NOT many programme warrant the 'appointment to view TV' tag which producers regard so highly - the programmes which you simply don't want to miss, regardless of whether your night you have the ability to Sky-plus it or V-box it.
Other than Doctor Who on Christmas Day, and perhaps the barnstorming Coronation Streets of late, perhaps the only programme truely worth the tag this week is Extras (BBC 1, 9pm). Ricky Gervais insists it will be the last one, and maybe he is right to take the programme out on such a high.
The two series to date have been rip-roaringingly funny, and it is testament to Gervais's standing both in the UK and America that he has been able to attract such a wide array of talent - and Les Dennis - to appear in roles which pretty much rip the stuffing out of their celebrity personas.
Tonight's one-off, hour-special features special guests George Michael, Clive Owen, David Tennant and Gordon Ramsay. The Christmas special sees the return of Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais), who is now a big star with a hit TV show and a brand-new, hot-shot agent to replace the hapless Darren Lamb (Stephen Merchant).
Andy has achieved fame and fortune, but respect and acclaim are proving as elusive as ever and his discontent is growing. Best friend Maggie is finding this hard to fathom, as her luck has gone from bad to worse and she's on the breadline doing cleaning jobs to make ends meet. For Andy at least, it's all about to change.
Elsewhere tonight, Holby City goes all surreal (BBC 1, 8pm) as it adopts the whole It's A Wonderful Life thing in a bit of a special one-off. Elliot decides to throw himself off a bridge when his son is jailed, but a man called George tells him not to. Elliot then tells George he wishes he'd never been born and George grants him that wish.
Viewers then witness the world without Elliot. Joseph is a patient in a psychiatric ward, Darwin has been shut down following the shootings, Connie doesn't recognise him, Mark is in a wheelchair and many more of the staff have died as a result of the shootings.
Finally, Elliot visits his late wife, Gina, and discovers she wants to die, but is unable to trust her family to cope without her. Realising all the good he has done, Elliot decides he wants his life back, despite his problems, and returns to successfully operate on Izzy and enjoy an emotional family reunion with Martha and James.
Hollyoaks (channel 4, 6.30pm), has been on belting form over Christmas with a great plot centring around Darren, whose life has come crashing down around him as he gets lost in gambling. If you aren't a Hollyoaks fan, now is the time to get involved - and the new year promises to be excellent on Britain's most under-rated soap.
One to avoid: Comic Relief 2007 - The Best of the Big One (BBC 1, 10.45pm). It's a damning indictment of Comic Relief, which lasts around seven hours when broadcast live, that the highlights can be crammed into an hour. And even then, I'd rather just watch a comedy DVD.
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
« Previous | Home | Next »