostalgia filled blast of classic seventies TV that doesn't take itself too seriously. Whilst still heavy on the Roger Mooresque suaveness and derring do Ian Olgilvy's Saint is a little more action oriented with episodes featuring a plot to blow up London, Arab terrorists, drug rings and assassinations (of course there is also plenty of Saint saving girl in peril style storylines too!). With its great 70's fashions and concerns and a feel similar to shows such as The New Avengers or The Professionals The Return of the Saint is excellent (not to mention one very funky little theme tune). There is also great fun to be had in playing the fa

Frank Ross...is Out. Tom Bell is just one of those actors with an amazing screen prescence, very much at home playing the hard man and pretty much tailor made for the role of Frank Ross. The plot sees Frank Ross (played by Bell) coming out of prison after serving 8 years for a bank robbery that went wrong, with his marriage in tatters (his wife has had a major breakdown and his teenage son is something of a delinquent) Ross is determined to get his revenge on the ones who grassed him to the law. Opening with a great sequence of Ross coming to terms with actually being out and feeling alienated by the fast moving crowds around him. The 6 part serial, here in a nice two disc set, was a big ratings hit and also won a Bafta award. Written by Trevor Preston, Out was a Thames-Euston production and has that classic shot on location feel and is quite similar in tone to Preston's equally excellent series Fox. Although the series belongs to Bell (he dominates proceedings in much the same way

More britcom fun from Network as we take a look at the fifth and penultimate series of Man About the House, the situation is the same as before, two sexy girls (Paula Wilcox as Chrissy and Sally Thomsett as Jo) sharing a flat with a male chef (Richard O'Sullivan as Robin) - a very risque idea back in the seventies, added to the mixture is their landlords The Ropers (George and Mildred played by Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce) who lived downstairs. With a cast that appear to get on really well and a series of plotlines that revolve around misunderstandings and frustrated attempts by Robin to get off with Chrissy Man About the House is one of the better ITV sitcoms of the 1970's. By now the formula is well set and screen time is devoted pretty much equally between the youngsters and the Ropers with George at least once in every episode trying to con the trio into something dodgy (especially when his friend Jerry, played by the brilliant Roy Kinnear, gets involved). The series neve

By the time of the second season of this missing persons crime show Without A Trace was becoming the first show to give ER a run for its money, fast paced and allowing as much time for the personal lives of the cops as their policing Without A Trace is a much stronger show than any number of strangely unfeeling CSI clones. Anthony La Paglia and Poppy Montgomery (Australians both) play FBI Missing Persons Special Unit operatives Jack Malone and Samantha Spade and each episode sees the team trying to trace another missing person. By applying advanced psychological profiling techniques, the special task force is able to peel back the layers of the victims’ lives and trace their whereabouts in order to determine if the missing person has been abducted, murdered, committed suicide or has simply run away. The team reconstructs a “Day of Disappearance” timeline that details every minute of the 24 hours prior to the disappearance, following one simple rule: learn who the victim is in order to

Having achieved almost mythic status with the genius of The Aunty Jack Show in the early seventies Grahame Bond, Rory O'Donahue et al were back in 1975 with a quartet of themed specials all designed to make ample use of the new colour TV sets that were sweeping the nation in the mid seventies. This seldom seen since collection has now been released by the always excellent Roadshow. Apart from the first of the four which is pretty much a live in concert special the team prove yet again that they are well ahead of their time with a collection of fake documentaries, mockumentaries if you will, to quote spinal tap. A style that was quite rare back in the day but is all the rage now with shows such as We Can Be Heroes and even The Office. Theres much fun to be had at the expensive of Wollongong, both the Farrelly Brothers and Norman Gunston are local boys and there is some great location footage of the city in its prime. Great fun and still essential. Distributor: Roadshow Home Enterta

This highly culty spy-crime drama series from the mid seventies has long been on most TV fan's must see list so all praise to Network for bringing us the entire series (including the original 3 part serial which led to the longer series). Besides the fact that the stories are intriguing the show has held interest because of it featuring the first appearance of a certain Detective Sergeant George Bulman who would later go on to appear in the legendary series Strangers and his own series, here (still played by Don Henderson of course) he is teamed with DC Derek Willis (who would also go on to Strangers) Bulman is a somewhat different beast to the character he became in the later series, single minded and dogged in the extreme Bulman has none of the quirkiness that makes him stand out in Strangers but it is more than interesting to see the genesis of a character though. The star of the series is the excellent Stephen Yardley who is probably best known for having played greasy Ken Mast

