Dirt, Monday 9pm, Fiver

Posted by Jane Murphy

Last week, the opening episode of Dirt's second series pulled in some very uninspiring viewing figures: only 89,000 people bothered to tune in. Well, that's what happens when TV bosses don't bother to shell out for a high-profile publicity campaign.

On paper, this Zeitgeist-embracing series has it all. There's ex-Friend Courteney Cox Arquette as Lucy Spiller - the ruthless, stop-at-nothing editor of US celebrity gossip rag DirtNow.

And then there's über-talented Brit actor Ian Hart as paparazzo Don Konkey, who'd never allow his battle with schizophrenia to get in the way of a big-money shot. There's also a whole host of juicy storylines starring thinly veiled caricatures of real gossip column regulars. Oh, and there's a talking cat.

Series one ended with one bitter, drug-addled celebrity seeking a bloody revenge for all that bad press by breaking into Lucy's house and stabbing her. By the first ad break of last week's series two opener, however, Ms Spiller had discharged herself from hospital against doctors' orders and was hotfooting it back to the office, desperate to dig the dirt on yet more stars behaving badly.

This week's offering - the delightfully named "Dirty Slutty Whores" - sees Lucy search for answers when a celebrity heiress called Milan Carlton (think about it!) gets out of prison early.

It may be little more than just a guilty pleasure, but Dirt provides a healthy dose of escapism and cynicism to help banish the Monday blues. Tune in and see for yourselves: 89,000 people can't be wrong!

Picture: Fiver

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