Monday 25 August 2014

TV Picks: 25-31 August 2014 (Big School, Gadget Man, Hand of God, Hysteria, Through the Keyhole, Under the Dome, X Factor, etc.)

Monday 25 August 2014

Below are my picks of the most notable new shows, returning or premiering on UK screens over the next 7 days...

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY
Scotland Decides: Salmon vs Darling (BBC2, 8.30pm) Live debate on Scottish Independence, between the SNP's Alex Salmond & MP Alistair Darling.
Gadget Man (Channel 4, 8.30pm) Series 3 of the technology show. Hosted by Richard Ayoade. (1/8)
50 ways to Kill Your Mammy (Sky1, 9pm)
Festivals, Sex & Suspicious Parents (BBC3, 9pm) Spin-off where teenagers attend music festivals, unaware their parents are watching their every move. (1/2)
Under the Dome (Channel 5, 10pm) Season 2 of the U.S drama about a small town trapped under a bizarre, impenetrable dome. Starring Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Britt Robertson, Dean Norris & Colin Ford. (1/13)
Dave Allen: The Immaculate Selection (BBC2, 10pm) Compilation of clips from the Irish comedian's career.

TUESDAY 26th
Building the Dream (More4, 9pm) Series 2 of the show where empty plots of land are transformed into dream homes on a budget. Presented by Charlie Luxton. (1/12)
The 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (Sky Living, 9pm) Coverage of the ceremony that happened Monday evening in the U.S.

WEDNESDAY 27th
Hotel India (BBC2, 8pm) New documentary series spanning six months, looking at how the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai is run. (1/4)
Horizon: Allergies, the Modern World & Me (BBC2, 9pm) Science documentary experimenting on two families, to find out more about how allergies develop.
Star Paws: The Rise of Superstar Pets (Channel 4, 9pm) Documentary about the rise of famous animals, through talent shows and viral videos.

THURSDAY 28th
The Wonderful World of the X Factor (ITV2, 8pm) A retrospective on the past 10 years of X Factor shows. Hosted by Sarah-Jane Crawford.
Prom Crazy: Frocks and Ferraris (ITV, 9pm) Documentary on the recent emergence of U.S-style proms across UK schools.
Hand of God (Amazon) Pilot about a hard-drinking judge who goes on a mission to find a rapist, relying on messages and visions he believes are sent by God through his ventilator-bound son. Starring Ron Perlman.
Hysteria (Amazon) Pilot about a school dance team in Texas who contract a weird illness that causes fits and spasms, then spreads around the local community. Starring Mena Suvari.
The Cosmopolitans (Amazon) Pilot about ex-pat Americans looking for love and friendship in Paris. Created by Whit Stillman.
Really (Amazon) Pilot comedy about four Chicago couples clinging on to their fading youth. Starring Sarah Chalke.
Red Oaks (Amazon) Pilot about a young tennis ace working at a country club, who meets a group of misfits that help him grow up. Starring Craig Roberts.

FRIDAY 29th
Big School (BBC1, 9.30pm) Series 2 of the comedy set in a secondary school. Starring David Walliams, Catherine Tate, Frances de la Tour & Philip Glenister. (1/6)

SATURDAY 30th
The X Factor (ITV, 8pm) Series 11 of the singing contest. Hosted by Dermot O'Leary with judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Mel B & Louis Walsh.
Through the Keyhole (ITV, 9.25pm) Series 2 of the celebrity gameshow. Hosted by Keith Lemon. Guests are Jonathan Ross, Ruth Langsford & Alan Carr.

SUNDAY 31st
Equator (BBC2, 7pm) New series where Simon Reeve travels around the equator. (1/3)
The Two Amigos: A Gaucho Adventure (BBC2, 9pm) New documentary where John Thomson & Simon Day, stars of The Fast Show, travels to Argentina to learn how to become cowboys. (1/2)

For a look at what the rest of the year's going to bring,