Strictly Come Dancing, Saturday 7pm, BBC One

Posted by Nicola Scholey

Just when we thought Strictly was getting a little predictable with the best dancers waltzing through to the next round - we were in for a shocker this week.

It was a night filled with drama. Firstly, Len threw his toys out of his pram when - like the rest of us - he'd clearly had enough of fellow judge Craig's comments and accused him of destroying contestants instead of giving them constructive criticism.

Next, I had to hide behind my hands as Ali and her dance partner Brian Fortuna took to the floor. It wasn't their dancing that made me cringe but Ali's admission that she'd injured her foot just a few hours before the show and it was clear she was in agony.

The usual suspects danced their way to the top of the leader board with Ricky Whittle proving he can do no wrong.

One of my personal highlights though was Ricky Groves' attempt to be sexy. Did he achieve his goal of being like 007? Well, he didn't do a bad job - but don't give up the day job Ricky.

However, the biggest shock of the night came when the results were read out with Ali Baston up against Zoe Lucker.

It's not the first time Zoe has been in the bottom two - but she was by no way the worst dancer.

As for the reason Ali landed in the bottom two? - well, maybe voters think she's safe or she's not connecting with the voting public - who knows?

But on the bright side Corrie actor Craig Kelly got his wish to dance in Blackpool as all the contestants head there to continue their journey next week.

So did Zoe and James deserve to go? And how the hell did Ali find herself in the dance-off? Have your say here.

Picture: BBC

SEE ALSO:
Last week’s Strictly
Craig Revel Horwood gets jiggy with Camilla >>
More must-see entertainment shows >>

The Event: How Racist are You?, Thursday 10pm, Channel 4

Posted by Tom Murphy

 

In the late 1960s, a US primary school teacher named Jane Elliott was horrified by the racial segregation and injustice she saw taking place around her. So, she devised a controversial experiment that she hoped would demonstrate to her all-white class how poisonous and destructive racism was.

Forty years on, Channel 4 brought Jane Elliott to the UK to re-enact her "blue eye/brown eye" experiment, to see if she could lay bare the degree of racism at the heart of our society. However, what worked with eight-year-olds in a remote part of the American Mid-West didn't have quite the same effect on a group of adults from multicultural 21st-century Britain.

Katie: My Beautiful Face, Thursday 9pm, Channel 4

Posted by Will Parkhouse

"This is me as a TV presenter on a shopping channel," said Katie Piper at the start of last night's Channel 4 documentary, pointing to an image of herself on a telly screen. "This is me modelling – I was in the national newspapers... This is me and my friends in Chinawhite - we used to go out abut four or five nights a week clubbing." And then: "This is me on CCTV - he's a complete stranger and he threw acid in my face."

It was a shocking introduction to the programme, even if you already knew what was coming. But as each detail emerged, the horrendous nature of the 25-year-old's ordeal gradually sunk in. And that "ordeal" included not just the incident itself, but what went before, what followed and what still continues for Katie.

Matthew Wright sees off a streaker

Posted by Stewart Turner

Have you ever accidentally tuned into The Wright Stuff and felt the need to roar: “Get this p**** off my telly!”? Well, you’re not alone.

Five’s daytime whinge-fest was rocked yesterday when a streaker attempted to disrupt filming of the show by scuttling around the studio wearing only a posing pouch. Serial stripper Mark Roberts was eventually removed by security, having failed in his lofty aim to get his todger on daytime telly.

Liverpudlian Mark has previously streaked at all manner of high-profile events, including the Grand National, the FA Cup Final and Royal Ascot. He’s also got himself banned from every football ground in the country, and is barred from entering the US after flashing at the Superbowl final.

In case you missed the show yesterday, take a look at the way Matthew deftly dealt with the unwanted visitor below.

SEE ALSO:

Top TV: Wonderland >>
John and Edward slam 'whingers' >>

Restaurant In Your Home, Monday 8.30pm, BBC One

Posted by Stewart Turner

If you don’t live within a three-mile radius of the more fashionable parts of London, the chances are you’re entirely oblivious to the phenomena of the "home restaurant". In a bid to cash-in on their culinary skills, enthusiastic foodies have been opening up their homes to legions of hungry hipsters looking for a cutting-edge dining experience. In short, restaurants are so last week.

