Innholdsfortegnelse for 3-Jan-26 i TV Times

WILLIAM FENDON MARK HEAP The chocolate-loving retiree goes along with wife Debbie’s plot to pretend to be dead, but it’s tricky to stay under the radar. ‘William’s a loner and happy in his own company,’ says Mark, 68. ‘Debbie is bossy but her and William’s relationship is one of a comfortable old sock that you put on!’ HARRY FENDON CRAIG ROBERTS Debbie and William’s son is relieved his dad is alive, but is horrified to learn that his parents are swindlers. ‘Harry’s anxious and neurotic,’ shares Craig, 34. ‘He’s also the voice of reason because his mum and dad are crazy! But when their backs are up against it, they rally together.’ NEHA FENDON MANDIP GILL Harry’s pathologically pragmatic police officer wife is unaware that her in-laws are committing fraud.…

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‘As a viewer, I like shows that lull you into a false sense of security,’ shares Alfie, 39. ‘What drew me to playing a role like this is the discipline needed for somebody to seemingly be a pillar of his community but then also have a very dark core. There’s constant acting required for that kind of life as he’s always covering his tracks. ‘Rick’s an English teacher who helps the kids go on to university and makes sure that they’re well prepared. He is seemingly a nice guy, but he is controlling at home with his wife Zoe [Dead and Buried star Niamh Walsh]. She is a massive part of how he keeps up this image that he is a trustworthy man, though. ‘I think what drives him most is…

The Great Pottery Throw Down NEW REALITY 7.30PM, C4 The pottery opens its doors to 12 new contestants, all hoping to become Britain’s best home potter, including 32-year-old midwife Elham and toyshop owner Naveed, 42, who only took up pottery three years ago, when he was gifted lessons. Things get cracking – literally – this week as judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller set some fiendish tasks, including a surprise challenge involving galleried jars that sends everyone a bit potty! But who will be the first to leave? Siobhán McSweeney hosts. HD • See feature, page 17 Celebrity Escape to the Country LAST ONE FACTUAL 7PM, BBC1 As this third series of the property show’s celeb extension draws to a close, Strictly dance pro Neil Jones and his fiancée,…

EastEnders SOAP 7.30PM, BBC1 Ronni Ancona makes her ’Enders debut as Bea, a woman who was at school with Linda (Kellie Bright) and doesn’t have the fondest memories of sharing a classroom with the former landlady. It’s a fantastic signing – Ancona has a naturally strong screen presence and is a terrific character actor (remember her as the rather wired Judith in Last Tango in Halifax?). Back in the day, on BBC sketch show The Big Impression, she memorably mimicked several Walford characters, including current resident Kat Moon. Will the writers have a bit of fun and find a way to shoehorn her vocal talents into her new role? AS • See Soaps, page 29 The 1970s Diet NEW FACTUAL 7PM, 5 …Could It Work for You?. Only 10% of…

WATERLOO ROAD NEW TUE, 9PM & 10.40PM (TIMES VARY), BBC1 DRAMA (BOX SET, BBC iPLAYER) A member of Waterloo Road’s original line-up, chaotic but caring French teacher Steph Haydock ruled the staffroom from 2006 to 2010. Now, as the gates open on a 17th run of BBC1’s school set saga, actor and Loose Women panellist Denise Welch is making a much anticipated return in a storyline that sees her fan-favourite character drafted in as a supply teacher. TV Times caught up with Denise, 67, to get her report… It’s 15 years since you last played Steph. What can we expect? She’s back with a bang – 15 years older but not wiser! I loved the idea of coming back – my only worry was that Steph was ‘un-PC’ and the…

FATHER BROWN NEW FRI, 2PM, BBC1 DRAMA (BOX SET, BBC iPLAYER) There is not a dull moment in the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford when BBC1’s beloved period whodunnit Father Brown returns for a 13th outing this week. In the opening case of the 10-part run, the titular crime-fighting cleric (played by Mark Williams) is surprised to bump into his former parish secretary Mrs Bridgette McCarthy (returning star Sorcha Cusack, last seen in Series 9), whose great niece Máire Fitzpatrick (The Vanishings actor Grace Daly) has run away from a refuge for unmarried mothers. When strict nurse Dorothy Hyde (The Last Kingdom’s Debbie Chazen), who was arranging for Máire’s children to be adopted against her wishes, is murdered, Máire is the prime suspect, but Father Brown vows to prove her…

