Our picks of unmissable treats for the week ahead
It’s been a strange month in the world of showbiz and entertainment. First we learned that a national television treasure “The Great British Bake Off” was defecting to Channel 4 from next year, only to learn that the new owners had effectively bought just a tent and Paul Hollywood – yet mainstay presenters Mel and Sue and judge Mary Berry are going nowhere and were staying loyal to the BBC. Fans of the show may be upset at this acrimonious beak up, knowing that there’s only a few weeks left to run but we have our suspicions, the Beeb has a devious plan up its sleeves which will alleviate any cake fanatics concerns.
If this news wasn’t bad enough, we then have to bare the embarrassment of our national football team going from bad to worse, with the departure of England manager Sam Allardyce after just 67 days in charge! Having been secretly filmed in a sting operation, Big Sam was caught in what appeared to be a dodgy deal that was more than a conflict of interests and the next day, he was out the door, packed and ready to disappear overseas to escape the hoards of press and paparazzi.
The ex-England boss can hold his head up high however. With a 100% win record, no one can match that although with Gareth Southgate taking over for the next four games against fairly poor opposition, you’d have to be a pretty terrible coach not to!
So with all the coming’s and going’s over the past month or so, it’s best we swiftly move on with the show. So what’s on the box this month to brighten our Autumn days?
Strictly’s Back!
It’s great to have another BBC institution back on our screens and this year has started off without a hitch with the usual mix of personalities, large and small. We’re into week two and gone already is Melvin Odoom. How ex-politician Ed Balls survived is a miracle yet he’s still in there!
The other contestants this year are American singer Anastacia, British artistic gymnast Claudia Fragapane, fashion model Daisy Lowe, Hollyoaks actor Danny Mac, British track and field athlete Greg Rutherford, ITV’s Judge Rinder, presenter Laura Whitmore, Lesley Joseph of Birds of a Feather fame, Ex-Eternal singer Louise Redknapp and wife football pundit Jamie, BBC presenter Naga Munchetty, actress Tameka Empson and singer Will Young, who’s no stranger to TV talent contests himself.
It’s early days but already it’s becoming clear who the frontrunners will be. Mrs Redknapp certainly looks comfortable on the ballroom floor as does Danny Mac. Time will tell how things develop.
Cold Feet returns
A noughties favourite made it’s long awaited comeback to ITV, after a 13 year hiatus in the wilderness. With its final episode gaining over 10 million viewers back in 2003 and the death of central character Rachel (played by Helen Baxendale), most fans thought that was the final tearjerking curtain for the show.
But no. Cold Feet made it’s dramatic return on September 5th with all of the remaining cast reuniting, now into their 50’s as opposed to their 30’s when the show originally went out, to resume the complex stories of their tangled love lives – minus one of course.
The new eight-part series has already started and to date, the biggest talking point seems to be the return of James Nesbitt’s hair rather than the actual story line. Still, it’s an impressive new thatch and certainly a good advert for his surgeon.
Anthony Hopkins impresses in Westworld
Starting tonight on Sky Atlantic from 9pm, Executive Producer J.J. Abrams (Director of Star Trek and Star Wars – The Force Awakens) brings a 10-part series remake of Michael Crichton’s 1973 film about a futuristic theme park run by robots that go haywire and start killing people.
With an impressive cast of Hopkins, plus Ed Harris, Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood, this series could be a cracker if it’s anywhere near as good as the trailer!
