Sunday 22/10/17

Robot Wars (BBC2, 8pm)

Rob Lavender

Everyone knows the old maxim "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and while the Robot Wars competitors' beloved machines are frequently broken, and almost always need fixing following their gruelling contests in the arenas, the format itself seemed pretty stable following its reboot last year - and throughout the ensuing series this spring. So it came as a surprise to learn that the old favourite formula has been somewhat tinkered with for this new run, which sees co-hosts Dara O Briain and Angela Scanlon return with a host of fresh surprises.

We're prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, however - at least for the most part. The vast majority of the tweaks seem certain to add value: the prospect of eliminated robots being allowed back into the contest, for example, does seem fair (how many times have you seen a promising 'bot go out early on due to a stroke of bad luck?). Similarly, the idea of having 10 teams competing in the arena at once should be nothing short of spectacular - if a tad chaotic. But what do Robot Wars viewers want from the show if not chaos and carnage?

This is the plan, as the only way back in to the competition for the unlucky losing teams is to compete in a whopping 'Ten-Robot Rumble', with no time limit, and set to continue until only one machine is left standing (well, functioning - few if any have actual legs). It sounds great.

Other changes, though, we're yet to be convinced by. For example, there's a brand new hazard this series called "The Fog of War" which, when activated, will fill the arena with an impenetrable mist. A perfect way for a beleaguered robot to avoid detection, yes - but will it really make for good telly? Limiting viewers' actual view of the action seems like a risky gambit on the programme makers' part.

Regardless, we should be in for a memorable spectacle, with 30 battle-ready 'bots in contention, including some old favourites - no doubt battle-hardened from previous bouts - alongside some complete newcomers, as well as some familiar teams trying out a whole new tack with machines rebuilt from the ground up.

We're hoping crowd-pleasers Apollo return to pick on some of the house robots again, however the newer teams might be well advised to steer as far clear of the likes of Shunt, Dead Metal and Matilda as possible.

Of course, while the presenters have changed over the years, there's one thing which has remained a constant throughout Robot Wars all this time - and that's sports broadcaster Jonathan Pearce's enthusiastic (to say the least) commentary - and he will be back to describe all the action this time around.

What else is there to say? Except get those foam hands at the ready, and "Three... Two... One... ACTIVATE!"

Monday 23/10/17

Piers Morgan's Life Stories (ITV, 9pm)

Richard Jones

Love him or loathe him, you can't argue that Piers Morgan is well connected and usually manages to extract some juicy information out of his high-profile guests.

His chat show Life Stories returns tonight and his first guest is another cracker who drops plenty of bombshells to the journalist and broadcaster.

Actress Kim Cattrall made her film debut in Otto Preminger's 1975 film Rosebud. She then went on to star in Porky's (1982), Police Academy (1984), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Mannequin (1987), Masquerade (1988) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).

However, the Liverpool-born British-Canadian is best known for her role as Samantha Jones in the HBO series, Sex and the City from 1998-2004 for which she received five Emmy and four Golden Globe nominations, winning the Golden Globe in 2004 for Best Supporting Actress.

She reprised the role in the spin-off films Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010).

Since 2014, the 61-year-old has starred in the HBO Canada series, Sensitive Skin, playing Davina Jackson, a middle-aged woman who is having difficulty with growing old having been a noted beauty in her youth.

And as well as appearing on TV and film, she is also an accomplished stage actress, and starred in the original Broadway production of Wild Honey, plus Antony and Cleopatra at the Liverpool Playhouse, Private Lives, and Sweet Bird of Youth at London's Old Vic in 2013.

Cattrall's private life has also kept her in the headlines.

She has been married three times to Larry Davis, Andre J Lyson and Mark Levinson, the latter with whom she co-wrote the 2002 book Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm.

She also took part in the BBC One documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? in 2009, where she discovered her grandfather George Baugh was a bigamist.

Despite an eventful life on and off the screen and stage, to millions of fans, Cattrall will always be the self-proclaimed "try-sexual" man-eater Samantha.

And it's her conversation with Morgan about the Sex and the City franchise that has caused a media storm over the last few weeks.

Cattrall and her SATC co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon have spent years combating rumours that there was tension feuds between the four of them.

But when asked about her decision to turn down a role in Sex and the City 3, she denies shutting down production with her over-the-top demands, claiming the cast have a "toxic" relationship and that "Sarah Jessica Parker could have been nicer."

On her relationship with SJP, she also says: "I don't know what her issue is, I never have."

Cattrall, who once turned down a role in Coronation Street, also opens up to Piers about her three marriages and discusses the "chronic, debilitating insomnia" that prompted her to pull out of West End play Linda in 2015.

Despite her most famous character, Samantha, appearing to have run her course, if this interview is anything to go by, Cattrall is determined to carry on regardless -wherever that may take her.