With the festive season approaching we thought it would be a good idea over the next few weeks to take a look at some great titles you may have missed over the last few months. First up is the excellent action adventure series Primeval. With its filmic sheen and some jaw dropping special effects Primeval looks quite fantastic, with storylines to match and a nice ensemble feel to the cast we have ourselves a great big slice of classic TV scifi. Douglas Henshall heads the cast as evolutionary zooologist Nick Cutter who in an opening scene flashback has never got over the disappearance of his wife Helen (the gorgeous Juliet Aubrey) 8 years before. His team are called to the Forest of Dean to investigate some strange sightings that have been occuring in the area, also there is Hannah Spearitt, a zoo worker also drawn to the area, they soon discover that prehistoric creatures from the past and some amazing creatures from the future are stepping through holes in the fabric of time and threat

Hosted by the ebullient host, James O'Loghlin, The New Inventors highlights the spirit of Australian entrepreneurship and social enterprise and illustrates how the nation is far from sedentary when it comes to pioneering new ideas. In the episode airing Wednesday, 14 November 2007 @ 8.00pm on the ABC James is joined by engineer James Bradfield Moody, science journalist Bernie Hobbs and materials engineer Veena Sahajwalla. Inventions featured on the program: Invention 1 - LiceSuk by inventor Janina Tregambe from SA. LiceSuk is a vacuum hose attachment with a nit comb attached to the front which provides a convenient, safe and environmentally friendly way for the speedy removal of lice from the head providing instant relief for children from head lice. Removing the need for chemicals, it literally sucks the lice off your head! Invention 2 - Quantum Lift by inventors David Catford and Dirk Plug from SA. The Quantum Lift is an inexpensive hay and equipment-moving trailer which can be t

It's the final episode of the season for the New Tricks team, this entertaining show has one of the best casts on TV. Big Topped airing on the ABC on Saturday, 17 November 2007 @ 7.30 sees the team at the circus when they are assigned to reinvestigate the suspicious death of the Great Miraculo aka Bert Dignam. In 1990, ringmaster and circus owner Bert Dignam was found burnt to death inside his caravan at Spingles Circus. Mysteriously, all that remained of him were his feet, and nothing else in the caravan was burnt. How or why he died was never discovered. To try and solve the puzzle, Brian attempts to recreate his death using a whole pig carcass as the body. It doesn't take long for the case to get twisted. With pressure from Bert's long lost daughter and a lack of leads from his old friends, the team struggle to get a break. Off the case, Sandra's trust in her team is shattered when she discovers they have hidden an important secret about her past from her. The news t

ABC's Friday Night Mystery night is still going strong, this week sees the return of the second series of The Brief (Friday, 16 November 2007 @ 8.30pm) which sees Alan Davies return as criminal barrister Henry Farmer, in pursuit of justice and a win on the horses. In the first episode Blame, Henry's finances are still suffering as a result of his gambling addiction and alimony payments to his ex-wife and son in Australia. Newly single, temporarily homeless and juggling a heavy workload and a complicated personal life, Henry turns to his trusted friend Maureen 'Mo' Tyler (Linda Bassett) for support when he finds himself sleeping on the office floor and answering to a bankruptcy trustee. Despite his shambolic life, Henry is a formidable courtroom operator with a tremendous gift for cross-examination and a silver tongue for the vital closing speech. A gambling man, Henry's not afraid to take on the hard cases including; defending a man accused of murdering his own moth

Australia's biggest rock band Powderfinger, along with triple j and jtv descended upon the mining town of Karratha WA in Australia's north-west for the second instalment of the triple j goes AWOL series. airing on the ABC on Thursday, 15 November 2007 @ 11.25pm Hailed as the biggest event the region had hosted in years, the gig drew thousands from all over the region with many making the ten-hour drive south from Broome. It was worth the effort as Powderfinger delivered a rocking set of old and new favourites. Director: Brendan Doyle; Producer: Deb Spinocchia; Executive Producer: Jennifer Collins