Of course, the people who plan our telly have got their sizeable lugs well and truly glued to the pavement, and they’ve been tripping over themselves in a bid to capitalise on the post-Come Dine With Me comedy dining show boom. Hot on the heels of Virgin 1’s woeful Restaurant in our Living Room comes the Beeb’s almost identically-titled Restaurant In Your Home.

The X Factor, Sunday 8pm, ITV1

Posted by Jim Holmes

Last night's big feature may have been the big band, but tonight's show was dominated by a huge shock.

After failing to light up the voting hotlines over the past 24 hours, relative favourites Danyl Johnson and Miss Frank were chosen to sing for survival, much to the amazement of judges Dannii Minogue, Cheryl Cole, Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell.

Once Westlife had belted out an actually rather marvellous version of their new single 'What About Now', Michael Buble charmed the capacity crowd with his laid back charisma and hulking baritone voice.

Miss Frank rolled out an urban-tinged rendition of Rose Royce's 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore' - replete with Graziella Affinita's obligatory rapping, and Danyl returned to The Beatles' 'A Little Help From My Friends' - the track that brought to him to widespread attention during his original rehearsal.

After dividing the four bemused judges' affections equally, the verdict fell back into the hands of the public. As Miss Frank had scored a lower number of votes during the past 24 hours, they were duly eliminated from the show.

Should Miss Frank have gone this week? Should Danyl have been in the bottom two? Let us know your thoughts on all the acts by posting a comment below.

To hear the tracks as they should have been sung, head to the Music Store now to browse our huge catalogue of songs.

SEE ALSO:
More must-see entertainment shows >>

The X Factor, 8pm Saturday, ITV1

Posted by Michael Baggs

Last night’s X Factor saw Louis Walsh return to the judges’ fold after his absence due to the tragic death of his friend Stephen Gately. Sadly, neither of his remaining two acts were particularly impressive, so perhaps he should have sat things out for another week.

His fellow judges were on their best behaviour this week, as the sniping, insults and aggression of recent weeks was kept to a minimum for the now predictable as a wasp at a picnic and no more welcome, Big Band Week. True, it gives the contestants the opportunity to perform with a live band, but it also gives them a shot at singing songs they would never ever perform should they win the show. They tried that shtick with Leon Jackson and the least said about the unfortunate, weepy, Scottish winner the better.

However, while the behaviour of the judges was notably improved, the behaviour of the audience was not. Newspaper reports claimed that the studio audience had been banned from booing the contestants, (namely John & Edward), but if it was, no one was on hand to enforce the rule. The two teens were serenaded with a chorus of boos and jeers after their performance, and the show slid further away from its talent show roots and closer towards pantomime. Seeing Simon Cowell dressed as a dame before the end of the run is not entirely out of the question...

This week also saw the divide widen between the wannabe stars, with Olly, Danyl, Stacey, Lucie and Joe standing head and shoulders above everyone else despite a very strong performance from the oddly-unpopular Rachel. Miss Frank and Jamie were left flopping around in the middle ground while Lloyd sank to the bottom of the pile - not even a back-flip could save his under-confident ‘Fly Me to the Moon’. John & Edward of course continued to exist on a completely different plane of existence from where they could either be booted off the show at any moment or eventually clinch the talent crown. (I think they are amazing, by the way, in case that wasn’t obvious).

We tip Lloyd and Jamie to find themselves in the bottom two this week, although Miss Frank and the twins shouldn’t sit too comfortably either. Oh and what the hell, let’s throw Rachel in there as well, as even a new weave and post-performance impression of Stacey Solomon is unlikely to boost her chances.

The Thick of It, Saturday 10.10pm, BBC Two

Posted by Jane Murphy 

He’s f***ing back! What better way to rouse us all from our TV-talent-show-induced Saturday night stupors than a swear-o-matic tongue-lashing from The Thick of It’s Malcolm Tucker? Yes, Armando Iannucci’s political satire has made its long-awaited return to the small screen - albeit in a slightly odd time slot.