Or as the SATC vixen would say: "Always look like you know where you are going, even if you don't."

Tuesday 24/10/17

The End of the F*****g World (Channel 4, 10.20pm)

Rob Lavender

Despite what you might think after seeing the attention-grabbing title of this new series, this isn't a political documentary describing the behaviour of various sabre-rattling nuclear powers, but is in fact a darkly comic drama - and a rather promising one at that. It will doubtless prove controversial (if only for the title, let alone the actual subject matter) but this should't put viewers off - it looks great, and boasts a sterling cast including Alex Lawther who starred in Black Mirror's memorable episode Shut Up and Dance, as well as Jessica Barden from the Cannes Jury Prize-winning The Lobster, plus BAFTA-winner Wunmi Mosaku (Damilola, Our Loved Boy) and Game of Thrones' Gemma Whelan.

It follows teenaged outsiders James (Lawther) and Alyssa (Barden). The former is a loner who harbours extremely violent inner fantasies; the latter a similarly disaffected admirer of James. But while Alyssa sees something of a kindred spirit in her new acquaintance, he merely sees a potential victim in return...

What follows is possibly one of the most unique and challenging, while thoroughly entertaining, road-trip comedies to have emerged in recent years.

When the pair meet, it seems like a normal school day: James is alone in the canteen, as is his wont; Alyssa, who is essentially the personification of teenaged angst (she feels distanced from her mother, hates her stepdad and rejects everyone she meets), crashes his party of one. James, however, has already come to the conclusion that he's a psychopath - he's crunched the numbers and done the maths, and the conclusion he has reached is thus. He needs one thing to progress into proper psychopathy: he wants to kill a human.

Alyssa's intervention may be a gift from the gods, then (or a power residing somewhere lower, perhaps hotter). And yet, as the episode - and the series - progresses, he wonders whether he might be developing feelings for his prey.

When the pair elect to steal a car and embark upon an unforgettable road trip, all these feelings and more come to the fore as the duo battle outside forces in order to find out what they really want in life.

The series has been adapted from an obscure American series of graphic novels by Charles Forsman, transposed to the UK and given its own spin by writer Charlie Covell. Covell has stuck closely to the source material, while making the odd necessary amendment here and there. She explains "There were a couple of strands in the comic that didn't quite work in terms of a TV audience, and we've fleshed out the family backstory. [Forsman] entrusted us to get on with it. I tried to honour the shape of the comics".

What results is a series which seems incredibly immediate in its content but, in terms of style, is timeless - with scenes which could as well have been set in 1970s USA. It's deliberate: Covell says "Jonathan's [Entwistle, director and producer] idea was always to try and do Americana, British-style ... there are lots of nods to American TV shows, hopefully".

Wednesday 25/10/17

Man Down (Channel 4, 10pm)

Sarah Morgan

Try as you might, you can't ignore Greg Davies.

Not only is he very loud, he stands 6ft 8 tall and wears size 13 shoes. He's also very, very funny.

Now he's back on the box in the latest run of Man Down, the sitcom which he created and writes; he's also its star, playing hapless teacher Dan whose life is one long disaster - and he usually brings it all on himself.

"I think the day that things really go well for him is the day that the show will come to a conclusion, really," says Davies of his alter ego. "It's very much a voyage of discovery for him. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, and he breaks more eggs than most people.

"One of the joys of doing the show, for us, is that we know that he's ill-equipped for every situation that we put him in. That's when you know that your characters are bedded down - when you clap your hands with glee when you think of the stuff you're going to put them through. Which is terrible. I've started to feel genuinely sorry for him."

Thankfully, not sorry enough to make his life a happy one.

"I don't think people want to see him being happy," laughs the comedian. "They want to see him working things out.

"The difference between this series and the first series is that at least he realises that he might not be doing things to help himself. There's an element of progression with the character. At least he knows it's him making the mistakes. In this series he attempts to address certain aspects of his personality. Obviously he does it incredibly badly, but he does attempt it at least."

What may surprise many viewers is that Davies claims the sitcom is semi-autobiographical.

"I was a very unhappy teacher for a long time - for 13 years - and I think I've mined that period which felt directionless," he explains. "I mean obviously I had an awful lot of fun and I hope that's where the fun in this show comes from - watching a man disintegrate a little bit as a lot of us do in our lives at some point.

"I think being a teacher helped me to play Dan because he's the sort of a person who's in the wrong job. I wasn't a very organised or thorough teacher. I think probably the kids who I taught will agree that we had quite a lot of fun, but I'm not sure how much I really taught them."

This series sees Dan looking for a new job having given up teaching in favour of another, more earthy profession. But where do his unique talents really lie?

He certainly needs to have a wage coming in because he's about to become a father - and goodness only knows how he will cope with that; he can't take care of himself, never mind another person.