It's such a shame that this series hasn't lived up to the hype, a promising scenario but nowhere near enough laughs for a comedy, even Bob Franklin seems off form. In fact there's not a believable or likeable character in it. In the episode broadcast on the ABC Wednesday, 14 November 2007 @ 9.30pm Frances (Robyn Butler) is on a diet in preparation for Book Week and as a result is even more stressed and anxious than usual. Christine's (Roz Hammond) slimy lawyer Piero (Grant Piro) puts pressure on her to get Frances to testify in her favour if there is any chance of an acquittal. Christine knows Frances will refuse and must find a way to win her over. Christine realises how important Book Week and the Premier's visit is to Frances and takes advantage of her vulnerability by offering some beauty tips. Frances relaxes and for a moment, enjoys Christine's company, a distant memory of their school days. The pleasantness doesn't last long. When Christine inadverten

Maybe its because we are turning into one ourselves but we do find this show funny, airing on the ABC Network Tuesdays @ 8.00pm, this week Eveywhere You Look is a treat. As Don Warrington say "What I hate is people who beep you when you're driving. You stop somewhere, and presumably you've stopped there for a reason. You're not on holiday, you're not relaxing, it's not the beach, you're trying to get somewhere. Obviously you can't get there because something's in the way. But some dick behind you thinks 'No, he's just hanging around.' " 35-to-54-year-olds are the grumpiest group of people in Britain today. Grumpier than their parents, who survived the war. Grumpier than their children, who just want to do drugs and surf the internet. Just when you thought they were finished, the Grumpy Old Men are back again to complain about modern life. Sir Tim Rice, Will Self, Rick Wakeman, Nigel Havers, Rory McGrath, Tony Slattery, John O'F

Australia's third largest Church, the Uniting Church, is struggling to adapt in the face of a changing Australia, this fascinating documentary airing on Sunday 11 November @ 9.25pm takes an indepth look at the organisation. Born in the Australian religious community in 1977, it was a bold new experiment in Christian unity and was a culmination of three separate churches: the Presbyterian Church, the Congregational Church (with their roots in the European reformation), and the Methodist Church, derived from 18th century Britain. Overnight, the Uniting Church has become Australia's third largest denomination with two million members, standing for social justice, human rights and religious liberty. From the start, it was not afraid to mix religion and politics. The faith opposed racism, supported Aboriginal Land Rights and lobbied for the decriminalisation of homosexuality. It was a community that revelled in its diversity. However, over the past decade, its constituency has divi

Rainshadow, despite it's oh so Australian, serious McLeod's Daughters backdrop works extremely well as a strong character driven drama, this week's episode Call of the Wild (airing on the ABC Network Sunday, 11 November 2007 @ 8.30pm) sees Jill (Victoria Thaine) almost reconciled to the idea of an imperfect future with Kate (Rachel Ward), the past catches up with her when her father, brother and then Shane (Nathin Butler), the drover from episode one, all descend on them for an impromptu country lunch. All three men are there with the intention of wooing Jill away from her new life, although each has a very different motivation. Meanwhile, Kate is trying to persuade the departing Iraqi agronomist, Achmed Aziz (Panda Likoudis), not to tell the authorities about the widespread sheep disease in the district. A horrific attack on the Balfour farm by a pack of dogs distracts everyone, but it gives Jill a chance to show her true worth as well as crystallising her decision to stay

This excellent drama documentary continues on the ABC Network on Sunday, 11 November 2007 @ 7.30pm, this week Cook continues his relentless pursuit of a Great Southern Continent, putting fable and mystery to rest. Despite his great skills sailing and navigating across the world, Endeavour runs aground and is nearly lost. As a patched up Endeavour crawls its way north again, Cook commits the most controversial act of the voyage: he claims the entire east coast of New Holland for Britain, without permission from local inhabitants. To this day, Cook's claim is still not accepted by Aboriginal people. Stopping for emergency repairs in Batavia, infected water turns Endeavour into a death ship. Until now Cook has not lost a man, but by the Cape of Good Hope, Cook has lost over a third of his crew. Back in London, enduring trials of life are also taking their toll on the Cook family. In his absence, Cook's wife Elizabeth must bury a second child. Cook's maps confirm his brilliance

Can you imagine the chaos that would be wreaked if Australia's writers came out on strike in support of their American brothers, you can picture it now, the placards, the chants, the sympathetic glances from their colleagues on Today Tonight. But we are a hardy bunch we Australians, we happy breed, we noble few and those three writers would be out for as long as it takes. Who cares if City Homicide goes into re-runs, not they, who cares if Sea Patrol goes into dry dock, they don't. Unfortunately neither does the audience.