Just a few minutes into last night’s opening episode, Malcolm laid down the law to the new Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Citizenship, Nicola Murray (Nighty Night’s Rebecca Front). “You are now being scrutinised for what you wear, what you say, for your hair, your shoes, your f***ing earrings, your f***ing cleavage and your dress - which, by the way, is way too loud. I’m getting f***ing tinnitus here.”

Played to perfection by Peter Capaldi, Malcolm is one of a mere handful of contemporary vile-but-brilliant sitcom motor-mouths (Jeremy Piven in Entourage also springs to mind), whose runaway rants, ingenious scheming and anger management issues conspire to steal whatever show they're on.

But while Capaldi is undoubtedly the star of The Thick of It, the rest of the cast turn in fantastically understated performances - with each of the characters indulging in plenty of passive aggression, bitchy banter and unbridled self-interest.

Front is perfectly cast as Nicola. My favourite line so far? “I have about as much real power as those t**ts who sit either side of Alan Sugar.“ And special mention must go to Joanna Scanlan, whose hideously patronising PR woman Terri can barely disguise her contempt for the Cabinet newcomer.

This is a full-on, eight-part series - so we’ve still got three-and-a-half hours of squirm-inducing political shenanigans to enjoy over the next few weeks. Now, that really is worth staying home on a Saturday night for.

What did you think of last night’s The Thick of It? Tell us here.

Picture: BBC

SEE ALSO:
The Armstrong and Miller Show - our view >>
Russell Howard’s Good News - bad news? >>
More must-see TV comedy >>

Strictly Come Dancing, Saturday 7pm, BBC One

Posted by Jane Murphy

Last week they flounced off in disgust halfway through the judges’ less-than-flattering comments. But this week, rock chick Jo Wood and her partner Brendan Cole were voted off Strictly Come Dancing for good - having received just 14 points for their “futile and ineffectual” (Craig Revel Horwood’s words, not mine) samba.

Truth be told, the pair knew their time was up the second they found out they were in the dance-off. Their opponents? Olympic athlete Jade Johnson and Ian Waite, who’d received an impressive 32 points for their show-opening samba. How they ended up in the bottom two is anyone’s guess, but being first to perform can’t have helped. After all, Strictly is on for so long at the moment, it’s easy to forget what happened back in the mists of time when you first switched on the TV.

Strictly speaking (no pun intended - honest!), Coronation Street star Craig Kelly and his sidekick Flavia Cacace should have been in the dance-off: the couple’s samba only managed to secure them 18 points, their lowest score to date. Still, Craig looked completely crestfallen by the judges’ harsh comments - so he could well have won himself a flurry of sympathy votes.

At the other end of the scale, The Bill’s Ali Bastian and her partner/”special friend” Brian Fortuna pulled out all the stops to come top of the leader board with a super-stylish American Smooth - earning themselves 37 points from the judges, including a very enthusiastic 10 from Bruno Tonioli.

Meanwhile, former Footballers’ Wives star Zoe Lucker fought back from the confidence-crushing experience of being in last week’s dance-off - and turned in an accomplished American Smooth with partner James Jordan. A clearly impressed Len Goodman told her: “If you’re in the bottom two after that, I’ll dance the Lambada with Craig next week.” Ah, what a lovely image that makes!

So did Jo and Brendan deserve to go? And how the hell did Jade find herself in the dance-off? Have your say here.

Picture: BBC

SEE ALSO:
Last week’s Strictly - Joe packs his bags >>
Craig Revel Horwood gets jiggy with Camilla >>
More must-see entertainment shows >>

Russell Howard's Good News, Thursday 10.30pm, BBC Three

Posted by Will Parkhouse

Poor Russell Howard. The Mock the Week comic’s breakout show, a topical news programme, clashed with another, marginally more anticipated topical news programme over on BBC One. Really, with nearly eight million viewers tuning in to see a fat racist getting shouted at on Question Time, was there anyone left to watch this?

Oh well, on the positive side for Russell, it’s a nine-part series, Nick Griffin probably won’t be invited back to QT for a while, and BBC Three’s schedule apparently has time for six repeats, an extended spin-off show and a repeat of the extended spin-off show (seriously!). Who needs an iPlayer, eh?