At least Dan has his old friends to help him - but what practical assistance can uptight financial advisor Brian and bonkers 'entrepreneur' Jo really provide him with as he searches for a new home and new start?

Thursday 26/10/17

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs (ITV, 8.30pm)

Rob Lavender

Paul, a self-confessed "canine addict" already knows that he has to steel himself before meeting puppies in need (if he could, he has said, he would adopt them all) so he has to draw on every ounce of his restraint tonight as he meets day-old pup May, who has been rejected by her German shepherd mum.

May is being hand-reared by her handler, Stacey, who shows remarkable dedication by feeding her every two hours - even through the night. However food is not all that May is missing out on - she also needs the help of a behaviourist to make up for the interaction she's missing from her mum and siblings. Ideally a young dog would glean the majority of its socialisation and training from its upbringing, and so when a puppy is abandoned in this way, it falls to the experts to ensure they grow up healthy and well adjusted. Here, Battersea's head behaviourist Ali has to take up the slack. He begins by teaching her to sit, using treats as a positive reinforcement technique, before deciding to take her to meet another puppy, called (adorably) Puddle, for some playtime and socialisation sessions.

Eventually, the time comes that May will need to be rehomed - but will the vet sign off on her being ready to go to a new "forever home" and, if so, will handler Stacey be able to actually let her go?

Elsewhere in the series Paul meets Buster the Jack Russell, who arrived at Battersea with several old injuries. As a result of the trauma he had endured, Buster is unable to use one of his back legs, and as a result his muscles have become wasted and contracted. The veterinary team in charge of his treatment can see that he will need a lot of help, including most probably an operation and some extensive physiotherapy.

There's also the story of a 14-year-old mongrel named Ben, who was found tied to the railings of Battersea. He's clearly had a hard life, and handler Georgie has her work cut out - he is shaking and afraid, and so nervous that he seems unresponsive at times. When Paul goes to see Ben, he can't even take his camera crew in with him, for fear that their presence will upset him further - and so the team set up a small camera in the corner of his kennel.

It's cases like all of these that showcase the valuable work of the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, and how thanks to their care and diligence every animal which finds its way through their doors will always have the best chance at a happy life. It also makes for a remarkably emotive TV programme, in large part due to Paul's passion as a presenter and a dog-lover himself. Hankies must always be at the ready, as tears of both sadness and joy are a regular occurrence here.

Friday 27/10/17

Sounds Like Friday Night (BBC1

Richard Jones

Believe it or not, it's 11 years since Top Of The Pops was axed.

Edith Bowman co-presented its hour-long swansong, along with presenters from the iconic show's 42-year history on July 30, 2006, and although there have been many calls to bring it back permanently, fans of the show have had to settle for re-runs on BBC4 and the odd special now and then.

Of course, times have shifted dramatically since TOTP's final show aired in what the BBC said was a "rapidly changing musical landscape".

In 2017, people no longer queue up at their local record shop to purchase the latest CD (and before that cassette and vinyl). Nowadays it's all about downloads and streaming and the charts reflect that.

So the era of Top of the Pops is long over, but Greg James and Dotty, DJs from Radio 1 and 1Xtra, are on a mission to bring live music back to BBC1 on Friday nights.

This six-part series, which has been called "a mash-up of Top of the Pops and Saturday Night Live" also includes topical entertainment, comedy sketches, and comes courtesy of Fulwell 73, the same production company that makes James Corden's Late Late Show in the USA.

It will be broadcast live from BBC Television Centre in White City and will see the duo joined by a different major music artist each week to complete the presenting line-up.

Radio 1 drivetime host James will be interviewing the bands and featuring alongside the lead hosts in sketches, while Dotty will be chatting with the guests and the audience and curating the show's interaction with viewers live on social media. James will also be out and about meeting music fans across the country.

"We have been missing a primetime music show from our TV screens for far too long, so it's fair to say being part of Sounds Like Friday Night is something I'm really, really excited about", James said.

"One thing that's fantastic about the show is being able to provide new and emerging acts a home alongside the megastars, introducing them to a new audience."

Dotty added: "I'm thrilled to be part of Sounds Like Friday Night, it's going to be an amazing show.

"Each week I'll be meeting fellow music fans from around the UK, getting the lowdown from the viewers on social media and bringing the best music to you at home. I can't wait!"

Guest host for tonight's show is American singing star Jason Derulo who will also be performing his own hits, as well as introducing pop R&B star Charlie Puth and soulful singer Jessie Ware.

Plus, there is a sketch featuring the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl.

So prepare yourself for some great music and entertainment over the next few weeks, and it all starts with a cracking new theme tune, composed by Brit-Award-winning Royal Blood.

"It's great that a new show celebrating live music is back at the BBC and creating a home for new bands to build a bigger audience," the Brighton duo said. "We're excited to be a part of it!"

Live music is returning to BBC One, and it's been given the Royal seal of approval.