THE GREAT POTTERY THROW DOWN NEW SUNDAY, 7.30PM, C4 REALITY As C4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down returns for a ninth outing, 12 new competitors are all hoping to work wonders with clay. A With Amandaland star Siobhán McSweeney on hosting duties again, the 10-part series sees expert judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller devise more tricky challenges for the potters – starting this week with a soup set and a surprise project involving intricate jars. Here, Siobhán tells us why the new run, filmed again at the beautiful Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent, is wheely good fun… What can we expect as Series 9 gets under way, Siobhán? It has all the things that you’ve grown to love over the years – really interesting challenges and a lovely…

Now that Harry’s back from his stint in a detox clinic, he has two missions on his mind. The first is to try to stay clean. The second is to get even with Ravi. His life has been torn apart by the unsavoury events that went down in Kojo’s flat, and some well-intentioned advice from Phil has prompted him to seek justice – Mitchell-style, obvs. ‘Harry’s history with Ravi and accomplice Okie, and his subsequent issues with drugs, have left him in turmoil,’ says our EastEnders mole. ‘Getting back to normal feels impossible when, from his point of view, Ravi’s strolling around without a care in the world. ‘But it’s not just his own ordeal he wants to avenge – he’s lost his dad because of Ravi. Teddy, as we…

SUNDAY The Super Mario Bros Movie ITV1 4.50PM - 6.30PM PREMIERE ANIMATION This outing for the videogame brothers has Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) as down-on-their-luck Brooklyn plumbers. They seize the chance to become heroes when a water main bursts, but are split up and spat out by a magical pipe into a mysterious kingdom. So Mario sets off to save Luigi, meeting familiar faces along the way. The trim running time means some plot lines are underdeveloped, but the excellent voice cast (including Jack Black, Anya Taylor-Joy and Keegan-Michael Key) ensures for entertainingly zippy fun. Dirs: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic 2022, PG SUNDAY Back to Black BBC2 10PM - 11.55PM PREMIERE MUSIC BIOPIC Marisa Abela gives a terrific turn as singer Amy Winehouse in this…

Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake NEW FACTUAL 9PM, U&W (BOX SET, U) Following the cosy Christmas special, Pete Wicks is back for a third series helping rescue, rehabilitate and rehome more pups with the brilliant Dogs Trust charity. Tonight’s heart-tugging opener finds him helping to save six terrified chihuahuas from a hoarder’s Essex home, before rolling up his sleeves for their delicate rehabilitation. He’s also involved in the tearful handover of two pugs, Coco and Sapphire, whose owners can no longer cope – with things taking a scary turn when pregnant Sapphire goes into labour. Emotional and ultimately uplifting, this show is fast becoming one of the best watches on the box. RF Junior Bake Off NEW COOKERY 5PM, C4 The shrinky-dink version is back for Series 11, with kindly…

Black Ops NEW COMEDY 9.30PM, BBC1 (BOX SET, iPLAYER) Comedy is a tricky one to get right, so we’re thrilled this genuinely funny buddy cop comedy – about hapless police community support officers Dom (Gbemisola Ikumelo) and Kay (Hammed Animashaun), thrust into the world of undercover surveillance – has been given a second series. After exposing a conspiracy involving high-level officials and the Brightmarsh drug gang, the duo are now working as secret agents for MI5. But Dom soon gets talking to the charismatic Steve (Downton Abbey’s Ed Speleers). She’s clearly forgotten the old adage ‘loose lips sink ships’, because we suspect she’s made an error of titanic proportions… VW The Trial of Michael Jackson NEW FACTUAL 9PM, 5 It’s been more than 16 years since ‘King of Pop’ Michael…