The cast of Grey's Anatomy gave up their lunch hour on Wednesday (7 November) to join their brothers on the picket line outside the studio in Hollywood where the drama series is filmed. "This is like 12,000 writers and ultimately way more people because it affects all the actors, it involves all the crew and many of us who can't actually strike," said Sandra Oh, who plays sharp-tongued Dr. Cristina Yang on the popular drama. "This is our lunch hour right now, we're lending our support and eventually for me I would love to be able to join them and strike along with the writers." The Writers' Guild of America represents a large population of screenwriters, some of whom make millions of dollar a year and others who barely make enough to pay union dues. The guild membership is at odds with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over their share of supplemental payments, known as residuals, for programming runs on the internet and other

There's a real whiff of controversy in the air with the British Comedy Awards this year, ITV have said that they will not be broadcasting the event, which takes place on 5 December, thanks to the irregularities discovered over the Phone in votes during the 2005 ceremony. Viewers were urged to keep phoning in with their votes even though the live segment had finished. Jonathan Ross is still hosting and it is being recorded by production company Unique. The other big news is that Ant and Dec have been snubbed and for the first time since 2002 haven't been nominated for a single award. Ant and Dec have failed to pick up a single nomination for the British Comedy Awards for the first time in five years. The big hitter this year is BBC Three sitcom Gavin and Stacey which has garnered seven nominations. The Full list of nominations is BEST TELEVISION COMEDY ACTOR 2007 DAVID MITCHELL Peep Show (Objective Productions for Channel 4) JACK DEE Lead Balloon (Open Mike for BBC Four) KEVIN B

Being Human is a new one off, hour long comedy drama, for BBC Three, that focuses on the lives of three outsiders who just want to fit in, only problem is, one's a vampire, one's a werewolf and the others a ghost. Mitchell (Flanagan) and George (Tovey) are two 20-something lads who, like any of their peers, would love to hit the town, pull girls and spend evenings down the pub. Mitchell is a hospital cleaner, good looking, laid back and a hit with the ladies. Oh, and he's a blood-sucking vampire. Mitchell's friend George works in the same hospital as a porter. He's an awkward but loveable geek who was befriended by Mitchell two years ago. George was heartbroken after he had to move away from the love of his life; he had to leave before she discovered that at every full moon, he sprouts a snout, grows a very hairy back and transforms into a werewolf. Having had enough of sleeping in hostels and temporary accommodation, Mitchell and George decide to get a flat togeth

Cranford is all set to the big BBC period drama smash of the year, an epic tales of a year in the life of a village, Cranford features an all star cast, one of whom, Francesca Annis, we caught up with recently. Francesca Annis plays Lady Ludlow in the five part drama and perhaps more than any character in Cranford, embodies the desire to maintain the old order, but progress is threatening the status quo. "She represents old conservative paternalism," says Francesca Annis. "Lady Ludlow is almost feudal but, at the same time, she's very aware of her responsibilities towards the huge number of people she employs. "She has 64 indoor servants alone and takes great care of them all, refusing to countenance cutting back because she doesn't want to see any of them end up in the workhouse. "She's determined to keep her estate intact but times are changing and she can no longer afford to. She is offered the possibility of raising money by selling land for th

Channel Four celebrates an amazing 25 years on the air this November, over the years they've stirred up controversy but also provided us with some of the most stimulating and unforgettable shows of all time. Here we take a look at some of the best bits. 25 years ago, Autumn 1982 highlights Channel 4 opened with Countdown, with Richard Whiteley the first face to be seen on the new channel and Carol Vorderman the first woman. The first voice heard was continuity announcer, Paul Coia. Channel 4 News started with Peter Sissons and Trevor McDonald as anchors. Brookside also formed part of the launch night line-up. Comedy came from The Paul Hogan Show and The Comic Strip Presents… Five Go Mad in Dorset. Commissioned features included Walter and P’Tang Yang Kipperbang. Twenty Twenty Vision was launched as the channel’s flagship current affairs programme, alongside A Week In Politics. What the Papers Say debuted on Channel 4 after a 26-year run on ITV. The Tube launched with unknowns Paula