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CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? NEW WEDNESDAY, 9.30PM, BBC1 COMEDY (BOX SET, BBC iPLAYER) Dawn French has brought to life a vast array of comedic characters in a screen career spanning over four decades. Now, the actor is delighted to be adding a fresh creation to her collection when she headlines BBC1’s new six–part sitcom Can You Keep a Secret? as domineering Debbie Fendon, a grandmother committing an outrageous fraud! ‘Given an opportunity, Debbie takes advantage. She’s always right, in charge and unfiltered. I have not portrayed somebody like her before,’ enthuses a delightfully chatty Dawn, 68, whose CV includes groundbreaking satirical anthology The Comic Strip Presents… (1982–2012), a pioneering partnership with Jennifer Saunders in sketch show French and Saunders (1987–2005) and an acclaimed leading turn as kindly Geraldine Granger…

GIRL TAKEN NEW FROM THU 8 JANUARY, PARAMOUNT+ THRILLER The harrowing abduction of a teenager has a far reaching impact in new Paramount+ thriller Girl Taken. Inspired by Hollie Overton’s bestselling 2016 novel Baby Doll, the no-holds-barred six-part story centres on single mum and care-home nurse Eve Riser (The Feud’s Jill Halfpenny) and her 17-year-old twins Abby and Lily (played by rising star Delphi Evans and her real-life sister, The Forsytes’ Tallulah Evans). While studious Abby is getting ready for university with the encouragement of her apparently caring teacher Rick Hansen (Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen), party-loving Lily just wants to hang out with boyfriend Wes Bartlett (This Town’s Levi Brown). During a gathering with friends, however, the siblings clash about their future plans, which results in Lily heading…

Waiting for the Out NEW DRAMA 9.30PM, BBC1 (BOX SET, iPLAYER) The Responder’s Josh Finan stars in this compelling six-part drama adapted by Dennis Kelly from a memoir by Andy West. He plays Dan, an academic who is at a crossroads and takes a job teaching philosophy to prison inmates. He also frets about whether he would be a good father, while his older brother Lee (Bergerac’s Stephen Wight), a jailbird, is enjoying being a first-time dad. The performances are uniformly excellent in what’s likely to be one of the year’s standout dramas, and is sure to spark a debate about masculinity, crime and punishment. IM • See feature, page 8 Wheel of Fortune QUIZ 8PM, ITV1 After a festive special, Graham Norton returns with a third series of his…

Inside the Factory FACTUAL 8PM, BBC1 Biscuit fan Paddy McGuinness is thrilled to pay a visit to Fox’s and Burton’s biscuit factory in Cwmbran, South Wales, to learn how it produces a staggering 4.4 billion biscuits every year. Following production of his favourite Jammie Dodgers, he discovers the biscuits are made in an oven the length of eight double-decker buses and hears how they were named after the Beano comic character Roger the Dodger. Meanwhile, Cherry Healey carries out some tests to see which biscuit is best for dunking in tea, and historian Ruth Goodman reveals how biscuits helped power Britain through wartime. Then, to top it all, Paddy is treated to a warm biscuit straight off the production line. NH GREAT SAVINGS SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 6 ISSUES FOR £1 www.magazinesdirect.com/xtv/dl86y…

Amanda & Alan’s Greek Job FACTUAL 9.30PM, BBC1 The second episode of Amanda Holden and Alan Carr’s latest ‘doer-upper’ series, this time on the island of Corfu, begins with them wearing their white overalls while singing Mamma Mia! songs. And that’s a pretty fair summing-up of this show – sort of like DIY renovation with jazz hands (and Demis Roussos). Tonight, the pair are tackling the living and dining room, including a new concrete floor that will set quickly in the heat. But they also have time for a trip to the beach, and Amanda takes Alan to Paxos for his birthday – which causes them to reflect on their life choices, and prompts Amanda to share some advice on ageing. JP Would I Lie to You? COMEDY 7.30PM (TIMES…

Following his comedic roles in Only Fools and Horses, A Bit of a Do and The Darling Buds of May, David Jason moved into darker territory as DI Jack Frost in ITV’s crime drama A Touch of Frost. As the fourth series began, David told us in a heartfelt interview how he had thrown himself into making the show after his partner of nearly 20 years, Welsh actor Myfanwy Talog, died of breast cancer the year before. ‘When you’re not filming, you’re learning the lines. Also, it’s very hard work to keep up the standard in a series like this. It certainly concentrates the mind,’ he said. Now 85, David went on to find love again with assistant director Gill Hinchcliffe – the couple married in 2005, the same year…