One of the all time great shows is Ironside, the 1960's crime drama that starred the brilliant Raymond Burr as the wheelchair bound Robert T. Ironside, chief of detectives for the San Francisco Police Department. Shout! Factory are releasing the second season (26 episodes over seven discs) and we have a copy of the box set for you to win. For full details visit Memorable TV

We all know how brilliant the Simpsons are, well now thanks to the new game from EA we have the chance to be them. With parodies of the video game industry (neverquest, medal of homer), pop culture and current events, The Simpsons Game has the same subversive humor and delightfully smart wit as the critically acclaimed TV series. Play along as your favorite yellow, dysfunctional TV family members, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, battle to break free of the video game world and save Springfield. We have X-Box and Wii games to win. full story...

Christina Cole loved the sexy, sassy look of her character, Mel, in Sold so much that she bought the costumes. Christina explains: “Mel’s look is very sexy and sassy. Naturally I was daunted at first because the clothes Mel has to wear are so figure hugging and I had to get used to tottering around in high heels. I’ve played roles in the past where I’ve had to wear a corset, but these clothes left nothing to the imagination. “I usually buy my clothes from high street shops, but I fell in love with some of the designer pieces. I couldn’t resist buying a few outfits once filming had finished to fill up my wardrobe at home.” Christina believes Mel’s clothes say a lot about her character: “They are almost like a military uniform for her - she dresses the way she does because it gives her a greater presence in the work place. The clothes sum up her sexual femininity and ruthless attitude to selling houses.” In her next role Christina will be swapping her sexy look for corsets and bonnets to

The hugely entertaining history quiz returns for a new series with a brand new format. Presented by Tony Robinson, Codex is filmed at night in the British Museum, in the iconic Egyptian Gallery, and the show features some of the world's most amazing historical artefacts. Two teams of colleagues or friends must pit their wits and historical knowledge against each another in rounds based on objects covering 5,000 years of history, ranging from the Aztec Empire to the English Civil War - many of them introduced by a specialist curator - who reveals their historical and cultural significance. Among the treasures featured are the Elgin Marbles, Oliver Cromwell's death mask, the Lewis Chessmen, Durer's Rhino, Thomas Becket's reliquary, the Vindolanda tablets and an Easter Island statue. In the first episode a team of politicians compete against a team of stewards to decipher the mysteries of the Mummy Mask of Sadjehuty; the Vindolanda Tablets; the Mosaic Mask of Tezcatlipoca;

Kris Marshall's career is definitely on the rise, he is all over the ITV Network at the moment, starring not only in the recent Catwalk Dogs but also new comedy drama series about estate agents Sold, we caught up with him recently to chat about his new role. Kris says being an estate agent is the last job in the world he would ever want to do. "Working for commission is something I would never have considered. Ever. Essentially I'm quite a lazy person and I'm most definitely not a salesman. Being an estate agent was never my calling." Kris believes his character Matt in Sold is the most unscrupulous estate agent you are ever likely to meet. "He is the biggest liar, the biggest poseur and in no small way self-obsessed. It is hard to find anything in him that is redeemable but I’ve tried to create a back story for him to understand him better. "Basically I think he's a wannabe city boy who didn't make the grade. He has been an estate agent for

With her new album releasing this month it is all things Kylie at the moment, this ITV special features a mixture of classic, iconic Kylie tracks from throughout the years alongside tracks from her eagerly anticipated new studio album called X, released on November 26th. Each track will be a visual experience for viewers with lavish production values normally reserved for stadium concerts. The various scenes within the show are designed to give a true ‘event’ feel to the proceedings, which firmly put the showgirl herself in the spotlight. William Baker (Kylie’s Creative Director) is also on board to ensure the whole show has that extra ‘Kylie’ look and feel. “Working with ITV on this special has been an incredibly exciting experience. My creative team and I are preparing a fabulous evening with a mixture of old songs, new songs and lots of surprises thrown into the mix as well,“ Kylie told us. Saturday 10 November 2007 / 9:35pm - 10:35pm on ITV1

In episode seven of Billie Piper's raunchy drama series showing on ITV2 at the moment Belle's been booked by a couple for a foursome and Ben suggests he be her professional partner this one time. Belle is shocked - not only was he appalled by what she does for a living up until very recently, but what makes him think it's that easy to turn professional escort over night? Does he think she just opens her legs and moans? Ben begs her to give him a chance - he puts himself through Belle's 'interview' test and finally she agrees to give him a go. Ben prepares for the big night and undergoes all the necessary preening and pampering. The couple, Liam and Kate, arrive giggly and nervous. Then the fun begins: Belle with Kate; Ben with Kate; Belle with Liam; then Kate and Liam find one another and start to make love all on their own. Belle and Ben find themselves in an awkward tryst. Ben is desperate to cross the line with Belle, but will Belle take control of the situat

Any edition of time is alright by us and this welcome repeat which airs on Channel 4 on Monday 12 Nov @ 9.00pm focuses on D-Day. On the morning of 6 June 1944 Allied troops landed in France to attack Hitler's "Fortress Europe" and begin the liberation of the continent. Tony Robinson and Time Team travel to Normandy to uncover the experiences of one group of soldiers on that extraordinary day. The 1st Dorset Regiment were part of the first attacking wave, landing on Gold Beach at 7.25am. Once off the beach, their objectives were two well-defended points of higher ground inland, known as Point 54 and Herod's Well, and finally an artillery battery even further from the coast. Sixty years on remnants of some of the fortifications they encountered are still in place, yet no conclusive account of what happened to the regiment that day exists. Through three separate excavations and the testimony of Michael Brennan, a veteran of the 1st Dorsets, Time Team re-constructs this s

Gamers won't want to miss this one as Vic Reeves is the host of the third annual British Academy Video Games Awards 2007 , recorded live at Battersea Evolution in London. The success and influence of the games industry is celebrated through films with celebrity gamers including Matt Littler and Darren Jefferies (Max and OB in Hollyoaks ), Rebecca Ryan (Debbie Gallagher in Shameless ), Lil' Chris, Dom Joly, McFly and Hustle star Ashley Walters. Rick Edwards is backstage with celebrity interviews. Featuring performances from Athlete and Remi Nicole. Exec Producers: David Alpin, Toby Dormer Channel 4 - Saturday 10 November - 8.55am

The quintessential Sunday night drama returns to ITV1 on 11 November and there is some major change a-coming (watch out spoilers ahead). Not only is there a new cop on the beat but a shocking accident which devastates the village. New cop, PC Joe Mason (Joe McFadden), instantly causes a stir with his untraditional approach to policing, but despite his knack of rubbing certain people up the wrong way, Joe’s laid back charm and intelligence gives him the ability to win over almost anyone, and gives the women in the village something to talk about. Just as Joe starts to settle into village life, a violent incident sends waves of devastation rippling through Aidensfield as long time favourite, PC Phil Bellamy (Mark Jordon), is killed while on duty. Having finally made it to the altar, how will Gina (Tricia Penrose) come to terms with the loss of her new husband? In the wake of Bellamy’s death, PC Don Wetherby (Rupert Ward-Lewis) takes on his responsibilities at Ashfordly Station, but how

The very lovely Elaine Cassidy plays Lucy Honeychurch in ITV1 splendid new adaptation of E.M. Forsters A Room With A View (adapted by Andrew Davies so expect some raciness amongst the longing glances). We caught up with Lucy recently to talk about the romantic drama. Spending hours at the piano practising with a concert pianist, Elaine Cassidy has rediscovered a childhood interest in playing, although she never had a passion for it like her character Lucy Honeychurch in A Room With A View. "Lucy lives out her emotions through her piano playing, but she isn't aware of it which is really sweet.” Explaining how she came to portray a talented pianist Elaine says: "I really can't play the piano that well. I had lessons for three years when I was young but then I lost interest in it, so I didn't practise and didn't get any further. “Tanya, my tutor on the show, was absolutely brilliant. She plays lots of concerts and seemed to have an understanding of what we we